Jalandhar mail

Jalandhar Mail

Till now all the joint families that you've probably caught on television have a) squabbling mother-in-laws b) forever plotting daughter-in-laws c) basically, a lot of unpleasantness. In an effort to make the audience out there less skeptical about joint set-ups, SAB TV has brought in the Bhalla parivaar. This is one happy Punjabi family from Jalandhar complete with the Bauji, his bossy-yet-affable wife and a couple of doting sons and their better-halves. Coming from the Tony and Deeya Singh stable (the makers of Left Right Left, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin), the show 'Jugni Chali Jalandhar' is being pegged as a one of a kind comedy soap which stars a couple of veterans alongside a bunch of new comers. There's veteran actor Ranjeet and Alka Sachdev as the elders, Baba Sehgal and Rakhi Sawant's down-to-earth boyfriend Abhishek Avasthi as the sons and newcomer Karan Godwan and Muskan Mehani as the love-struck couple. Quite like the downpour we had on Friday, these stars poured in the city along with the biggies from the channel. Here's a who-said-what of it all.

Mean No More : Minus a few giveaways on his face that show he's aged, veteran actor Ranjeet looks exactly like how we've seen him onscreen. "Only now I am not running after a woman trying to molest her," the actor laughs in his stride. Having played the really bad man in films, Ranjeet has turned a new leaf with his foray into television. "The concept really appealed to me and that's what got me to sign up. As far as acting goes, I don't find any difference in the two mediums," says the actor who plays the Punjabi patriarch who doesn't like educated women! "Otherwise I have no such issues," he laughs. On a more serious note, he's not yet doing a Bollywood flick for "I am not ready to do tit-bit roles." But there's a movie in the pipeline and he's the one directing it.

Stepping Out Of the Shadows : Even though Abhishek Avasthi brought home the ZEE Cinestars Ki Khoj title, it's taken him long to find his feet as an actor in the industry. The fact that he's Rakhi Sawant's boyfriend has much to do with it. "I think I have had my share of dance shows and I now want to concentrate on my acting career," admits Avasthi who plays a brawny Maninder Bhalla on 'Jugni Chali Jalandhar'. And unlike his controversial girlfriend, Abhishek wants to play safe. "This is a great debut for me on television. The banner's good and so is my role," he answered. The fact that his love life has been much explored by the media, Abhishek's not cribbing. "We are celebrities and such things are bound to happen." Bring up Rakhi and he mellows down even more. "She's been misunderstood. In reality she's very down to earth and helpful person," the boyfriend shares.

Sream Debut : Until now, 20-year-old Karan Godwan was used to being in the background. This former dancer from Shiamak Davar's team finally decided to step out. "I have schooled in Spain and came back after finishing high school," informs Karan who plays the youngest son Vicky. With no connections to pull, this newcomer decided to give it all. "I must have given a million auditions and then Jugni Chali Jalandhar came my way," Karan's happy to have made it finally. On the show he's pairing up with Muskan Mehani who plays the lead as Jugni. Muskan's not new to television, having done shows like Dil Mil Gayee and Mamta.

Second Stint : The last time we bumped into singer and once-in-a-while actor Baba Sehgal, he was busy crooning on NDTV Imagine's show 'Dhoom Macha De'. While Jaspinder Narula went on to win that, Baba Sehgal has emerged once as an actor on 'Jugni Chali Jalandhar'. "I am a Punjabi and what better way to show it off than by acting in such a soap that brings out the best of a Punjabi family," mentioned the singer who even gets to rap while playing his character of Balwinder Bhalla. With an album in the making, he has enough to keep him busy and us too!