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Sony and I had a difference of opinion: Ekta

The ever-forthright Ekta Kapoor has no qualms about admitting she had a minor scuffle with Sony Entertainment - or its head honcho Tarun Katial to be precise.

"I was rather annoyed with Tarun. They had left out my soap 'Kkusum' from the invitation card of their party celebrating their successful soaps. Though Tarun said it was an oversight, I thought it was a deliberate attempt to push our 'Kkusum' hastily out of sight," Ekta told IANS in an interview.

"Come on! Just because the soap was winding up it didn't mean it shouldn't have got a decent send-off."

The minor fracas is now forgotten. And the workaholic TV tycoon is now working on her new show - a TV gossip magazine called "Kandy Floss" for Sony.

Giving the details of the format for the first time, Ekta says: "We've never really had a gossip-and-information show about TV on TV before. Also Balaji Telefilms hasn't really done much non-fiction...though we did do the Sunita Menon show on Zoom, which was very successful. But, yes, 'Kandy Floss' is a first for us. And we're excited."

Besides a regular female anchor, "Kandy Floss" will have an animation creature called Kandy who'll take viewers through the party-gossip-info circuit on television.

"It would be my tribute to Madame M, the fictional gossip writer whom I grew up reading in the magazine Cine Blitz."

The anchor is not confirmed, but isn't Archana Puran Singh talking about anchoring the show?

"We're in negotiations. But some nitty-gritty needs to be worked out," says Ekta.

Besides "Kandy Floss" on Sony, Ekta has two new fiction programmes coming up - "Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka" on STAR One and "Kasam Se" on Zee.

"We've already started casting for Nimmo. Though it will have a new face in the central role, the supporting cast will comprise some very well-known veterans from stage and movies never seen in my serials," promises Ekta.

Ekta is also thrilled with the remarkable recovery of ratings for STAR's "Kavyanjali".

"From being written off - almost - to now being our fourth most popular soap on STAR after 'Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi', 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki' and 'Kasauti Zindagi Kay', we're very proud of 'Kavyanjali' and the support that STAR offered. STAR's COO Samir Nair assured me he wouldn't close down the show, come what may. That gave me the courage to go on."

As for the revival of "Hum Paanch" on Zee, Ekta says it's still not certain how successful it would be.

"The first few weekends were overshadowed by other events on rival channels. But I had no choice. The channel told me either I bring 'Hum Paanch' back, or they'd do it themselves. How could I let someone else take over my show?

"I've revived two of my shows, 'Mano Ya No Mano' and 'Koi Haadsa Koi Haqeeqat', successfully. Why not 'Hum Paanch'?"

Source: http://www.mahiram.com/gossip/showthread.php?p=212704
Edited by QT143 - 18 years ago

Kaajal bhai ban gayi Parvati
   By: Vickey Lalwani
   January 19, 2006
------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------


Bhairavi Raichuria

Bhairavi Raichuria, better known as Kaajal bhai of Ekta Kapoor's Hum Paanch, has replaced Pooja Madan, the protagonist Parvati in Doordarshan's daily Ahsaas starring Sudha Chandran, Rahul Roy, Mukesh Khanna, Prachee Shah and Ravi Gossain.

Paisa bolta hai

Pooja, who had replaced Vani Tripathi was part of the show for over a year now She felt she needed a pay hike. Producer Abhishek Dudhaia refused to comply, so Pooja decided not to continue.

When contacted, Abhishek admitted, "I did not want to increase Pooja's fees. If I increase her fee, all other actors will also demand a hike. I don't have so many funds in Ahsaas. I wish all these actors understand."

According to sources, Ravi Gossain also demanded a raise, and may quit the show if he doesn't have his way.

A simple guy

"I pay on daily basis-seniors and juniors both. I am a very simple, and transparent man. I don't latkao anybody's money. Coming back to Pooja, I had clearly told her right from start that I will not be able to increase her fee, and her present fee will be constant throughout."

Bhairavi's gain

Explaining Bhairavi's selection, Abhishek said that she fits the role. "Bhairavi will also work at the budget I have offered her. She is very keen to work with me, and that eased out my tension; I didn't have to search high and low for the replacement."

Vani Tripathi had also left Ahsaas because Abhishek refused to increase her fee, which she too demanded somewhere at the time of being in the serial for one year.

"I had showed the typical plastic surgery trick when Tripathi changed to Madan, but now I am not even doing that. I will simply put up an announcement reading that Madan's character will now be played by Raichuria," the director signs off grumpily.

Pooja Madan was unavailable for comment.

source-

midday.com

Edited by monika.goel - 18 years ago

Crazy fan wants to marry Sweety



Naveen Sandhu pays surprise visit to Rakhi Tandon disrupting the shoot of Hum Paanch



Reena Thapar Kapoor



Frenzied fans can go to any extent. And who should know this better than Rakhi Tandon, or Sweety of Hum Paanch. The TV actress was at the receiving end of the antics of an obsessed fan recently.

Naveen Sandhu of Chandigarh took Rakhi's on-screen character Sweety's desperate desire to get married a tad too seriously. In his enthusiasm to marry Sweety, a smitten Sandhu came to Mumbai and landed up on the sets of Hum Paanch, with his proposal.

When he was denied entry to the sets, Sandhu created a scene, saying he wouldn't leave until he was allowed to meet with the 'woman of his dreams'. A unit member who witnessed the entire scenario says, "He repeatedly said that he had come to Mumbai to meet Sweety and wanted to marry her as he considered himself the perfect match for her. We tried to reason with him, telling him that she is only enacting a role, and is married in real life. But he refused to be convinced and demanded Rakhi's residential address."

The shoot was stalled, with everyone trying to cajole Sandhu to stop making a nuisance of himself. Finally security guards intervened and carried him off the sets.

After many requests from unit members, Sandhu did make a quiet exit... only to return soon after. When questioned about the unfortunate incident, Tandon said, "I'm told that he came back with flowers and even misbehaved with the unit members. Thankfully, the unit took care of this problem and I did not have to meet him at all!"

The actress admits that such incidents have happened with other heroines too in the past. "It can be extremely scary and unnerving," she says. "It's time people understood the difference between reel and real life. They should try and be sensitive towards us."


* I'm told that he came back with flowers and even misbehaved with the unit members. Thankfully, the unit took care of this problem and I did not have to meet him at all – Tandon

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=19&se ctname=Television&sess=249195198

Radhika of Hum Paanch gets engaged!


Here's another couple that celebrated love by getting engaged on 14 February..


Pamela: Glowing in love!

Pamela Mukherjee, who plays Radhika in Hum Paanch got engaged to her boyfriend Ankur Jhaveri, a dubbing artiste (he has dubbed for the recently released The Chronicles of Narnia, an unreleased film for Ashmit Patel and scores of ad films), on Valentine's Day this year. Pamela has been dating him for the past ten years. The couple first met when they went for a picnic with other dubbing artistes. Very few people know that Pamela herself is a dubbing artiste.

"Marriage is on the cards but will take place only after a year since my sister got married this year so I want to take it easy for a while," says the petite actor who plans to continue acting post marriage. Right now, she's content playing the intelligent Radhika who cannot hear and see properly and has been playing a married woman in the sequel of Hum Paanch.

While Pamela is a Bengali her fiance is a Gujrati. Pamela has worked in Hip Hip Hurray, Kehta Hai Dil, Kahin Kisi Roz and Lipstick.


    
By KAVITA SHYAM Posted on 20 February 2006 5:00 pm

Edited by monika.goel - 18 years ago

I am going to Delhi to look for some eligible boys

Says Ekta Kapoor about her future prospects for reel and real life

Your Kandy Floss is soon to be aired.
I'm having so much fun doing non-fiction. I've done non-fiction programme before - Cosmic Chat with Sunita Menon. But  I'm apprehensive about this one because it will look at the lives of television stars. I hope I'm not torn to shreds. If people speak honestly on camera, I won't edit it. I've instructed my team not to ask lewd questions or hit below the belt. When they asked me if they can take pot-shots at me, I told them, 'Fine. But I might hate you for that.'


Do you feel television allows you to be as adventurous as cinema?
Not at all.  The target  audience on TV doesn't allow you to experiment. When I do something regular they're angry. But when I do something different I don't get their attention. So what do I do?  Iqbal can be done for cinema. But not for television. In spite of all the criticism the top three soaps remain my Kasauti Zindagi Kay,  Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.


What do you think of Saloni?
Oh, I like it very much. It's a nice conventional commercial  show. At the end of the day, the audience does not want to move away from  the standard theme and format. I do feel that I am stagnanting at times. But at the end of  the day I love my work. I love my shows. For me they aren't something I do for a few hours. They're my life. I'm very attached to my characters in the soaps. But I do  want to attempt a  different entertainment.


Your Kkasam Se isn't doing well?
What are you  saying? In just three weeks the TRPs are at a 2.4 average. It's my other serial  Hum Paanch that isn't doing well. As for Hum Paanch, times have changed. We shouldn't have brought it back again. The viewer-profile has changed.


Wasn't Amar Upadhyay supposed  to play the lead in Krimson Skies?
He was supposed to play Karan's father. But he asked for too much money.


How do you react to the criticism?
My father always says, dogs bark when an elephant walks. I hate calling myself an elephant. But what to do? I do my work and go home. I've five friends who i can be myself with. People can call my soaps regressive and monotonous . I've only  one thing to say to them. 'Dude, they aren't affecting the TRPs.  It just seems like a lot of idle malicious talk.'


Are you producing films?
Yes , plenty. I'll start with a small film directed by Satish Kaushik featuring Tusshar and maybe Ayesha Takia. Then there're projects with Neeraj Vora, Rohit Shetty,   Abbas-Mustan and  Anees Bazmi. I also want to start small niche films with independent directors. But my role model in filmmaking is Sanjay Leela Bhansali because he has always done what he wants to do, and done it so magnificently. He wants me to make a serial without a 'k'  in it. I will, just for him. I went mad after seeing Devdas.  No  one can touch him.


Any plans of marriage?
My friends and I are going to Delhi to look for some eligible boys. Can't seem to find one for myself in Mumbai. My temper tantrums are too well- known here. I'm trying to sober down as much as possible.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=19&am p;am p;am p;articleid=22020061514771822020061507484

Edited by monika.goel - 18 years ago

I love this show. Edited by bollylover - 18 years ago

THanx for da update 😊 Edited by deep321 - 18 years ago

This content was originally posted by: RAJEEVforAAMNA

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<TD vAlign=top><FONT =televisionpointgrapetitle color=#0b0fa9>Asghar turns villain with a vengeance</TD></TR>
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<DIV =televisionpointtext align=justify>[IMG]height=183 src="http://www.televisionpoint.com/tvgrapevine/images/ali.j pg" width=255 align=left>Till two weeks ago everyone thought Kamal, played by Ali Asghar in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, was a harmless fellow. Om's trusted younger brother and Parvati's confidante, he will never do anything that goes against the interests of his family and Parvati. Recently when Ajay turned against the family, particularly Parvati, by joining hands with rival industrialist Mehra, Kamal was on Parvati's side. But suddenly there's a twist in the tale that has surprised everyone. Aggarwal family's most trusted member has turned villain. Suddenly he is a brave man asking for his rights and rightful place in the family and business. He has turned against Parvati whom he considered nothing less than Sita, so much so that he has played a major role in sending her to a mental asylum. The sudden twist in the story and Kamal's rebellion against Parvati has generated considerable interest in the soap, which was dragging on for some time.How and why has Kamal become Parvati's tormentor? Ali Asghar wouldn't let the secret out. "It's an interesting, very dramatic and a totally unexpected twist in the story. I can't reveal more than this. There is a lot happening in the serial which will also be determined by audience's feedback and the TRPs," says Ali who was always projected as the 'yes' boy of the family. The high-voltage confrontation between him and Parvati in recent episodes was nothing short of some class histrionics where Ali gave a tongue-lashing to Parvati for treating him almost like the family's servant. The unrepentant Kamal spewed venom and swore revenge with such intensity that it sent shivers down Parvati's spine as also that of the viewers."What has so far been shown is Kamal's outburst in sheer anger and out of frustration for being taken for granted. But there is something more brewing. There are more people involved in the plot," says Ali guardedly. He however, admits that he is not comfortable with what he is doing against Parvati. "It's totally against my image that has been created over four years," he adds. In fact, Ali was very nervous when he was told about the sudden twist in the story. "I was told that I was going to turn negative and that too against Parvati. I was nervous and confused. I feared for my image," he confesses.His fear has come true. For, Ali says the feedback he has got from various people and sources confirmed his fear that people will not take it positively. "I know people are going to hate me," says Kamal who is however, glad that people do react when things go against their expectations. "It is all fictional drama and yet audience reacts strongly. It means that people appreciate good work and hard efforts an actor puts in. I have given my best to Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and it is the best work I have done so far." His other best work was Itihaas, also an Ektaa Kappor daily. "It was a great role," gushes Ali who played a don's son who was too scared of his father ever since he saw him committing a murder. "But after my father's death I took over the reins and became a don. The role had different shades, soft, romantic, ruthless, sly… a well-rounded character." But he regrets that his performance didn't get noticed much in the metro cities and TRP towns besides in the television industry because the serial was telecast on Doordarshan. It is another story that the actor with chubby cheeks, roundish face and portly visage started as comedian in shows like Do Aur Do Paanch, Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, Parampara and Dil Vil Pyar Vyar. And in showbiz once an actor gets slotted as comedian he remains a comedian forever. But Ali Asghar succeeded in getting out of the comedian's slot and proved his mettle in serious roles. Better known as Kamal of Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, the role that has helped him get name and fame, Ali gives full credit to Ekta Kapoor for his success and popularity. "Despite my image of a comedian she cast me first in a negative role in Itihaas and then in a serious role in Kahani," says the actor</TD></TR></T></TABLE>

A taste for the occult!


Pushtie, the cute girl whose claim to fame was Kareena Kareena and Jassi


Jaisi Koi Nahi makes for an interesting person in real life. The twenty five year old is majorly into occult sciences and is a grand master at Reiki.
"I've been little psychic since childhood and have been doing Reiki for the past eight years and healing my friends. I am studying astrology these days from a guy called Shiv. It gives me immense satisfaction to help people and see them benefiting from the same," says a very philosophical Pushtie who has treated many a co-stars while working for Jassi….
Not many know that she is actor Vrajesh Hirjee' real sister and is trying hard to break away from her bubbly image and play matured roles.
Pushtie has her hands full with Hum Paanch and awaiting the re start of Sanya on Hungama and is looking forward to doing more meaningful films

Pushtie's passion for reiki



Beyond the roles they portray in the innumerable serials they are seen in, little is known about their other interests. So it came as a surprise to discover that actress Pushtie (of Kareena Kareena and Jassi... fame) has a passion for Reiki. In fact, she is quite adept at the art and has been practicing it for several years. Pushtie has helped her co-stars from her show and has initiated them into the art. "I've been interested in this art of healing ever since my childhood. I have even healed my friends using this method. Besides Reiki I am studying astrology too. It gives me immense satisfaction to help people and see them benefit from the same," she says
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/nmirror/mmpaper.asp?sectid=19&ar ticleid=31220062159346873122006215933734