Reincarnation effect! NOW-AFTER news :(:)

By A L Chougule

Tired of watching Hussain and Juhi Parmar as an older couple fighting too many bad elements to save the Wadhwa family's honour? Don't despair. If after the generation leap nearly one and half years ago, the young lead pair of 'Kumkum' has been donning bit of grey and looking quite demure, there is a strategy in place to make them look young and happy once again.

Hussain and Juhi who play Sumeet and Kumkum in the show will soon be bumped off by Kumkum's past love interest Pulkit. The double murder will bring an end to Sumeet and Kumkum's story. But thanks to reincarnation, the duo will be seen in the show as young lovers and the story will move into a new time zone and space.

According to Rajesh Chaddha, senior vice-president, BAG Films, which produces the afternoon daily for Star Plus, technically there will be a generation leap post-reincarnation phase but the show will move away from the present story. "It's going to be a completely new story and only very few old characters will be retained in the new format," says Rajesh.

It is however, yet to be decided whether Hussain and Juhi will acquire new identities or they will remain as Sumeet and Kumkum in the post-reincarnation story. 'Kumkum' has been a strong property on Star's afternoon band. It has completed six years and still averages 2 TVRs.

After the generation leap, its TRP had shot to 4 and the production house and channel believe that it has the potential to better its present ratings. "We expect 3-plus TRP for the new story of 'Kumkum'," adds Rajesh. Ask him to explain the reason for introducing reincarnation angle and he says the show is essentially a love story of Kumkum and Sumeet.

"But after the generation leap, many new characters came and went. As a result, the story of Sumeet and Kumkum got affected," says the senior vice president. Rajesh however, denies that the reincarnation angle is an excuse to please Juhi who was not too keen on playing the older character for too long.

"She didn't have any problem at all. The issue was sorted out at the time of leap one and half years ago," he clarifies. He however, admits that for some time Juhi has been asking for a long break. "We perfectly understand her demand for a long holiday. But we were figuring out how to give her a break and yet go on with the show without making viewers feel her absence.

Reincarnation theme came as a saviour and everything fell into place," he explains. The present story will culminate by the end of next week. The reincarnation phase will begin in the first week of March. But Juhi's absence will not be felt completely. "Juhi's new look will come in sprinkles. She will be on a two-month break but will shoot for us in bits and pieces to show her new look," says Rajesh.