ganesh chaturthi special

TV soap queen Ekta Kapoor, who is known for her strictness, was fuming on a recent surprise visit to the sets of her popular Zee TV show 'Pavitra Rishta' when she found the crew working mindlessly on the storyline.

Ekta was upset to find out that her team was busy making the lead actors Sushant Rajput (who plays Manav) and Ankita Lokhande (who plays Archana) rehearse for a dance sequence together even though the current track of the show has their characters facing difficult times, said a source from the sets.

The dance sequence was being shot for a two-hour Ganesh Chaturthi special episode, to be aired September 20.

Ekta was quick to express her displeasure at the dance sequence, and said: "There has to be a thread of continuity and consistency in the plot even if a festive celebration comes up. The current track shows a growing distance between Manav and Archana. I am not about to make things frivolous by throwing in a dance number for the heck of it."

However, her team explained that the dance act was planned on public demand. Besides, the actors, Sushant Rajput and Ankita Lokhande had spent nearly three days getting the choreography right.

Finally Ekta, who is the head honcho of Balaji Telefilms, agreed to retain the act but brainstormed herself for a twist to fit the dance sequence in the storyline.

"Ekta had a problem with Manav and Archana dancing together, but she suggested that they can always dance in a dream," said the source.

That wasn't the only issue faced by the team while shooting the special episode.

Lead actress Ankita created quite a fuss over her costume for the dance sequence.

On the final day of shoot, when her stylist brought in her costume, she felt they weren't dignified enough for her character Archana - a simple and demure girl.

Her lehenga had an extra-long slit, the blouse was low-cut and the corset revealed her midriff. So, the actress gave her stylist a tough time until she was absolutely comfortable with her dress.

"My character Archana is a role model for thousands of women across the country. She is the ideal wife, daughter and bahu (daughter-in-law). The last thing I would want is for people to see me doing an item number. The clothes brought on the sets were far from aesthetic and tasteful. So I put my foot down and got the changes I needed. If that ruffles somebody's feathers, too bad," said Ankita.