Pavitra Rishta shoots in Mumbai Chawl(article)

The heartwarming story of a lower middle-class Maharashtrian family staying in a suburban chawl of Mumbai has, over the years, laid claim to hearts of viewers and critics alike.

In a bid to give the common man who constitutes the core premise of Pavitra Rishta a real time experience of the show, the channel has decided to shoot its 1000th episode with its actors in a real chawl of Mumbai amidst real chawl-dwellers.

Ever since the news of Zee TV shooting Pavitra Rishta's 1000th episode in a real chawl spread in the city, lakhs of citizens petitioned for the show to be shot in their respecive chawls.

With everyone keen to have the star cast of their favorite show visit their homes, Zee TV was inundated with pleas and requests about this shoot.

The cat is out of the bag no and the decision has been made ... the channel and its production house Balaji Telefilms will shoot the grand episode in Tribhuvan society, Charkhop, Kandivali.

The news has been a source of great excitement and preparation for the inhabitants of the chawl.

The content being shot at the Kandivali chawl will playout as a one hour 1000th episode entertainment extravaganza called 'Khushiyon Ke Hazaar Pal' that will air at 8 pm on Saturday.

The precursor to the episode will be a three-hour recap of the saga of Manav and Archana as seen through Purvi's viewpoint.

In times when shows swing up and down on popularity charts on a weekly basis and fade into oblivion without as much as making a mark, Pavitra Rishta has ruled the roost at 9 pm across all GEC's, making its lead actors who play Manav-Archana and after the leap, Arjun-Purvi the most sought-after dinner table companions on the tube.

Rithvik Dhanjani who plays Arjun reveals, "The most gratifying aspect of being a part of Pavitra Rishta is the passion with which the junta advises me on what to do next and what not to do, as if I really am Arjun.

"This happens to me practically every time I step out into a public place. It speaks volumes about how real the show is, how closely the audience relates to all its characters and cares for them as if they were real people!"

So, what is it that sets Pavitra Rishta apart from the clutter of mediocrity on Indian television?

"It's beauty lies in its simplicity," says Ajay Bhalwankar, Head- Content, Hindi GECs, ZEE.

"This is a common man's story living in India' just a simple yet inspiring story of struggle and love. The characters are relatable, the casting is impeccable. Apart from Manav-Archana, the younger generation, especially Arjun-Purvi have also forged a strong connect with the audiences.

"We are flooded with fan mail for Arjun-Purvi. Pavitra Rishta's strength lies in understanding Mumbai's common man and mirroring his reality. Creating an opportunity to shoot in a chawl in Mumbai is our way of saying thank you to our audiences for making it the most loved show on Indian television," he said.

Apart from all the love and appreciation from ardent TV viewers, the show has also received many accolades over the last 3 years that include the much coveted Jury's Special Prize & the Best Foreign Drama award at the Seoul Drama Awards and The International Drama Awards respectively.

So, how long can we expect to have the soap on air?

"There's no time limit we've set to Pavitra Rishta," says producer Ekta Kapoor.

"We are following the natural course of events in the lives of those close to Manav and Archana. Each time we go through an issue, it throws us to the next turn of events," she says.