TOI: A new face on TV - KTLK

Last week, Gopi Bahu of "Saath Nibhaana Saathiya" suddenly got a new face, with Jiaa Manek abruptly elbowed out because of her decision to participate in "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa" on a rival channel.

But thankfully, our viewers didn't need much time to adjust to the change; actually, adjusting to a new face wouldn't take any time at all, considering how channels routinely change actors at the blink of an eye. We decode the five top reasons why a TV actor is bumped off a show:

Breach of contract
Little must Jiaa Manek have realized when she signed "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa", that a few months down the line, she wouldn't be playing Gopi Bahu - the role that made her a household name - anymore. The change shook many viewers, but Nitin Vaidya, business head, Hindi channels, STAR India, says. "The association with Jiaa Manek has been discontinued with immediate effect, due to unprofessional conduct and breach of contract from the actor's side."

Personal issues
Shooting for a daily soap is not easy, and the long shooting hours can take a toll on a person's health and family life, making a replacement inevitable. Sample the case of "Kuch Toh LogKahenge", which started with Mohnish Behl as the male lead. However, Mohnish had to quit the show owing to his back problem, and Sharad Kelkar was brought in as his replacement. "Mohnishji had health problems and it was becoming difficult for us to continue shooting. It was an amicable decision that we took. After Sharad has come in, the show has picked up and he has brought a fun element and sweet romance in the show, which was missing earlier," Rajan Shahi, the producer of the show, says. The show's ratings too, have risen to 1.4 TVR in the 11pm slot, which Shahi says "is the highest the show has generated till now". Even Gehna of "BalikaVadhu" was replaced, as Neha Marda was getting married and was leaving Mumbai.

Bollywood dreams
Often, an actor will want to move to greener pastures, making a producer hunt for fresher faces. Nishant Malkani's replacement was brought in on Zee TV's "Ram Milayi Jodi" after the actor got a movie offer. "Every TV actor wants to move to Bollywood, and when I was offered the movie, I decided to quit the show. There were some other issues as well, and I made the decision," Nishant says, adding that the show's producers were upset with him for the decision. "A dispute ensued, but everything was sorted out. It was another issue that the show went off air within six months after I quit," he says.

In "Balika Vadhu" too, Sachin Shroff and Janvi Chheda were brought in place of Vikrant Massey and Veebha Anand. "Both Vikrant and Veebha had got lead roles in other shows, and had to be replaced post the leap," says Gajra Kottary, the writer of "Balika Vadhu".

Issues with channel or production house
This, in fact, is the reason behind most changes in TV soaps. Twinkle Bajpayee was replaced by Gunjan Walia in "Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan" owing to her 'unprofessional' attitude. It was said at the time that she was not giving enough time to the show despite being the lead actress. Even Nishant says that he was not happy with his track in " Ram Milayi Jodi" and was looking for other opportunities when he got the film offer. "Yes, it happens. Actors start feeling that they are bigger than the show. A sense of commitment diminishes, and consequently, differences arise between the production house and the actor. There is no option but to replace that actor," says Kottary.

Time leap issues
Often when TV actors are informed about that unavoidable generation leap, they have no other option but to quit the show and let a new face step in. Actor Nandish Sandhu bid adieu to "Uttaran" because he didn't want to play father to people his own age, and Vikas Bhalla was brought in post the leap. Amrita Raichand quit "Shobha Somnath Ki" because she felt she was too young to play mother to a 20-year-old girl.