Cut & paste Stars!

It all began when soap czarina Ekta Kapoor replaced her main lead character Mihir Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, essayed by Amar Upadhyay way back in 2001.

Amar wanted to quit the small screen for films and was replaced by Indra Kumar for all of six months, before Ronit Bose Roy made the character more iconic ever. Eight years later, ‘replacements’ of main lead characters/character artists in prime time, evening and afternoon soaps are almost a given. The minute actors throw starry tantrums, get pricey (read: demand pay hikes) or move on to the next big thing (Bollywood) —there’s solution at hand. Just ‘plot’ an accident or something and replace the character.

Sometimes, they work wonder, sometimes the ‘replacements’ have a tough time walking in the original’s footsteps. Gautami Kapoor for example, replaced Smriti Iraani a year ago in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi . A year later, thanks to the demands of TRPs, Ekta Kapoor wooed back Smriti. Even Sonia Kapoor, who just bagged the lead role in Zaara Pyar Ki Saugat , is facing a tough time as the show is going off air.

Shilpa Anand, who played the female lead in Dill Mil Gaye , found television, too small for her dreams and is joining Bollywood. So, she got replaced by Sukirti Khandpal promptly.

Sample some other replacements — television hunk Iqbal Khan by Nikhil Arya in Chhoona Hai Aasman , Pulkit Samrat by Yash Pandit in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi , Twinkle Bajpai by Gunjan Walia in Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan , Krystle D’Souza by Wasna Ahmed in Kahe Na Kahe , Samiksha Jug by Sonya Kapoor in Zaara-Pyaar Ki Saugat , Dev Keshwani by Amit Verma in Annu Ki Ho Gayee Wah Bhai Wah ... the list goes on.

Gunjan feels the sad part about replacements is the inevitable ‘comparison’. “Initially, people wanted Twinkle to come back, but gradually the audience is trying to accept me,” says Gunjan. Did she try hard for that role? “Well, I am trying to work hard and am adding my individual touch to it,” she explains.

Yash Pandit, the new Lakshya in Kyunki ..., says, “Since it is one of the finest and most popular shows on television, I paid heed to what the ladies in my house had to say about the character before I signed up for the show. The audience has been satisfied and I want to do the role my way.” Gurdeep Kohli, who replaced the youngest bahu of Indian television Prachi Desai in Kasamh Se , says she didn’t find it “difficult to do a character done by someone. It was just an extension of what I have been doing before. I have my own individuality and audience respects it and love my work.”

Amit Verma, who replaced the male lead in Annu Ki... recently, claims he joined the show only after he was “assured by the makers of the show” that he could do the role the way, “I perceived it”.

Newcomer Sukirti Khandpal, who’s just walked in Dill Mil Gaye, says that “positive feedback” made her work more. “If the audience is more receptive, then it’s fine,” she says.

Why is this being telcasted on 9x though????

Why is this being telcasted on 9x though???? That's gonna bring down the TRPs pn a very large scale compared to if it was aired on STAR, ZEE, OR SONY :S Oh well i guess it's ekta mai's choiceCongo to all the winners!! ESP Aditya Narayan!!!congrats to our Divya...and the BMTD team ;)OMG... i have to watch this... srk, saif, eijaz, karan arghh... ni definately nt gonna miss this!OMG! cant wait to see karan and shilpa's performance!!gosh why r they showing it on 9X.....i hope some1 puts up teh entire video on sum blog.dont worry this blog will post video also.GHT won the best jodi award,can't wait to see their performance

KUCH IS TARAH AND KHWAISHBanoo Main TerA Dulhann

I think Karan and Ekta wee suppose to perform too ????woohoo go aditya! SRGMP rocks! very well-deserved award when will the show be telecast i have it but have not seen it yet.... can't wait....lub shilpa and karan!!!! hiten n gauri!!!!i dont have 9x what so evercongrats to aditya he is the best now where is KUCH IS TARAH AND KHWAISHBanoo Main TerA Dulhann?? :P Hmmmm...!
Why isnt Dulhann for Best Show there? Congratsssssss to Divya and Dulhann for everything... you deserved it!
Congrats to Aditya and Love Story, and everyone.. cant wait to see all the performances!
thanks for the Bloging

Winners of Global Indian T.V Honours

In the Special Honours categoryAditya Narayan was recognized for his performance in Saregamapa Challenge 2007 as the Fresh New Face- Male Divyanka Tripathi's performance in the show Banu Mai Tera Dulhan fetched her Fresh New face –Female award. B.R Chopra was honored with Lifetime achievement award while Kareena Kapoor and Karan Johar was proud recipients of Global Achievement Award.
In the Programming Honours
Comedy Circus proved to be the most popular reality show Best Reality category KBC 3rd season was adjudged Best Game Show Quiz Jahalak Dikhla Ja 1st season won the Best Music Dance Show Music Arts and Dance was awarded the Best Children's Programme
In the Popular Honours category
Karan Johar picked up the trophy for the Best Anchor for Chat show category. Vikram Gokhle won the Best Actor in a Negative Role Deven Bhojani was awarded Best Actor in a Comic Role Ali Asgar won the Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Kahani Ghar Ghar ki.
In the technical Honours category
Anurag Basu's Love Story won the Best DOP (Fiction) and Indian Idol 3 was awarded Best DOP (Non –Fiction) Left Right Left took the honour for Best Title Track Amberdhara won for Best Costume, Dialogue and Screenplay.
And that's not all; the performances were stunning as well. The night was filled with excitement as Ronit Roy set the stage on fire with his opening act. Dancing with the Brazilian troupe on Hindi numbers like 'Hare Krishna Hare Ram' 'Welcome'. Tushar Kapoor, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Rohit Roy kept the excitement going with their 'Bad Boy' Act on Ganpat remix.
The famous mundas of television Eijaz Khan, Karan Patel, Jay Bhanushali, Sharad Malhotra tried to woo the soni kudi Lara Dutta in a fun-filled act that provided the viewers with the perfect balance of Bollywood and Television.
A very special treat- for the very first time the platform was shared by the winners of both Jhalak Dikhla Ja and Nach Baliye - Prachi Desai & Deepak and Sanjeeda & Aamir Ali.
Ace director Karan Johar shared the stage with the famous on screen couples Hiten & Gauri, Saurabh & Shriti Jha, Sayanti Ghosh & Manav Gohil and Karan Singh & Shilpa Anand. The act paid tribute to the ace creations by the director.
The icing on the cake was the stupendous performance by none other than the Bollywood ka Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan. His first ever performance for a television awards show mesmerized audiences with his reminiscent fauji look. Choreographed by Ganesh Hegde this was a tribute to the television industry and all the leading ladies of television who have created an identity for themselves through their characters they portrayed. The act introduced each member of his Chak De team - Navneet Nishan, Neena Gupta, Smriti Irani, Gautami Kapoor, Sakshi Tanwar, Rajshree Thakur, Mona Singh, Anita, Prachi Desai and Divyanka Tripathi.

Hussain and Juhi Parmar (the lead actors from Kumkum)

Truly an affair to remember, the awards evening, as always, will bring together some of the never before seen acts and performances put up by some of televisions most popular, leading names and your heart throbs. With some interesting and mind-blowing performances, the sultry scorcher Sangeeta Ghosh will host the event together with her popular on-screen interests Shabbir Ahluwalia and Varun Badola.

Opening the evening with the recital of 'Ganesha's Aarti' from the movie Vastav, the evening as it will unfold to be a bundle of power performances. Kick-starting the event will be the duos - Rucha Gujrati-Bhanujeet (from Bhaabi) and Gaurav-Megha (from Kumkum), who will perform mischievous acts on some teasing numbers - Fatela Jeb...; Excuse Me...; Dil Main Baji Guitar...; Gustak Dil... and Tenu Leke...

Adding to the Star's Parivaar, this year the three new members - Ashima Bhalla, Karan Grover and Soumya Tandon (from Meri Awaz Ko Mil Gayi Roshni) will perform on the title track of the show. While Narayani Shastri and Ali Asgar with fellow artist Manav Gohil will set the stage ablaze with their performances on foot-tapping tracks of - Hey Babu.... and Signal Pyar Ka... from the entertainer of the year 'Bhagam Bhag'.

Dancing her way up to peppy track will be the perfectionist Prerna (aka Shweta Tewari), as she will jive on Saiyan Re... from Salaam-E-Ishq. The other glittering stars adding spark to the dazzle will be Neena Gupta, Ketki Dave, Akashdeep Sehgal and Jay Bhanushali, who will be jigging along on the parody of hit remixes - Chhod Do Anchal, Sajna Vari Vari and Samne Yeh Kaun Aya...

The constellations of glitterati will be seen all charged as Yash Tonk and Pallavi Subhash (from Karam Apna Apna) throw-in some high-voltage performances on Chali Chali, Shava Shava and Gori Gori, while Mouni Roy (KT from Kyunki....) unleashes her dancing talent with the track Barso Re Megha (Guru).

The starry night will touch its penultimate as the show-stealer and twinkle-toed duo of Hussain and Juhi Parmar (the lead actors from Kumkum) put forth their rocking best and set the stage on fire, together with fellow stars - Rita Bhaduri, Eijaz Khan, Sanjeeda, Vikas Sethi, Hiten and Gauri Pradhan, Rakshanda Khan and Sudha Shivpuri (Baa from Kyunki...) on dance numbers like Salame-E-Ishq, Rock-n-Roll, Mahi Ve and many more...

Viewers will also get to relive and enjoy the soulful music from some of Bollywood's blockbusters as the three celebrity hosts - Sangeeta, Shabbir and Varun perform to the parody of songs from Laawaris, Lagaan, Omkara, Pyar Ke Side Effects and finally rolling it all into the title track of STAR Parivaar Awards. So stay tuned to watch the zing, glamour paired with some never seen before performances & entertainment, as it all comes to beat the heat for you this weekend.

Big Bazaar launches its new collection of Star Parivaar Indian ethnic designer wear

Star Plus in collaboration with Big Bazaar launches its new collection of Star Parivaar Indian ethnic designer wear in the presence of well known faces from the leading daily soaps of the channel like Lubna Salim a.k.a Leela Bhabhi from Baa Bahu aur Baby, Nach Baliye winner Sanjeeda Shaikh (Ayesha of Kayamath), Gautami Kapoor from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and new comers Shubhangi Atre who plays Kasturi and Parul (Ragini) and Sara(Sadhana) from Bidaai….

The stars share their experience and the thrill of being invited to the unveiling of this new collection. Sanjeeda says, "The concept is great and something unique. The whole idea is based on the fact that the audience epitomizes with the characters played by the screen actors. The outfits displayed are very elegant and different. It's definitely a beautiful venture." Lubna goes on to emphasize it further by adding, "It's a beautiful venture and an amazing idea since we are like style icons to the audience and they love to emulate us and love to brag about having similar outfits like their screen idols. And now with star and Big bazaar coming out with this new venture, it is all readily available to the general public."

Sara and Parul on the other hand are just glad to be outdoors and shopping as they say, " It feels really nice to be here since we hardly get time for an outing because of our rigorous shooting schedule, and we feel that the whole concept of launching a new ethnic line is amazing." Shubhangi affirms the same and says, "It's a fabulous collection and I really love all the outfits on display."

Ask them about how fashion conscious they are and what clothes are they most comfortable wearing, we get a myriad of answers from our stars. Sanjeeda is a fashion conscious person as she claims, "You have to be fashion conscious when you are a part of the glamour industry and I consider myself quite fashion conscious in that respect. I love wearing gowns, jeans, t-shirts and skirts. I do wear Indian outfits, but I do avoid wearing them often as it becomes very monotonous for me from the sets of Kayamath."

While Lubna plays the role of a very fashion conscious Gujarati lady in her serial, she is diametrically opposite from her on-screen character as she claims, "Off screen, I am a very simple and normal person and I am not as fashion conscious as the role I play. In fact I am most comfortable wearing simple pants, shirts or plain salwar kameezes." Shubhangi says, "I am not fashion conscious person at all. I feel comfortable wearing almost anything. I am most comfortable wearing jeans and t-shirts." The two girls from Bidaai also share the same feeling as they say, "We are very comfortable wearing salwar kameez and Indian wear. We are very simple and not really fashion conscious."