Replacement stars rewrite TRPs

Some prime time dailies might have even lost out on the screen scorching chemistry the lead couples created. Star Plus' TRP-topping show, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? has the kind of mushy scenes and intense romance between TV's most romantic jodi Barun Sobti and Sanaya Irani around whom millions of fantasies are weaved of. Ironically, neither Barun nor Sanaya were the first choices for the roles of Arnav Singh Raizada and Khushi Kumari Gupta. Telly hottie Karan Singh Grover had been offered the role of the unsmiling, arrogant biz tycoon and the actor had even gotten his look test done, say insiders. Shraddha Arya, currently playing the role of Laxmi in Main Laxmi Tere Angan Keon Life OK had been almost finalised for Sanaya's role. Until KSG's interest in his film career changed everything and Barun, who was "not convinced in the beginning"about Arnav's role sailed through the look test, besting Mohit Sehgal to the role.Shilpa Anand, the first Riddhima of Star One's Dill Mill Gayyehad been initially offered the role of Anjali, for which Sunaina Gulia was signed up later. When Shilpa's look test was done for a promo of DMGwith Karan Singh Grover, their fabulous screen chemistry, made the makers change their minds immediately. So, Shilpa became Riddhima and created soapbox's hottest jodiwith Karan. Five years after, the two of them continue to be much wanted by producers and fans. Karan Wahi was first offered the role of Rahul in the televised version of Jab We Met- Love U Zindagi. Wahi is known to have acted pricey and Siddharth Shukla who had just wrapped up Jaane Pehchane Si Ye Ajnabistepped in. After their heartwarming scenes in MJHT, Arjun Bijlani was offered the role opposite Rati Pandey in Hitler Didi, but the former didn't take it up and Mrunal Jain stepped in. Rumours have it, that Karan Singh Grover was also offered the role of the lead opposite Dhrasti Dhami in Shikhar, loosely inspired by the Dilip Kumar Madhubala romance. Vivian D'Sena is now doing the show.