Rohit who had replaced Anuj Saxena as Abh

When Mazher stepped into Aamir's shoes...

Actors replace each other many a times, but does it affect their personal relationship? BT finds out

GITA HARI

In tellydom, where actors are replaced as quickly as clothes and accessories, there is no place for logic behind quitting a show nor do they have any qualms about stepping into another actor's shoes. Is it a game of iski topi uske sar or playing musical chairs? Let's hear it from some of the actors who have experienced the replacement therapy.
According to Manasi Joshi Roy who has been at both the ends—once when she replaced Nausheen Ali Sardar as Kkusum on Sony and when she was replaced by Shilpa Saklani for the same role— "My initial reaction was not to take on a title role popularised by another actor, but my husband Rohit who had replaced Anuj Saxena as Abhay Kapoor in the same serial, convinced me that I should take it up as a challenge." Which Manasi did with some trepidation as she considered it a major comeback vehicle after a sabbatical of two years of maternity leave. Says Shilpa Saklani about taking over the mantle of Kkusum from her, "Nausheen was just an acquaintance and a co-star of my husband but Shilpa is a good friend and a very sweet person. When she was approached to replace me, she called me up and sought my blessings."
Just recently, Star Plus' Kumkum saw the protagonist's daughter Aashka played by Chahat Khanna being replaced by Niyati Joshi who feels, "I really don't know the reason, I guess Chahat is getting married but I did have apprehensions while stepping into her role. It becomes a little difficult since viewers have a definite image of Kumkum's daughter. It's has been just a week, but I am sure that in a month's time, I will have fitted into Aashka's character."
There are a few who can be termed as replacement experts, for instance, Mazher Syyed had replaced Ram Kapoor in Kavita, Anand Suryavanshi as Samar in Saat Phere and more recently Aamir Ali as Sameer in Star Plus' Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki. Mazher's views on replacing another actor are as interesting as the actor himself, "When I replaced Ram Kapoor, I was a novice in theindustry and did not even know the actor I was replacing. Where taking over Anand's role in Saat Phere goes, honestly, I had no work at that point of time. Anand left the show because he had got a lead role in Mamta. As for replacing Aamir Ali, the character as Sameer emerged after a gap of six months and in a totally different avatar, with negative shades. No, I don't have any qualms about replacing anyone."
Achint Kaur who won the best actor in a negative role as Pallavi has two replacements to her credit—Mandira Bedi in Star Plus'
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi bahu Thi and Shweta Kawaatra in Kahani Ghar… Talking on both these roles, she reveals, "As a viewer I liked Pallavi more than the character Mandira. When I was offered Pallavi's role, I was petrified and it took me 20 days to get into the skin of the character. Today, I feel nice as somewhere down the line, I have been accepted and appreciated in both."