I wonder if Sultan's role is a long running one. It's probably an extended cameo.
No matter what it is, his entry into Rishbala's life has upped the excitement stakes for me. Without his presence, RK would have continued to fool himself about Madhu.
As for AR, I've liked him since Chhal and was hoping to see him back on screen soon. He showed his potential in that show in both the negative and positive roles. He would have been a good Akbar though...anyway, Ekta's loss is our gain. He's still new to the industry and to acting. It has taken many actors more than one show to hone their acting skills. AR will also learn from experience and anyway, for someone who is a software engineer, he's doing a pretty good job as an actor so far, I have to say.