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Bakra Special on Telly Buzz…

We love to Fool People whom we adore and Love and take full advantage of the day, April 1st! When you have "License to FOOL", why worry? Check out the prank we played on some of Our Favorite Sizzling Stars of small screen!

We played a Cute Little Prank on some of our Most Adorable Female Protagonists of small Screen, and we trapped them with our Googly delivered in the form of a Question and unfortunately they all fell for it! As even the Gods love jokes!

Kudos to them as they have taken our prank sportingly and got themselves the title of "Bakra" on Tellybuzz!! As it is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves that you have a sense of humor!

We came up with a make-believe question for the bahus of Indian Television :

Dimple Jhangiani:

This is simply great, thanks to Ekta and her saas-bahu sagas, we have now got a day in honor of the daily soaps. I would say this day is an extension to Women's Day..

Mode of Celebration: I guess we need to celebrate this day in a grand manner with a party thrown. It will be a day when all the saas and bahus of small screen will unite and rejoice.

This was Dimple's reaction when she learnt it was all a prank: WOW!! I always play prank on others on this day, and I have never fallen prey to such pranks……….

It is a great feat that the Government of Maharashtra has declared Jan 1^st for Saas-Bahus of TV. My serial is not the usual saas-bahu one, but I feel happy for other serials like Kyunki.

Mode of Celebration: If I am called to attend the party, then I will surely be a part of it (smiles)

Sreejita's reaction: Well, I always aim to fool others on this day, but I am so foolish that I get on the receiving end always..

Mode of Celebration: I would love to be part of the celebration that will help bond the saas and bahus together.

Panchi was mortified when she heard it was a prank: Noooooooooo!!!This is not done. You can't fool me like this (whines).

Awesome!! I guess Mumbai Government is thinking of family peace in daily soaps too. This day should help the saas bahu problems that torment the TV industry, and I think the Government should also take the aid of psychologists to spread awareness of this day.

Mode of Celebration: I had a very good saas in my serial. All the problems that I faced was from my Nanand.. Please tell me when the Government is declaring a day for Bahu- Nanand?

Divyanka was equally stunned to learn it was a joke: Oh No!!!This was a real good prank, I completely believed it, but although I was wondering why the Government chose to celebrate this day (laughs non-stop)…

The Rediff Interview

'I am still a part of Kyunki'

April 04, 2008

When Balaji Telefilms' producer Ekta Kapoor announced, with great fanfare, the return of the original bahu Smriti Irani to one of television's most popular soaps, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, it could only lead to the exit of Gautami Kapoor, who had gamely stepped into Smriti's role of Tulsi.

But the actress is far from worried. She tells Rajul Hegde why.

• Also Read: Why Ekta brought Smriti back

What was your first reaction when you heard of Smriti's return?

It came as no surprise to me. I always knew that she would come back. When I was offered her role, it was understood that it was going to be for a short time, maybe a month. But one month stretched to 11.

If you knew this, why did you take it up?

For two reasons. Firstly, I have worked with Balaji Telefilms for a long time and took a break only when I had my baby. This was a substantial offer, so I couldn't refuse.

Secondly, Tulsi is an iconic character. It was challenging for me to portray a character that is 70-years old. Besides, I wanted to know whether people would accept me in this new avatar.

• Also Read: Why Smriti returned to Kyunki

What is the viewers' response?

I got an overwhelming response from my fans. After the news broke that Smriti was coming back, I got calls from people here and abroad wanting to know if I was going to be out of the show.

How long are you going to be on this show?

Honestly, I am still a part of Kyunki. My character may be there for two-three months or even a year. I don't want audiences to jump to conclusions.

If you are offered a role of Bani of Kasamh Se, will you accept it?

It is just media speculation. As I said, I am still a part of Kyunki. Besides, I am getting many offers from other production houses too.

Ekta said that she may announce something major for you next month.

Ekta is gracious enough to say that. She must have said it on the spur of the moment.

How has your life changed after Kyunki?

I am committed to my show. Kyunki has changed my life. This will be my biggest character role. People will know me as Tulsi.

Who are you closest to on Kyunki?

I am comfortable will everyone on the sets.That said, I am very close to Baa (Sudha Shivpuri) because I shoot more scenes with her. I am close with Gauri Pradhan (Nandini), Hiten Tejwani (Karan) and Riva Babbar (Damini) too.

Your husband's (Ram Kapoor) track was introduced but it didn't last for long. Any comments?

I feel he did a fantastic job. It was a shock for the audience to see him in a negative role. His character and his attire was something weird, which the audience did not accept. Viewers had seen Ram in a romantic in Ghar Ek Mandir and expected the same here.

How are your relations with Smriti?

I have no personal relations with her. Both of us are thorough professionals. She has worked with my husband and I even met her at the Balaji Global Television Awards.

Ekta could not stop praising you at the press conference...

I am truly honoured by this. I have worked really hard to portray Tulsi and I am happy that she appreciated my work. I am also thankful to all viewers who supported me.

Home truth

Prachi Desai has been house-hunting over the last year, but rising property rates are preventing her from acquiring her dream home Back to Section Stories Posted On Tuesday, April 15, 2008

type=text/javascript> addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; addthis_pub = 'saatchigallery'; src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type=text/javascript> Vickey Lalwani Prachi Desai Is our Television Industry so cash strapped that an actor doing two leading shows cannot afford to buy a two BHK flat in a decent society? Prachi Desai, the reigning heroine of Balaji Telefilms' camp wanted to buy a house in Oberoi Towers in Andheri and she had almost locked the deal for Rs 1.5 crore. Our source says, "By the time she got to sign the papers, the estate rates shot up and the price for same flat swelled to Rs 2.1 crore. Hence, Prachi backed out." Couldn't Prachi, who has been playing the lead in Kasamh Se and has won a dance reality show, afford to shell out Rs 60 lakh more? Says our source, "One needs to understand that Kasamh Se was Prachi's first TV serial and so she wasn't paid a big amount. No actor gets big bucks in his/her first TV serial. And Rock On is her first film." When contacted, Prachi simply said, "I am having a great time in the entertainment industry. The day is not far off when I will buy a house of my choice."

THE GREYING OF RAM KAPOOR

He's one of the top actors in television thanks to one of the longest running television series - Kasamh Se. It's helped him bag several acting awards, put him firmly in the limelight and won him fans - young and old alike, quite something for someone who was never interested in acting. Things fell into place when Ram Kapoor was pushed into it by his school headboy (Tarun Deo, it was) at Sherwood.
"Sherwood is known for its theatre but I was never interested in theatre. When I was in the 9th standard, Aamir Raza Hussain came to direct our Founders Day play, I was pushed into going for the auditions by the school's head boy. I didn't think anything would come out of it. I just went for it, auditioned and ended up getting the role. Three months of rehersals, then the performance. Somewhere in that process, I realized that I really liked doing this, plus school gave me a very good response. I started taking theatre very seriously, I did a lot of theatre with Aamir Raza Hussain, then I went abroad, studied for it."

While he makes it sound very simple, things weren't all that easy. He didn't have the heart to tell his parents he was off to study theatre in the US and this is how he ended up charting his theatrical course:
"I went to America on the pretence of getting into UCLA at the film school. Once I got there I couldn't get into the theatre school I wanted to study in. So I stayed in America for a year, did odd jobs, sold cars, sold credit cards, insurance, just about everything to sustain myself. On my second attempt I got into the theatre school."

Once he got entry into the school of his choice, it was a lot of tough work, which involved the intense study of 'method acting', something that's always been his inspiration:
"Method acting is a very intense, very old way of learning acting. All my inspiration for acting comes from people who have studied method acting like Marlon Brando, Pacino, De Niro, so I wanted to go those kind of schools, which is why I applied for method acting. The easiest way to explain it is its internal acting. They teach you how to feel what you are performing. Not just perform but to feel it too. It's a very long drawn process but I'm very happy that I got to learn it."

That training has come handy for the persona he plays on television today. While he has a huge fan base, Ram Kapoor is best associated with playing the role of a much older man on the small screen. But he isn't afraid of being typecast:
"It's a fantastic role. I've never had a problem with playing a character much older than I actually am. My method acting training in fact, has taught me to play roles that I'm actually not. If I just have to be myself then I don't even need to act. If I act, I want to play every possible role - older, younger, positive, negative - that's where the challenge lies for me. So when I was told I have to play a role that's 10 years older than I actually am, I had no problems. There are people who do have problems but I have absolutely no issues playing an older man."

Just as he has no problems taking on roles that may make him look older,
Ram Kapoor also has no problems staying put in television:
"It's a very exciting time to be in Indian television. I'm very proud of the fact that I'm in the television today. Lots of reporters and journalists who interview me back home always ask me if I want to make the transition to film and I always say I'm very happy being in television. I've done some cinema, parallel or art films as you'd call them, but the draw of television has been too intense. The exposure is a lot all over the world. This year alone, I've travelled to five different countries and the response everywhere has been phenomenal. Television is just booming in India and I can say with certainty that this is just the beginning and I'm extremely proud to be associated with it."

mods close if posted before😊

Abigail is just 15 and is all set to make her debut on TV in Ekta Kapoor's new show Kya Dill Main Hai opposite Aamir Ali. We caught up with her on the sets at Sankaraman studios How did you get the lead role in Kya Dill Main Hai? I was attending the Malhar festival at St Xavier's College where Balaji was conducting an audition. After much coaxing by my friends, I auditioned too. The funny part is, I actually asked them where the camera was, not knowing I was looking right into it. In spite of that, they happened to like me and offered the role. How is it working like with the cast and crew especially with Aamir Ali and Anita Hassanandani? They are very supportive and understanding. There are times when I get so confused that I forget everything and actually become blank. But everyone is patient when it comes to me. While our director is the funniest guy, Aamir is more calm and relaxed. But it's Anita who pampers me the most. What character are you playing in the serial and how well do you relate to it? I'm playing the role of an 18-year-old Bengali girl called Kaakon who experiences love for the first time. She has been brought up with all the traditional family values, which she would have to defy for the sake of the person she is in love with. Being only 15, have you really liked any of Ekta's serials? Yes, I do watch many of her serials and I absolutely love Kasamh Se. Ram Kapoor is my favourite TV actor. What do you do in your spare time? Do you fear of missing out on all the fun of college life? Well, I am a die-hard movie buff, so I never miss a chance to catch a movie when I have some spare time. And also it's not necessary that you can only have fun in college. There are various other ways to enjoy and the people I work with are so fun loving that I don't really miss college at all. Although, I do make it a point to meet my friends whenever it's possible. Which college do you attend and what you would have become if not a TV actress?

I'm currently doing my first year junior college from Sophia College. I always dreamt of becoming a journalist if not an actress.

Kasamh Se set for makeover

Kasamh Se is all set to take its second leap, this time of 16 years. Post the leap, Bani will have a plastic surgery and enter the show. All the other characters are going to have a makeover. We spoke to Arunima, who plays Rano, to find out more.

Saat Phere's all vamp show

Saat Phere's special episode on Thursday with see vamps of all Zee's top shows performing on a song. We spoke to Jasveer Kaur, who pays Pavitra in Betiyaan, and Ashwini Kalsekar, who plays Jigyasa in Kasamh Se, for more details.

'I am confident, but never over confident' – Prachi Desai

Prachi Desai started her career in television with Balaji Telefilm's "Kasamh Se". After her long run in the television, Prachi has become the heart throb of not only the audience, but her producer Ekta also. And with her winning appearance in the colored dance show "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa", she has attained fame in Bollywood also. Having faith in the support of her audience, Prachi is now ready to participate in another reality show "Yeh Hai Jalwa" on 9X. We have a small table-talk with the propitious actress to share with you: Q.: In your winning show "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa", you had a mentor to teach you dancing. But you are playing the role of a dance teacher to five guys in your soon-to-be-shown show "Yeh Hai Jalwa". How have you prepared for the show? A.: I have not prepared much for the show. Actually all the children taking part in the show are so spontaneous and so energetic that I had to go with almost no preparation at all. I think all I have to concentrate on is to build up a relationship with them. Q.: Rakhi told us that she is taking part in the show because there is no bride in the show. What would you like to say about that? A.: I must remind Rakhi that there are not one but four brides in the show. We all are brides in our respective shows but in this reality show we all are working as what we are. And I think I am not Bani, but Prachi Desai in this show. And as far as I can remember Rakhi said that she is taking part in the show because there is no bride from the channel 9X in this show, which makes her relieved. Q.: You said that you are not over confident but just confident. Why so, when you have won a dance reality show recently? A.: Yeah, that's true. I am confident and never over confident. Believe me; I am saying this from the bottom of my heart. I was the winner in my last show but I cannot forget practicing because of that. My last show has increased the expectation of my audience and I have to work even harder to fulfill their expectations. I won my last show because of the votes of my audience and I have to keep them in my mind. I have to teach dancing to five guys and I have to see that they win. It's now all about their dreams and I have to see that they don't lose their hopes because of me. Q.: Don't you think that this expectation is an added pressure on you? A.: Not at all. I never think of that in this way. But you know the truth is that I get tired of working hard in my all other shows and shootings. But truly speaking, I have never felt any pressure from my audience. At the same time their expectations boost us for the best only. Q.: You are the teacher of the group "Masti Ki Pathsala" in the show "Yeh Hai Jalwa". How much do you enjoy? A.: I enjoy it too much. I am happy that I have students from colleges with me. And they are of my age. I have not seen my college for last two years, so being with them I can be little nostalgic sharing my college days. And besides rehearsing we spend much time together. Q.: Do you share your college days with your students in the show? A.: I have just shot for two or three days with them. I don't think they feel comfortable with me as of now, because we have not interacted that much. But I am trying on and on so that they feel comfortable with me. And you know, the first day they came for the shooting, they addressed me as 'mam' only. But now they call me as Prachi only after I forbade them to call me 'mam'. I want them to be more casual with me so that we can perform even better. Q.: You have signed a film with Farhan Akhtar. Please tell us about that film. A.: The name of the film is "Rock On". We are still shooting for the film. It's the first film in both of our careers and that's why we both are working harder on that. It's completely based on Mumbai and I am playing the role of a young lady from Mumbai. It's quite a unique experience for me. I am really impressed that Farhan Akhtar is as good an actor as a director. I have no right to say anything else on that film now. Q.: How can you relate yourself with the character? A.: She is like 50 percent to my real life character. But yeah, she is quite different from my character Bani. She is quite confident and hard working like me. Q.: From bride to competitor in reality show and from there to actress in a film. How satisfied are you with this journey? A.: I am really happy and I am doing more than what I have ever expected. I am just hoping I use the chance to the fullest. Nobody would like to let such a chance go and I guess everyone would have worked equally hard for the offer. Q.: Do you have any more wish that you like to achieve? A.: I don't have any particular dream. I have been living with the only dream of becoming an actress and that I have achieved that. Now I only hope to preserve what I have. Q.: Audience has accepted you as a daughter-in-law. Do you think they will accept you as an actress too? A.: I think they will always be with me. And I pray to them for their support. I have taken the risk of acting in films depending on them. I love them the way they love me. I won the reality show only because of their votes and am preparing for the second reality show for them only. And I know they will never break my heart. Q.: You are so busy with film and television these days. How do you arrange time for that? A.: I think my mother is facing more problems because of that time management. I still have few days to work for "Kasamh Se". And at the same time I am working for films, too. And besides all I am doing the reality show also. So I need more time. But I am doing everything properly, I guess

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