A Different Bahu- Kumkum Wadhwa

A Different Bahu-Kumkum (Juhi Parmar)

So this pretty-looking actress is back... with a bang! On Monday premieres Kumkum — Pyara Sa Bandhan, a daily being produced by BAG films, in which she plays the title role. This talented actress who made her debut with Kasak made her presence felt with the Muslim social on Sony Shaheen is here again, this time on Star Plus as Kumkum. Meet Juhi Parmar.

Obviously excited, the actress has not only her fingers, but her hands, legs, everything crossed. ''I am sure it will work'', she smiles, ''It feels great playing the central role. I am glad I waited six months for the right role. After Shaheen, I did not want to do anything and everything, though offers kept coming in. But I was choosy. This was something I was waiting for. And I obviously want it to work, not just because I am in it, but because of the efforts by the entire team and the channel,'' adds Parmar who is confident that the audience will relate to her through Kumukum, as it happened after Shaheen.

Kumkum is the nice, sweet, loving daughter-in-law, but Parmar insists this is not the typical Indian bahu show you see currently on the box. ''She is believable, she is real and very human. She is not extra nice and sugar-coated nor is she bad. She is a woman of today who speaks her heart out. She says what she feels. Kumkum is not a put on. She loves her husband and her family and is more of a friend to each one of them. It's a nice role and I am eagerly awaiting the viewers' response,'' adds Juhi. By the way you will soon see her in two other serials: Saara Akash on Star again and Virasat on Sahara.

Kumkum — Pyaara Sa Bandhan, seems like just another sure shot. No not because of the 'K' factor in the title but because of the people involved. Firstly, Anuradha Prasad of BAG Films the lady behind Chalti Ka Naam Antakshari, Haqeeqat... and then the series director of the show happens to be the very talented Sanjay Upadhyay, the man who's given us the popular Saaya and Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye on Sony. This family saga is about radical relationships and believable characters. Within the prevalent format, it is an attempt to touch upon certain niches and corners of relationships and explore various nuances. There are no complex relationships with constant tensions and upheavals but nice friendly and healthy ties in the family, headed by Harsh Wadhwa. A leading businessman he has two sons Brijbhushan and Kulbhushan and a daughter Sukanya. Brijbhushan is a widower and has a son, Rahul. Nalini and Malini are Sukanya's daughters, who is separated from her husband, while Kulbhushan has three children Jatin, Sumeet and Preeti. Jatin is the young, intelligent business man married to Kumkum. All is well in the family till Kumkum becomes pregnant. One fine day out of the blue, tragedy strikes and shakes the family though Kumkum tries to keep the family united in this moment of crisis.

The soap has Anuj Saxena, Hussain, Arun Bali, Shishir Sharma, Paritosh Sand, Alka Kaushik playing key roles. ''The characters are such one would identify with them. It is a family drama but the USP, I think is the behaviour pattern of each character. They are normally-behaved,'' says series director Sanjay Upadhyay. Unlike most other soaps that are shot in the same old bungalows and studios, they have put up a huge set in an area measuring 15,000 square feet, which cost them a whopping Rs.35 lakhs. Even the costumes don't come from a Maganlal dresswala or a sponsor but are specially stitched. ''It's a single stop floor, we have everything in the studio — kitchen, drawing room, lawn, study... you name it. It's being done on a lavish scale,'' explains Rajesh Chadda CDD, Bag Films.

Last but not the least, guess who's done the lighting inside this huge set? Binod Pradhan of Devdas fame.

Courtsey:ExpressIndia