TOI: Change's the Mantra-Shabbir

CHANGES THE MANTRA

Lead telly-characters are getting replaced in various soaps on GECs.AT delves in...

Shruti Jambhekar


They say change is constant,but this change is little difficult to digest for television viewers.Were talking about change meaning the lead actors getting replaced.It might sound weird to many but that has become quite common in soap operas.Even in the past decade,we have seen replacements of actors happening but that was gradualtalk of change in actors playing Mihir Virani in Kyunki... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi where Amar Upadhyay was replaced by Inder Kumar and later Ronit Roy;in Kahiin To Hoga,Rajeev Khandelwal was replaced by Gurpreet Singh;Nausheen Ali Sardar by Shilpa Saklani followed by Mansi Joshi Roy in Kkusum,Iqbal Khan by Yash Tonk in Karam Apna Apna,Smriti Iraani by Gautami Kapoor in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and many more.But,this year is seeing the replacements in lead actors at a very rapid pace.Priyal Gor is replaced by Sara Khan in Raam Milaye Jodi,Sunil Grovers character in Gutur Gu is taken up by Kunal Kumar,Shalini Chandrans character is now played by Parul Chauhan in Rishton Se Badi Pratha,Mishal Rahejas character will be soon played by Shabbir Ahluwalia in Laagi Tujhse Lagan and Krishna Gokanis character of Looteri Dulhan will be donned by Supriya Kumari.Actors moving on to other projects,illness/accident and issues like unimpressive performance are the reasons that lead to such replacements.
We try to know how it is for co-stars to cope up with the change of face When asked Nishant Malkani whose co-star Priyal Gor was replaced by Sara Khan in Raam Milaye Jodi,he says,As a performer,it doesnt make much difference to me.For me,character matters not the actor and it doesnt matter whether its played by Priyal or Sara.Performance is what I am concerned about. Needless to say,this is quite politically correct but yes it is tough for the viewers when an actor is replaced.And,we try to probe on how is it for those who are stepping into the shoes of someone else Supriya Kumari,who is going to take up role in Looteri Dulhan says,It is tough to take up a role as a replacement.If I talk of Amoli in Bairi Piya,people will recall my face but if I talk of Looteri Dulhan,they will think of Krishna Gokhani as her image comes first in their mind.But yes,I have taken it up as a challenge and would perform to the best of my ability so that they remember me as Looteri Dulhan as well! Actor-producer JD Majethia says,It happens due to two reasons.Either the actor doesnt suit the character or the environment at production house or cast doesnt suit the actor. He adds,If the actors performance is not up to the mark,it needs to be rectified and it will be accepted by audience as well.In the end it adds value. Bringing about a replacement is definitely channels decision.Sukesh Motwani,fiction head of a renowned GEC says,It is the matter of situations when they dont work out.We replace the characters depending upon what feedback we receive from the audience.If the performance of the actor is not upto the mark,the actor needs to be replaced.Also,in case of mishaps like illness or accident demand change or may be if actor wishes to move on to some other project,we have to take up such changes.Now,all this has become part and parcel of television.But yes,this is not good so far as the process of storytelling is concerned and so we try to keep it limited.But,in case it is for betterment of show,it has to be done. Well,the reasons could be many but replacements are happening.May be the reason to grab more eyeballs and race ahead in terms of TRPs tops the list.. And as long as viewers are accepting the change,they have a way to go! shruti.jambhekar@timesgroup.com