millee turns 100

Miilee turns 100

Director Rajan Shahi tells us what it's like to juggle between three sardarnis – Jassi, Kareena and Miilee

Kunal M Shah

Vinta Nanda and Raman Kumar's Miilee has just completed 100 episodes and its director Rajan Shahi is on cloud nine. Shahi has been instrumental in the success of not one but three shows and incidentally, all these character-based shows have Punjabi sardarnis as their lead protagonists.

Shahi directed 130 episodes of Kareena Kareena, he was the director of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin for an entire year (he's now back on the show), and is also currently behind the camera for Miilee.

Shahi says, "I am extremely glad that Miilee has turned 100. Many people, from the spot boy to its producer, have worked hard to make the show popular. I am glad that I too had some hand in making Miilee successful."

All three shows that Shahi has worked on have had sardarnis as their lead protagonists – Mona Singh as Jassi on Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, Kulraj as Kareena on Kareena Kareena, and Mona Vasu as Miilee on Miilee. How was the experience of working with all these Punjabi women? "They all are completely different from each other. Kulraj (Kareena) is like a school kid and I have to be like a school teacher. Mona Singh (Jassi) is very hardworking and a very private person. She is very soft and always curious to know how the shot went and whether it was perfect. And Mona Vasu is completely the opposite. I call her 'bhai'.
She is completely confident, loud and full of extra charge. Sometimes it's difficult to tame her. Yet its great fun working with all there of them and mark my words, all three will make it into films soon enough," he says.

Shahi himself is the grandson of veteran actor P Jairaj. "I started off my career by learning from him and discussing cinema with him. I worked under Ravi Rai and assisted him in Sailaab and Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai. I don't want to sound arrogant but I had told him that when I make my pilot episode, it will be accepted. It happened exactly that way and my first pilot, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, was aired on Sony and was successful. Then I joined Vishesh films and did quite a few things for television. I can proudly say that Ravi Rai contributed to my schooling and Vishesh films to my graduation and my career," Shahi says.

On the personal front, he adds, "My wife is the assistant vice president for programming on Zee TV and is also a writer. We are a creative family… our portrait is complete with son Ansh and daughter Ishika."

The Star Plus show that started in April this year, with huge publicity campaigns across the country has reached the watershed 100 episode mark!

Miilee, the story of an orphan girl's trials and tribulations, seems to have found a number of takers…and the cast and the crew decided to hold a small party to celebrate the success of the show.

The party held at Bohemia, in Juhu, in suburban Mumbai, started really late on Thursday night and as the stars walked in after a hearty dinner at the studio - the media waited and helped themselves to drinks that flowed in abundance!

Producers Vinta Nanda and Radhika Kumar were the early birds, while leads, Mona Wasu and Ajay Gehi walked in quite late. But as they made their entry, all hell broke loose! The duo looked tired, but happily posed for the shutterbugs! Shabnam (Babita) looked equally stunning.

Mona was her usual chirpy self as she jived with her co-stars. She looked splendid in a simple orange top with a long black skirt (she had come in tracks, but changed soon after), and without any makeup on, she looked like a school girl…young and fresh and made a pretty picture!

"I have just completed shooting for a Pakistani 13 episode serial for which I'd been to Pakistan. I am now looking forward to some good film offers. I am not really interested in television but Millee was an offer I could not refuse," said Mona.

Ajay too looked exhausted and ready to drop. But one look at the flashing bulbs and out came the ready smile. "I am not doing anything else as I trying to concentrate on films," said Ajay.

With no celeb quotient present, (except the stars of the show), the cast and the crew let their hair down and had a blast!