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We got chatty about her hubby, mother, kids and then of course her kamvali bai. This perhaps sums up for me Renuka Shahane's domesticated life during her five year sabbatical.

Flashing her hundred watt smile (which thankfully hasn't changed through the years), the veteran actor chirps, "It's only because of my mother and my maid that I've been able to take on a daily show. Ranaji (her actor hubby Ashutosh) has also agreed to support me and take charge of children if need arises. And of course, Tony and Deeya Singh have assured me that our set will be very kid friendly- we actually have a nursery on our sets."

Tonight, her old fans and new viewers will get to see Renuka as Anjali Dhanrajgeer in Sony's Jeete Hain Jiske Liye. So, is she nervous that she takes on none other than Tulsi maiya in the same timeslot, on a rival channel? "Oh no! These things have never mattered to me in the last 20 years. Which channel, what time slot and how the show will do is not something that I'd like to get into. I am just happy that after five years of being a real mother; I now get an opportunity to relive those emotions as a reel mother," she says.

After a pause, Renuka adds, "Though, I must confess, that I did get cold feet on the first day of shooting. I was literally sweating. But like they say, one doesn't forget cycling and swimming; the same applies to acting. Slowly, I've managed to ease into the situation. Also I've never played a mother before. And now as I'm one in real life essaying the character came very easily to me along with simple nuances - how a pregnant woman walks, or wakes up from the bed, holding the baby the right way."

Jeete….is adapted from a Spanish telenovella which tells the story of a middle class orphan girl Anjali who marries a business tycoon and how she matures into a woman. But the track later takes a major twist when Anjali faces a jail sentence when she's framed for a murder which she has not committed.

Detailing her act in the show, Renuka explains, "The character is slightly complex and has various shades to it. Since it's an adapted format, I know the basic kahaani beforehand and am sure that it will not drag till infinity. Since, I have never really been a very ambitious person, I feel I am very lucky that such a good role has fallen in my lap"

A career which she embarked on almost two decades back, Renuka reminisces on her earlier days, "My big break was, of course, Surabhi in 1991. But somehow, after facing the arc lights, I actually desire to be behind the camera. Years back, I had assisted director Vijaya Mehta, who did Lifeline. I've already scripted a psychological thriller, keeping my hubby Ranaji in mind. Now, I've to go around scouting for a producer."

Any takers?

IIndustry watchers are waiting with bated breath the comeback of seasoned actor Renuka Shahane on the small screen with Sony's Jeete Hain Jiske Liye. But another smashing artist who's also returning with this project is the classy Ayub Khan, who plays the male lead in the show.

Well known for his association with meaningful cinema, Khan has been consistent with his taste even when it comes to television. His bag of work (Zee's Aandhi and Kashish and Star One's India Calling) can vouch for that.

And now with Jeete Hain…Ayub is readying to impress all with his histrionics in this murder mystery cum psychological thriller. "My role of Aman is surely something that holds a lot of promise for me. Moreover with the big names associated with this project it should surely be something to watch out for."

Talking about his experience of working on the show he explicates, "I would say that I have grown as an actor working on the show. Earlier, I had the tendency of being too verbose at times to enact an emotion. But, now I have mastered the subtleties of the expressions without saying much."

Currently busy with the shoots of Jeete Hain…that gulps around 25 days in a month, Ayub has cut down on more projects. In his words, "I work for 14-16 hours in a day. I cannot think of anything after that, except for hitting the bed. So, at the moment Jeete Hain….takes my whole time and once the schedules are a bit relaxed I might think about some other projects as well." Producers please take note!

Indiantelevision.com Team

(30 January 2007 6:00 pm)

According to the recently released TAM data for the last six months (15 July '06 to 13 Jan '07) - Sony is facing a long, hard climb at number three with its relative channel share at 12 to 13 per cent compared to Star Plus now at 40 per cent relative share and Zee hovering around 23 (Hindi GEC / TG CS 4+/ HSM Market).

The two shows have been positioned to compete with Star's K-sagas, especially the predominant players Star's Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi that airs within the same time band.

Sony Entertainment Television chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand said, "It's clear that Indian audiences will watch shows that bring out their best emotions. So Durgesh Nandini has a subtle tone of humour while Jeete Hain Jiske Liye is more intense. But both are essentially stories of women with grit and determination."

While the channel claims that its immediate focus is to spruce up this band, it has also revealed that it is planning to beef up its 9 to 10 prime time slot with new programming. Without giving out details, the channel is all set to look at a sitcom and even a game show.

Sony Entertainment Television COO NP Singh says, "Around March-April 2006, we decided to take stock of our programming and come up with a healthy mix of fiction and non fiction programming. Reality series like Fear Factor, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and Bigg Boss were results of that. While a third season of Indian Idols is already on the cards, we also wanted to get back to daily soaps."

While Durgesh Nandini is a comedy/drama loosely based on Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's novel, SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta revealed that Jeete Hai Jiske Liye has been adapted from an international telenovella. Both of them have women as their main protagonists. No surprises there. But Jeete Hain Jiske Liye star cast includes Renuka Shahane who will make a return to television after a five-year gap. Her popularity among television viewers should prove to be a huge factor in roping viewership for the show.

Talking about bringing back some of the old shows in an attempt to garner viewership Singh says, "We believe that old brands which we have invested in and have been successful should be revived and made best use of. We decided to go back to shows like Boogie Woogie, CID, Aahaat and now Karamchand."

Sony made cricket and entertainment synonymous and the network is all geared up for World Cup 2007. While Max, Sab and Pix will air matches and shows around it , the channel is determined to keep Set cricket free and provide more entertainment for those taking a break from the game.

http://us.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k7/jan/jan337.htm

Sony Entertainment Televison is tightening its belt in the 10 to 11 pm band. Going ahead with its strategy of providing the right mix of fiction and non-fiction, the channel is now ready with two new refreshing shows - Durgesh Nandini and Jeete Hain Jiske Liye.

Durgesh, produced by Shobhna Desai productions is a story of a tomboyish rural girl, who's a fine mix of traditional and contemporary values. Whereas, Jeete Hain is adapted from a Spanish telenovella. It's an emotional journey of an orphan girl who in her later years is framed for a murder and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment

Elaborating on the thought behind the two shows, Sandeep Siikcand, Chief Creative Director Sony TV says, "Fiction is the regular dal chawal and non fiction reality programming is the sweet dish that one keeps serving to satiate viewers. Bigg Boss dealt with showcasing real time emotions of people. Now, in the same time slot these two shows will do the same; emotional stories of two extraordinary characters. Moreover, our attempt has been to come up with something different from the regular saas-bahu sagas."

Durgesh Nandini is a story of a bright young village girl who is orphaned at a very young age. The show has a new comer Rinku Ghosh in the lead. The show hopes to touch a chord with viewers by reminding them of simple values, emotions and compassion which is missing in the daily urban grind of our lives..

Jeete Hain, which is slotted at 10.30 pm, is a psychological thriller. It stars Renuka Shahane, Ayub Khan and Varsha Usgaonkar. When queried about the time slots alloted to these shows, SET India CEO, Kunal Dasgupta said, "There are more audiences in the 10 to 11 band as of now, so we might as well hit where the belly is the biggest."

So, is the channel also looking at targeting the 11 pm band? To which SET India COO, N P Singh said, "As for now, we're concentrating on the 8 to 11 pm band and we're not looking at the 11 pm band. Also, we'll soon be announcing a few more shows in the coming months."

Throwing more light on Jeete Hain, the producer of the show Tony Singh says, "Our effort has been to make shows which caters not just to the mainstream audiences but also for the niche or alternate viewers. After Jassi, we were supposed to do a show for Sony and now when the right concept is with us, we 're putting our best efforts to make it more interesting. Also, we've found the right protagonist in Renuka Shahane."

With this show Renuka Shahane makes a comeback after a five year hiatus. She chirps, " "For five long years, I was busy looking after my children and now Jeete gives me an opportunity to essay the emotional journey of a woman who loves her family."

http://us.tellychakkar.com/y2k7/jan/30jan/news_sony.php

How does it feel to make a comeback after five years?
It feels great. Obviously I was nervous on the first day of the shoot (laughs). I hadn't felt like this even on the first day that I had to face the camera twenty years back when I started out. Then it was the feeling that at the most I will be rejected if I'm not found good enough. Today I have a reputation to protect (laughs).

What was hubby Ashutosh Rana's reaction to your comeback?
He has been the strong motivating factor for my comeback. He was very keen that I should start working again.

What prompted you to make a comeback with Jeete Hain Jiske Liye?
Earlier I did get offers for television shows but I was reluctant to take them up as I felt that my kids were too young. Now they're four and two. So I feel that I can start working again. I was waiting for something really good to come my way. Anjali's role was really a dream role for me. It was a great challenge to play her. Now that I'm a mother, I identify with her a lot. I also liked the idea of working with Tony and Deeya Singh as they always come up with something different. This is also my first time with Sony. So I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. I couldn't have asked for a better role, better Channel and better directors (smiles).

A little about Jeete Hain Jiske Liye...
I'm playing Anjali. She's an orphan so values family values. She falls in love with a business tycoon. Of course, his family is not very happy with this but she tries her best to bring the family together. She wants to have kids but is unable to conceive for a long time. Finally she has a kid but a traumatic situation in her life takes her away from her family and kid. She struggles to regain her respect and get back her kid. If I were offered this role earlier, I would have still played it the same way. But today, being a mother myself, I can add certain nuances to her character.

What did you do in these five years that you were away?
I spent all my time with my kids. I was also busy writing a film script that I want to direct some day. It's a psychological thriller and also deals with human relationships. I also watched a lot of television.

Any particular shows that you enjoyed?
Jassi ..., Indian Idol, and Astitva.

Do you have the technical know how to direct a film?
I came into the industry with a view of becoming a director. I assisted Vijaya Mehta and she suggested that I also act while I was assisting her. That's how I got into acting. I've always had a keen eye for shot taking and the visuals even while I was acting and interacting a lot with the assistant directors on the sets. So I'll surely direct when I have the time. For the time being, I'll put it on the backburner as I'm busy shooting almost twelve hours everyday for this show. Gradually this tight schedule should become easy but the initial stages require that sort of commitment.

How do you manage your young kids with such a heavy schedule?
My mother comes over and stays with us. So that's a great help. I also have a nice maid who takes good care of the kids when I'm away. Whenever I'm free on the sets, I touch base with my kids. We also have a nursery on the sets so my kids come to the sets very often. So I manage.

Will you do films now?
There's nothing like not doing a film just because I'm doing television. I did Hum Aapke Hain Kaun even while I was doing television then. But right now, I won't be able to take on anything new since I'm very busy with the show. I'd even turned down Antakshari as I'd already accepted Jeete Hain Jiske Liye.

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