!!*Ganga Ki Dheej : Articles Archive!!* - Page 2

Posted: 13 years ago
 
Kabir Bedi : From Sandokhan to Dada Bhai
 
Television's getting more stylish now.... the handsome Kabir Bedi has made his debut on satellite TV with Ganga Kii Dheej on Sahara One (Monday to Thursday at 10 pm). And he's beautifully managed to get into the skin of his character ' a village thakur, who is like God to the villagers.
We would have expected Kabir to choose a more flamboyant role rather than one with a rural setting for a debut, but he has a point: "That's one of the reasons why I accepted this offer. I wanted to show myself in a very Indian role, in a very rural setting, playing this very powerful landlord. I have played lead roles, negative roles, father's roles and this one adds to my range."

Television has always been close to his heart. After all, his international shows including the Sandokan series and Bold & The Beautiful made him very popular. "I had many Hindi serial offers in the last few years, but either they couldn't pay my price or I didn't like the role," he admits.

He's glad with what he's taken up now. "This is a show set in rural Bengal, in a village where power is manifested through the use of superstition and false tradition and oppression of women. It boils down to a village girl's battle against my character ' a landlord who virtually rules the village. And there's the other character Mahamai, who plays out the rituals."

Ask him about Indian television vis-a-vis the West and he says, "It's more varied there. They too have family dramas, but they've also moved to other genres. No doubt their budgets are bigger and so they have a few more luxuries. But there's a big change here too with a lot of visual variety."

And what does he have to say about the all-important word TRP (Television Rating Points)? "Given the fact that we have the TRP system, it's definitely important. But I do feel there should be bigger sampling to determine the audience's choice," he says and then, as a parting shot, adds, "There's just one thing I want to tell everyone... Watch this show. If you don't like it, stop watching. But don't not watch it!"
Edited by WarriorCats - 13 years ago
Posted: 13 years ago
 
Sonam clears agnipariksha with flying colours

They can stand strong and steady even when hit by a storm or goblet of fire and actress Sonam Mann is a living example to this.






The actress who is seen essaying a pivotal role in Sahara One's Ganga Kii Dheej walked on fire, quite literally, without making any noise about it. During a scene, Mann accidentally stepped over a piece of burning coal which sank into her foot inches deep but she didn't stop the shoot understanding the importance of magic hour.

Narrates Sonam, "I was shooting for a scene where I was required to walk bare-foot in the temple. While giving the shot, I accidentally stepped over a burning coal lying on the path. Initially, it felt like an insect bite but I kept on walking without letting my expression change at all. I had to take a turn near a lane where the camera stopped rolling finally. After I took the turn and the pain became unbearable, I lifted my foot to see that the coal had sunk deep inside my foot and it was badly burnt. Later I was asked to walk in water but by then I started limping a bit which was noticed by my director. he asked me the reason behind the limp and that's when I told him that I have burnt my leg. He was taken by surprise that I didn't discontinue the shot even when the accident was so severe. The entire unit and the director appreciated my professionalism. I was just concerned about the magic hour as we needed the light and I didn't wish to interrupt the shoot for anything."

"I continued the shot in water while the unit members kept pricking my foot with needle time and again. But that was not the end to the test of my patience and persistence for after the water shot, I had to walk on the bumpy road which was uneven and rocky and this worsened my situation. But finally the ordeal ended and when I returned to Mumbai after three days to be informed by my doctor that had I been late by two more days, I could have got gangrene. I was on pain killers and injections for days to follow. But I think my hard work has paid off", adds the actress.

Apparently, Ganga Kii Dheej is one of the most expensive shows across GECs. The inaugural episode of the show was worth rupees one crore. According to sources, the initial shoot of the show took place at real archaeological sites and places which upped the budget of the show.

Lets hope the pain is worth and the audience relate to the characters of the show produced by Bollywood producer Harry Baweja and TV actor Shabbir Ahluwalia. Watch Ganga Kii Dheej, Monday to Thursday, 10:00 pm on Sahara One.
Edited by WarriorCats - 13 years ago
Posted: 13 years ago

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/1543712

Shabbir Ahluwalia turns producer



Shabbir Ahluwalia can't stop smiling, the reason being his brand new production house, Flying Turtle Films, that he has set up in partnership with two other people. The company has fetched its first project and the actor simply can't stop talking about it.

He says, "We are working on Ganga Kii Dheej. It's a daily TV show and will be aired on Sahara One. The show is set in a village in Bengal called Kaliganj. It revolves around the trials and tribulations of a girl called Pakhi, played by Leena Jhumani, who goes against the 'pratha' of the village. She refuses to go through the purity test before marriage and thus has to face the consequences of the family and the village."

Though a brand new company, Shabbir is happy with the fact that several biggies from the TV and film industry are associated with the project. He is co-producing the serial with Harry Baweja's 'Baweja movies', which has produced Bollywood films like Main Aisa Hi Hoon and Love Story 2050. Also acting in the serial will be veteran actor Kabir Bedi and Ashwini Kalsekar.


Despite being an actor, Shabbir will not be seen in the show. "I will not be acting in Ganga Kii Dheej for sure. You need to plan before you take up TV as it is a long- term commitment. However, it is not like I am bidding adieu to acting in television, for me the role is important, not the medium."

Ganga Kii Dheej goes on air from November 15, every Monday to Thursday at 10 pm on Sahara One.

Edited by WarriorCats - 13 years ago
Posted: 13 years ago
 
Shabbir talks why his show Ganga Ki Dheej got delayed...
 
 
 

New Delhi: Winner of television reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi and small screen actor Shabbir Ahluwalia has recently launched his own production house in partnership with two of his friends who are already engaged in various areas of TV show production. The production house was named as Flying Turtles.  

Ganga Ki Dheej, is the first production of the company and will be on air on Sahara One, next week. The show's promo went on air in September and was expected to launch much earlier.

"Blame the 'shraadh' period for that," Ahluwalia said.

"The period is not considered auspicious by Hindus. Also, there were too many big shows being launched after that. We didn't want to lose out on visibility." 

The actor's company has tied up with film producer Harry Baweja's production house to co-produce the show. "Baweja was keen on launching the TV production wing of his company. We wanted a strong financial base. So, we decided to tie up with Harryji. Fortunately, there has been no clash of interest. We've all been on the same page," stated Ahluwalia.

Ganga Ki Dheej is also actor Kabir Bedi's Hindi TV soap debut. Was he difficult to convince? "Kabir was apprehensive," admitted Ahluwalia. 

"But while brainstorming on our cast, we couldn't think of anyone else to play the role. So, we approached him. He took some time to decidebut after that he was comfortable in Dada Bhai's skin." The show revolves around the tradition of testing a girl's purity before marriage, followed in remote parts of the country. 

"It's strange but it's still practiced. It's sexist and unfair but followed religiously. It was unheard of for me. So we thought that it would be interesting to weave a story around it for our viewers," he explained.


Edited by WarriorCats - 13 years ago
Posted: 13 years ago
http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1558517
 
Leena Jumani : 'I don't want to look 50'
 
I don't wish to look 50 when I'm not even half the age," says 21-year-old actor Leena Jumani, who plays the leading lady in the Sahara One daily soap, Ganga Ki Dheej. "I didn't want to wear grey hair and dark circles when I have neither. Khemi, my character in Bandini (Imagine), thankfully was removed on request because I'd already played a 30-plus lady for one of the time leaps. Neither couldn I have aged more, nor have become more negative than I already was on screen."

After backing out of Bandini, which is expected to go off air next month, the actor bagged Pankhi's character in her current daily. "At least I'm playing a the role of a girl who is closer to my actual age. But she's different from me in a lot of ways. She's a village belle, confined to four walls of her house because of certain traditions followed in the village. I'm not like that in any way," laughs Jumani. She was also seen in a cameo in the weekly horror show, Koi Aane Ko Hai, and more recently in the daily soap Tere Liye.

When asked if she plans to dabble with multiple projects the way she did while working in Bandini, the actor says, "No way! Sometimes, the timings are so bad that you don't even get to eat and sleep peacefully. And now that I'm a leading lady, I have even more reason to avoid juggling shows." Given that every TV actor plans to enter Bollywood at some point in his or her career, does Jumani wish to make it to the big screen too? "Yeah sure," exclaims the actor. "But there's a time and place for everything. Right now, it's only my show for me. Maybe two years later, I will get into movies."

Edited by WarriorCats - 13 years ago

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