| Who says Ekta Kapoor holds grudges forever? Here is one more example to prove that the so-called hard taskmaster is professional, and casts actors purely on merit and not on her past experiences with them.
Kapoor wanted Shweta Kawaatra (Pallavi of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii) to play Pammi (now played by Nandini Singh, aka Kesar of Kesar) in her dearest product till date, Kkavyanjali.
She had no reservation in casting Kawaatra, who had walked out of Kahaani, saying she was stagnating and felt uncomfortable when a youngster (Krishna, played by Sachin Sharma) addressed her as mom in the show.
Says Shweta, "I was offered the role. But I was not going to be in town when they wanted my track to begin. So I told them I couldn't do it." Who called her? Kapoor herself? "A couple of people called," she says, diplomatically.
"I really can't say whether I liked the role or not. Of course, I heard it out, but only briefly; I didn't get too much into it so as to really like or dislike it. I was out of town for a month and they wanted to shoot before my return date." Nandini entered Kkavyanjali in mid-July.
"After that Balaji again called to ask if I could do the lawyer's role in Kkavyanjali, but I couldn't do even that.
That time, I had already zeroed in for Sanjay Wadhwa's Rang. Plus I had CID — Special Bureau. I couldn't put my hand in three dailies." The lawyer's role is now being played by Rupali Ganguly (Dr Simran of Sanjeevani).
Kapoor was unavailable for comment. Said her lieutenant, Nivedita Basu, "Yes, we wanted Kawaatra to get into Pammi's skin. But she said she would be out of India, at her sister's place in London.
We even asked Sweta Keswani to do that role. She didn't do it either, saying that firstly she didn't want to do a negative portrayal, and secondly, she was taking a break from television. I don't think we offered the lawyer's role to Kawaatra, though." | | Website plans
Currently, Kawaatra is busy collecting photographs and articles about her in various papers. "I want to have my own website soon. I have asked someone to ready it," informs the actress. What about starting a family? "Are you mad?" she shoots back (Shweta married actor Manav Gohil on December 26 last year). She "Sure it's a natural process, but it's too early. Manav and I are not in a hurry."
Biggies recalled in Balaji
1. Amar Upadhyay: Walked out of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in February 2002, because he did not want to play an old character. Kapoor brought him back in Kkusum as the doctor who performed the plastic surgery on Kkusum (Shilpa Saklani).
2. Anuj Saxena: Stormed out of Kkusum and Rohit Roy stepped into his shoes. After a brief while, Anuj was reinstated.
3. Nausheen Ali Sardar: Quit the title role in Kkusum, saying she found it awkward when her daughter Aashka Goradia (who is as old as her) called her mom. Kapoor wanted her back when Manasi Joshi Roy was being replaced, but Nausheen was bound by Star Plus, for Kalcchakra.
Rang role
Reveals Shweta, "I play a music director who gives a break to Rakesh Bapat, a singer. Eventually, I fall for Bapat. Rang is a love triangle between Bapat, Rajeshwari and myself. I will make an entry in the serial in the seventh episode for some time, and then reappear after three or four months.
That's the way the Rang story has been cut. The show is going by a bound script, which is so unlike fiction on Indian television." Rang goes on air on Zee from October 17. | | |
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