Waar Parrivar -A nationwide hunt to find 'Sangeet Ka Naya Gharana'

Sony Entertainment Television brings its first ever family based musical talented show -‘Waar Parriwar - Sangeet Ka Naya Gharana’ wherein there will be 12 best musical families competing for the title of 'Sangeet Ka Gharana'. Our Amchi Mumbai girl, Urmila Matondkar for the first time in the history of Indian television will be hosting the musical show which will begin from April 28th, Monday-Wednesday at 8PM only on Sony Entertainment Television.

This musical show is produced and directed by pioneer of music-based entertainment shows on Indian Television, Gajendrra Siingh. Commenting on his new show, Gajendrra Siingh said, “This show is basically a show about various Gharanas that people have never heard till date. I wanted a show, where the mother father and one or two other members in the family follow the sur and taal of the same Gharana. Even the sets are made in royal style just to give a feel of our culture and revive our old tradition of Gharana”. After giving popular shows like Antakshri, Sa Re Ga Ma, Voice of India and Chote Ustaad… to name a few, his new show Waar Parriwar- Sangeet Ka Naya Gharana is all set to make a difference!

Commenting on the show, Albert Almeida, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television, said, "Music is the universal language that transcends all barriers. In a culturally rich country like ours, it is music that brings families together — be it a wedding celebration, birth of a child, anniversaries or festive celebrations music plays an important role in bonding people. Through this new musical show Waar Pariwaar… we hope to light up every home & heart and take family television viewing to a new level."

The show that will bring some of the stalwarts from the music industry as judges every week and also has two esteemed members from India's first singing family Usha and Hridaynath Mangeshkar as the resident gurus training the participants. The first judge of the show is well-known music composer Ismail Darbar and his wife Ayesha Darbar. What is unique about this show is that each family on the show is a celebrity family in their own region/city/town as far as music is concerned.

If you think your family enjoys Music and singing, then you are bound to enjoy every moment of the show. Also, if you have missed the auditions then you still have a chance as all is not lost. Keep watching for the Wild Card round where you still have one more chance to participate. So, Stay tuned to Waar Parriwar – Sangeet Ka Naya Gharana every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 8.00 p.m. to cheer for your favorite singing family, Only on Sony Entertainment Television.

Pracheen Chauhan in Jai Maa Vaishno Devi on 9X..

Pracheen Chauhan, the young dashing actor who debuted with Balaji Telefilms, and was also seen in Sinndoor Tere Naam Ka will now sport a totally different avtar in the new mythological show on 9X, Jai Maa Vaishno Devi.

The divine saga directed by Anwar Khan has Rupa Dutta playing the role of Maa Vaishnodevi, Pracheen Chauhan as Shridhar Pandit the staunch devotee of the Goddess and Chahat Khanna as Shridhar Pandit's pious wife Sunaina.

When asked about the role Pracheen says, “The serial is a mixture of social and mythological values. It will have a series of episodes wherein I play Sridhar, a strong believer of Vaishno Devi. He has an enemy Bhairav who is always trying to harm him. But being a strong follower of Vaishno Devi, no evil force can harm him”. The actor adds on, “My story will run for around 12 episodes”. A firm believer in God, Pracheen has visited Vaishno Devi 3-4 times. “I don't believe in a particular God, but I have full faith", quips Pracheen.

Well, seems like a busy schedule ahead for Pracheen Chauhan as he is seen in Saath Phere too, apart from the mythological show.

Iira Soni in Zee Next's Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar..

Replacements seem to be all over the place on television. After the biggies right from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi to Kasamh Se to the small minions like Bhabhi and Teen Bahuraniyaan, Zee Next’s Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar now joins the bandwagon.

Iira Soni, the petite actress who replaced Amrita Khanverkar as Roma in Bhabhi, will be seen replacing Freisha Boman, who plays Smriti in Yahan Ke Hum Sikander. Smriti was an out and out negative character who was always up to something against Raima, till she learnt that the latter was her biological sister. With the revelation of this truth, Smriti undergoes a character change and turns positive.

Speaking to Telly Buzz about stepping into Freisha’s shoes as Smriti to play the parallel lead in the serial, Iira says, “Smriti is a very strong personality who knows how to fight for her rights. She now realizes that Raima's parents are her parents and she goes and confronts them. Smriti has been brought up by a family elsewhere till now. She will now stand for her pregnant sister and help her out and try her best to make her life better, as she knows she is responsible for what happened to Raima.”

Aanchal Anand enters Teen Bahuraniyan..

Aanchal Anand who was last seen as the realistic yet adorable Siddhi in Zee’s Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai will now be seen in Teen Bahuraaniyan. Here is a svelte actress talking about her role..

Speaking about the role she plays, Aanchal says, “In Teen Bahuraniyaan, I play the sister of Kajal played by Soni Singh, who is about to get married to the son of Gheewalas, Mahesh (played by Abhay Vakil). Payal is very different from her sister. She is a bubbly girl who is very honest. She is very practical and believes in standing up for what is right, and is positive”.

So how does the track proceed with your entry? Aanchal replies, “As of now I really don’t know how the track is going to proceed. It has been shown that there is some hidden motive behind Kajal getting married into the Gheewala family. Maybe in the near future, Payal might find out the 'raaz' and protect the family from Kajal and Bua's evil intentions, you never know!!”

Ask her about Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’s abrupt ending and Aanchal quips, “I felt terrible when Har Ghar ended the way it did. I was really enjoying my track, wherein I had to fight against Prathna's family to get her justice. Siddhi is surely one of the best characters I have played till date.”

Aashka Goradia to be seen in Saat Phere.

Aashka Goradia, who was earlier seen in Smriti Irani’s Virudh and now in Mere Apne on 9X wll be seen making an entry soon in Zee’s Saath Phere. In conversation with the Telly Buzz team, Aashka gives our readers an insight to what is in store for them.

Speaking about her role in Saat Phere, Aashka says, “My character’s name is Kalika. She is a lawyer and is the illegitimate daughter of Narpat, Saloni’s father. Kalika is a fire brand woman who is not afraid of anything in life, even to speak the truth.” Further Aashka adds, “My entry in the show is also very dramatic. It’s a courtroom sequence wherein I come in with fire all over my hand and shoulder to prove to the court that a person can do anything when it comes to self defense, and thus she win the case". Talking about the stunt sequence she attempted, the actress quips, "The stunt was quite dangerous and I don’t think anyone on television has attempted something like this before.”

When contacted, the Director Vijay Pandey, Saath Phere, affirmed the news saying, “Aashka shot a very risky sequence, with fire all over her shoulder. Her entry is slated for sometime next week. We recently introduced Pracheen Chauhan, who plays Kshitij, Kakasa’s son.” So will Aashka be Kshitij’s love interest? “Right now that is not known. Aashka is being introduced in the show as Narpat’s illegitimate daughter and she enters the family to avenge her father. There will be a lot of twists and turns that will follow, details of which I cannot divulge right now”, replies Vijay.

Sapna Babul Ka Bidaai welcomes a new guest!

After the successful completion of 100 episodes, Rajan Shahi’s Sapna Babul Ka Bidaai is all set to welcome Romit Raj in Alekh –Sadhana’s reception party. The serial has seen a lot of cameos in the past and now when the track is centered around the Alekh - Sadhana marriage, Rajan Shahi has introduced another cameo appearance with Romit Raj.

Talking about how he got this offer, the handsome Romit explains, “It was a very special moment. Actually I was in Kolkata for a wedding, when I was asked by the production house to do this role. I immediately took an early morning flight as I didn't want to miss out on such a fantastic opportunity. I am playing myself, that's ‘Romit Raj', in the party.”

Speaking about Romit's entry into the show, Producer and Series Director, Rajan Shahi says, “ Romit Raj will make an entry during Alekh-Sadhana's reception party which will be held in a grand manner”. And why a cameo again? "Well, all were asking me why I have not been introducing cameos of late in the show, so this was one of the reasons. Also, Romit and I share a very cordial relationship and I had told him that he will be a part of Bidaai in some way or the other. Right now, Romit is the most eligible bachelor in town, so his character is based on the same lines wherein he will try to do match making for Ragini, played by Parul Chauhan, I believe Romit's mom will get lots of alliances for her son after the telecast of this episode (laughs). He will provide the much needed humor to the track which is otherwise going on an emotional ride".

Appraising the director Rajan Shahi who previously cast Romit in Betiyaan, the actor says, “He is my favorite director on television, it’s a pleasure being in front of the camera when Rajanji is behind the camera. I have always heard Yash Raj keeping their actors comfortable on the sets and I feel that kind of relation I share with Rajanji”.

Will there be some more characters seen in the reception? Rajan Shahi says, “Romit's entry is just the beginning. The reception will see the entry of many other characters, which will give the serial a new flavor. I will disclose details of this in few days.”

Hope this has made the audience more excited than before!

Roadies girl Anmol Singh to enter Sony's Kuchh Is Tara

The number one Sony show Kuchh Is Tara might be heading for yet another love triangle. The creatives have introduced a new character called Archita who will be a very good friend of Ranvir and will make Kanya jealous. The actress who plays Archita is a MTV Roadies Season 5 participant Anmol Singh. "One of the main reasons for taking up this character was that it’s very interesting and young. I don't need to play somebody much older than myself", she says.

Nivedita Basu, Creative Director of Balaji Telefilms added that the introduction of new characters from time to time is needed to keep the spice in the show. She however denied the formal triangle track saying that “Anmol Singh and Amit Jain roles introduced in the track are cameo’s who come and go. So although it does seem a triangle, it’s not really one”.

Is Roadies a new platform for Balaji talent given that yet another girl from the above MTV reality show, Shambhavi is doing a film for Ekta Kapoor? Nivedita laughingly replied, “Is it, I did not even know that Anmol Singh was a Roadie. She auditioned with us and we selected her”.

Naye Parivaar Ki Nayi Lehar STAR Parivaar Awards

It's that time of the year again when avid Star Plus viewers vote for their favourite characters. The Star Parivaar Awards is much more than just a television event. It's a platform for our viewers to let us know which television characters influence their lives and who they watch without fail.

Established in 2002, the STAR Parivaar Awards has grown from strength to strength in the last five years and has been consistently appreciated for its novel, fun-filled and entertaining acts. The STAR bahus, pitas, betas, bhais, bhabhis et al perform under one roof at the most prestigious event of the year.

This unique awards spectacle, only for the popular characters on Star Plus, was instituted to recognise the appreciation of the TV viewers by providing them a platform to choose their most loved characters on small screen. Each year, the response to this event has been nothing short of astounding and appreciative.

Living up to the audiences' expectations, this years' STAR Parivaar Awards promises to be grander than ever before with innovative performances as the old Parivaar characters make way for the new characters.

Viewers will get to see power packed performances by their favourite characters from Baa Bahu Aur Baby, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Bidaai, Grahasti, Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil, Sachin-Supriya; Hussain-Tina; Aamir-Sanjeeda, the three winning Nach Baliye Jodis among many other more. The Star Parivaar Awards is loaded with fun and laughter and shows why and how these characters are so popular and everybody's favourite.

To vote for their favorite STAR Parivaar stars, viewers need to

Sms SPA to 57827

Reliance mobile users dial 51234 and say "Star Parivaar"

Landline users dial 1 862 888 3333 followed by the favorite nominee voting ID

STAR Parivaar Nominations (with voting IDs)

Favourite Buzurg - (only open for SMS voting and not for landline ) Baa (Sarita Joshi - Baa Bahu Baby) Savitri Thakral (Vidya Sinha - Bhabhi) Baa (Sudha Shivpuri - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) Harshwardhan Wadhwa (Arun Bali - Kumkum)	Favourite Saas Baa (Sarita Joshi - Baa Bahu Aur Baby) - Voting ID 11 Vasundhara (Seema Kapoor - Bidaai) - Voting ID 12 Parvati (Sakshi Tanwar - Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki) - Voting ID 13 Tulsi (Gautami - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 14
Favourite Naya Sadasya (Female) Heer (Additi Gupta - Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil) - Voting ID 42 Sadhana (Sara Khan - Bidaai) – Voting ID 43 Ragini (Parul Chauhan - Bidaai) - Voting ID 44 Rani (Anjali Abrol - Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat) - Voting ID 45	Favourite Naya Sadasya (Male) Prem (Harshad Chopda - Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil) - Voting ID 46 Alekh (Angad Hasija - Bidaai) - Voting ID 47 Prithviraj (Anas -Prithviraj Chauhan) - Voting ID 48 Yudhishtir (Kapil Nirmal - Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat) - Voting ID 49
Favorite Jodi Sadhna & Alekh (Sara Khan & Angad Hasija - Bidaai) - Voting ID 01 Milind & Prachi (Panchi Bohra & Shabbir Ahluwalia – Kayamat) - Voting ID 02 Karan & Nandini (Hiten & Gauri Tejwani - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 03 Robbie & Kasturi (Karan Patel & Shubhangi Atrey - Kasturi) - Voting ID 04 Sumit & Kumkum (Hussain & Juhi Parmar - Kumkum) - Voting ID 05	Favorite Yogya Jodi Baby & Birju (Benaf & Amit Verma - Baa Bahu Aur Baby) - Voting ID 32 Prem & Heer (Additti Gupta & Harshad Chopda - Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil) - Voting ID 33 Sandeep & Urmi (Varun Badola- Suhasi Goradia - Aek Chabhi Hai Padoos Mein) - Voting ID 34 Rani & Yudhishtir (Anjali Abrol - Kapil Nirmal - Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat) - Voting ID 35 Prithviraj & Sanyukta (Anas Rashid & Sheetal Dhabolkar - Prithviraj Chauhan) - Voting ID 36
Favourite Beta Karan (Hiten Tejwani - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 28 Alekh (Angad Hasija - Bidaai) - Voting ID 29 Robbie (Karan Patel - Kasturi) - Voting ID 30 Kartik (Sudeep Sahir - Santaan) - Voting ID 31	Favourite Beti Ragini (Parul Chauhan - Bidaai) - Voting ID 23 Baby (Benaf - Baa Bahu Aur Baby) - Voting ID 24 Heer (Additi Gupta - Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil) - Voting ID 25 Simar (Khushboo - Grahasti) - Voting ID 26 Rani (Anjali Abrol - Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat) - Voting ID 27
Favourite Pati Mihir (Ronit Roy - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 19 Robbie (Karan Patel - Kasturi) - Voting ID 20 Milind (Shabbir Ahluwalia - Kayamath) - Voting ID 21 Om (Kiran Karmarkar - Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki) - Voting ID 22	Favourite Patni Sadhana (Sara Khan - Bidaai) - Voting ID 15 Parvati (Sakshi Tanwar - Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki) - Voting ID 16 Tulsi (Gautami - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 17 Kasturi (Shubhangi Atre Poojari - Kasturi) - Voting ID 18
Favourite Khalnayak Mohammed Ghori (Irfan - Prithviraj Chauhan) - Voting ID 37 Madan (Shaleen Bhanot - Sangam) - Voting ID 38 Saasha (Chetan Hansraj - Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki) - Voting ID 39 Trupti (Suvarna Jha - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 40 Chotu (Bharat Chawda - Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki) - Voting ID 41	Favorite Bahu Prachi (Panchi Bohra - Kayamath) - Voting ID 06 Sadhna (Sara Khan - Bidaai) - Voting ID 07 KT (Mouni Roy - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 08 Kasturi (Shubhangi Atre Poojari - Kasturi) - Voting ID 09 Nandini (Gauri Pradhan - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi) - Voting ID 10

Start voting for your favourite nominees to make them the winners of STAR Parivaar Awards this year¦

It's time for a Basketball match in Dill Mil Gayye..

Sports and doctors!!! Now that truly sounds like one hell of a combination. But Dill Mill Gaye fans are going to love this as they see their favorite doctors of the serial on the basketball court as they sweat it out to win the match.

Basketball has always been the favourite match of the doctors in Dill Mill Gaye and this time the match will have the boys versus the girls. But the twist here is that the match is planned just to see a smile on Dr Armaan’s (Karan Singh Grover) face as he hasn’t been himself lately.

Hence the doctors decide to play a basketball match, and we all know Armaan loves the sport right from the core of his heart, so winning it will definitely light up his face with a smile.

Now when we said its Boys v/s Girls, there are no points for guessing that Armaan and Riddhima are the captains of the opposing teams. And what does the winner get??? Well, the winner gets to make the captain of the other team his/her slave for an entire week… Now wouldn’t you all love to see what the result of this match is going to be???

So catch all the fun and excitement as the doctors of Dill Mill Gayye battle it out on the basketball court.

Teen Bahuraniyan Special in Rock N Roll Family..

Rock N Roll Family, on Zee will witness a Teen Bahuraniyan Special this Saturday, April 26th in which the Maharanis and Bahuraniyan of the Gheewala family will be seen dancing on stage. Though the ladies of the family sweated it out at the rehearsals to put up a brave front before the judges – Ajay, Kajol and Tanuja, they just could not get to the stage and perform before the very popular trio! The celebrities had panic attacks and simply refused to perform, and ultimately shot for the sequence without the judges being a witness to their performance!! Talking about this incident, Satish Dutt, Director of Rock N Roll Family said, “The bahus and saas of Teen Bahuraniyan were to perform on two separate numbers and eventually unite and perform together. But we had to face lot of hurdles in shooting this sequence.

Firstly, the bahus did not get enough time to come to rehearsals. Two ladies amongst the Saas never get along well and are not in talking terms with each other. One step in the dance required the first saas to place a flower on the second, and the second to the third. But the second saas did not even keep the flower on the third one’s head. Another dance step required them to hold hands, but the two ladies were not ready to touch each other. Ultimately, they refused to shoot the sequence before the judges, and then when they shot for the number, we had to go on and on for 3 hours to finish the dance sequence. But I eventually managed it”. Well, though all’s not well in the Gheewala sets, all’s well that ends well at least in the case of Rock N Roll Family!!

Aanchal Anand will now be seen in Teen Bahuraaniyan

Aanchal Anand who was last seen as the realistic yet adorable Siddhi in Zee’s Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai will now be seen in Teen Bahuraaniyan. Here is a svelte actress talking about her role..
Speaking about the role she plays, Aanchal says, “In Teen Bahuraniyaan, I play the sister of Kajal played by Soni Singh, who is about to get married to the son of Gheewalas, Mahesh (played by Abhay Vakil). Payal is very different from her sister. She is a bubbly girl who is very honest. She is very practical and believes in standing up for what is right, and is positive”.
So how does the track proceed with your entry? Aanchal replies, “As of now I really don’t know how the track is going to proceed. It has been shown that there is some hidden motive behind Kajal getting married into the Gheewala family. Maybe in the near future, Payal might find out the 'raaz' and protect the family from Kajal and Bua's evil intentions, you never know!!”
Ask her about Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’s abrupt ending and Aanchal quips, “I felt terrible when Har Ghar ended the way it did. I was really enjoying my track, wherein I had to fight against Prathna's family to get her justice. Siddhi is surely one of the best characters I have played till date.”

Star One launches ' Great Indian Laughter Challenge 4 '

HASO FIR SE , KYUNKI

The O-R-I-G-I-N-A-L is back!

The shOw that canvassed the greatest talent

The show that Resurrected laughter on television
The show that Instituted the humour genre
The show that Gave a new meaning to the concept of laughter

The Great Indian Laughter Challenge is back with a smashing new series. Kicking off Season 4, Mr. Ravi Menon, EVP & General Manager, Star One, said, “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge has pioneered humour on Indian television and also discovered the best comic talent. Back with a brand new jury boasting of none other than veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha and witty Navjot Singh Sindu, all new look and fresh anchor, we are all geared up to take on Season 4. We are very proud of the fact that this show has given wholesome entertainment that has been appreciated by the audiences over the years. This season again we hope to present the best talent and match up with the expectations
of the audiences.

With New jury, new anchor and brand new sets.
Style and wit personified veteran actor Mr. Shatrughan Sinha

along with the wizard of wit Mr. Navjot Singh Sidhu
to judge Season 4 of the ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’!
A brand
new season that will see loads of fresh comic talent with wit and characteristic
humour

The Baap of Laughter Shows returns to Star One

and is all set to entertain and keep viewers in splits with more fun,

more random puns, more laughter and absolutely unadulterated humor,

which will keep you craving for more!

Rakhi Sawant shows her Jalwa

Reality shows go synonymous with the word drama. After reality shows like Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Yeh Hai Jalwa joins the bandwagon for on-stage drama. And the center of controversy is none other than Our very own Rakhi Sawant.

While the special attraction of this week’s episode on 9X's Yeh Hai Jalwa was the presence of the handsome and dashing Hrithik Roshan, what stole the limelight was the announcement of
the 10^th couple, the Chuppa Rustam jodi. The couple introduced as the wild card entry was none other than Rakhi’s beau Abhishek Avasthi and her good friend Urvashi Dholakia.

Abhishek and Urvashi will be seen performing with a team of four members in the weeks to come. The couple performed on the two item numbers from Krazzy 4. Rakhi was spunky throughout her performance and even got her kids to get Hrithik to perform on stage. She even appeared exuberant when she saw Urvashi dance to the tunes of her item number Dekhta Hai Tu Kya but was zapped when she saw Abhishek make an entry.

Rakhi was aggrieved as she said, “I had absolutely no idea that Abhishek was entering the show. In fact he was unwell for the last three days and I was more concerned about his health than my performance in the show. I was slaving taking care of him and I cannot believe he went behind my back and did this.” To Urvashi, Rakhi added, “Urvashi is one of my good friends and I never thought she would stab me in the back in this manner. She performed on my song with my beau, dressed up in similar attire as me.”

To Rakhi’s allegations Abhishek retorted, “It is true that Idid not share this piece of news with Rakhi but every person is entitled to their own privacy also. And it was not my decision to come as a couple with Urvashi, it was the channel’s decision.” Abhishek was also heard saying, "one needs to take up offers that come one’s way; after all even I need to make a living." To
express her sense of betrayal, Rakhi sang 'Dost dost na raha, pyaar pyaar na raha'. In fact Rakhi was so enraged to see this new couple that she threatened to quit the show and almost walked out of the sets. But Ronit Roy went up to her and pacified her, explaining that she had no
reason to quit and needed to hang in there if not for herself, then at least for the sake of her team, Chillar Party.

Hearing this, Rakhi agreed to stay back but she was rather disgruntled as she said, “I will remain in the competition for the sake of my kids and prove that we are the best.” She expressed the same by singing 'Aa dekhe zarra kismein kitna hain dum' to which Abhijeet responded by saying 'Aagey nikhal aaye hum, woh peeche reh gaye'. At this all the other contestants rooted for Rakhi Sawant cheering for her.

Now it waits to be seen how the remaining episodes of Yeh Hai Jalwa will unfold, with Abhishek, who was usually seen along side, will now be against Rakhi.

Catch all the action and excitement along with the celebrity guests Hrithik Roshan and Smita Thakeray on 9X on Sunday 20^th April at 8 p.m.

Ekta Ki Mahabharat Shuru!!!

After Chandraprakash Dwivedi, it is now time for Ekta Kapoor to come up with her Mahabharat. After continued denials, the confirmed news now is that the ‘Queen of Soaps’
has finally decided to tread into the path of mythologicals for the
first time in her illustrious career. But along with the news is coupled a lot of confusion regarding the casting of the show, which is to start from August 15th.

While the cream of Ekta’s loyalists like Ronit Roy, Hiten Tejwani,
Gauri Pradhan, Chetan Hansraj, Akashdeep Saigal, Gauri Pradhan, Sakshi
Tanwar have been in the spotlight as the probable cast, none of the
actors have confirmed their association with the project.
Another news doing rounds is that, it was initially suggested that
Sakshi Tanwar was roped in to play the role of Kunti, the mother of Pandavas, but now a little
birdie informs us that the actress will not play the role of Kunti, but
will go on to play Ganga, who is Bhishma’s mother. The source further
adds that Bhishma’s role will be played by Ronit Roy.

However, when we spoke to Parvati aka Sakshi Tanwar
of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, she refused to comment saying, “I was
approached by Balaji in January, but since then I have not got any further intimation on the same”.

As regards to fixing Independence Day as the launch date, the source says
that Ekta did not want competition with Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Kya Aap
Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai?’ and hence chose the month of August, as King
Khan’s unique game show would have ended then. Incidentally, Star Plus
is gearing up to air ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass…’ from 25th April at the 8
pm weekend slot. News is also abuzz that the shooting for Ekta’s
Mahabharat is already in full swing at Chandivili Studio.

Keep watching this space for more on Ekta’s Mahabharat on 9X..

What does Pinakin Got to Say?

The most adorable son of Jasuben Jayantilal Joshi Ki Joint Family, Pinakin played by Krishna talks about the surprise he has planned out for his loving, sweet on-screen mother Pushpa.

Give us a brief about your character, Pinakin?

Pinakin is very sweet innocent, cute, lovable and
pampered. He has lived a secured life throughout and is a sweetheart of the entire
family. He is a little immature as he has not seen the world, but yet he is honest.

Are Pinakin and Krishna similar in any way?

Krishna and Pinakin have lot of differences, but they have similarities too. Krishna is very mature and he has seen the world. Pinakin comes across as a dumb person because he is not exposed to the big bad world.

So what is happening on the sets today?

Actually its my on screen mom’s birthday today and we are shooting for that.

Anything special planned for your mom's birthday then?

Yeah, but you will just have to wait and see what it is.

Will the story line be only on the birthday celebration or is there anything else happening?

Currently Nandini’s father has posed a challenge before me to earn Rs 10,000 a month. Accepting the challenge , I have started working in a city store and I am unable to reach
home on time. My mom and some of my family members start crying as I do not reach
on time. But I surprise everybody by just reaching home five minutes to 12.

Any such surprise that you have given your own mother on her birthday?

Actually, when I was in standard sixth I used to
save Rs 1-2 a day and with that I purchased a make up kit worth Rs 40 or
so. She was just too happy when she saw the gift and I think it was one of her most memorable birthdays for both of us.

Who are your favorite on screen characters?

Dharmesh kaka, Sailesh kaka and Nandini.

Any ideal mate other than Nandini?

No one at the moment.

Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star on Star Plus

Before Paanchvi Pass.. hits airwaves Star Plus has planned yet another reality show. Coming from the Endemol production house the show is titled Jo Jeeta Wohi Super Star. This show will be replacing Chhote Ustaad on the same time slot. It’s once again going to be a singing reality show where you’ll see the winners and runners- up of Indian Idol, Zee’s Sa Re Ga Ma and Star’s Voice of India. We caught Abhijeet Sawant who is returning to TV after winning Indian Idol to know more about this show.

The show appears like the soon to be seen show Ustaadon Ke Ustaad on Sony? “Well, it’s not exactly similar as that show has singing, dancing, etc. This show is just revolving around singing. I don’t have any idea about the Sony show as I’m not part of it. My contract with the channel is over,” says Abhijeet.

Ram Kapoor will soon be back on Kyunki

The never-ending twists to the saas-bahu tale on Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is all set to bring in a fresh twist by bringing back Ram Kapoor aka Jai Walia of Kasamh Se to the show. Ram had earlier done a cameo on the show. He played the role of Jas Thakral, a villain who claimed that Tulsi (Gautami Kapoor) was his wife. Jas was later jailed after facing murder charges.
But now the actor is coming back on the show. A source says, “Mihir (Ronit Roy ) will be shown playing Jas Thakral in disguise. He will undo his plastic surgery which will reveal that Mihir is actually Jas Thakral and thus the comeback of Ram Kapoor.”

Phew what a complicated twist. And it is said one watches serials to unwind. This is so much mental gymnastics.

Balaji’s Khwaish to go off-air

Balaji Telefilms Ltd. which is known to make never-ending shows like Kyunki and Kahaani are planning to pull off another show after Kasauti Zindagi Kay. Khwaish on Sony will soon be laid to rest. The show was launched with much fan fare in July, 2007.
Though the rumours of the show being pulled off were doing the rounds for a couple of months it has only now been confirmed. Sources tell us that it is due to the low TRPs that the production house is forced to pull the show off.

Ipshita, Creative head of the show says, “The show is going off-air from May. There will be a logical end to the show. It has nothing to do with the TRPs as we always knew that the show will not exceed beyond a year.”

Ipshita remained tightlipped about the possible end of the show. She said, “One will have to watch the show to find out what is in store.”

The Fourth Season of Indian Idol begins

Indian Idol, the show with a distinctive and breakthrough concept is back with Season 4!!! Yes, the most popular reality show of Indian television, Indian Idol is back with its new season. For the last three years, this popular adaptation of UK’s top reality show ‘Pop Idol’ has been the ultimate platform for budding singers across the nation. Sony Entertainment Television now brings the fourth season of this popular series. The talent hunt begins as auditions start across the country.

The third season of Indian Idol brought out pure raw talent in the Indian youngsters not only from within the country, but from across the world from different strata of society. Voices filled with hope came from everywhere and every shape, possessing genuine talent, to try their hand at becoming the voice of the country. These voices not comprised of thronging voices from the big and small towns of India, but even overseas contestants (Dubai & London). The fourth season will see Anu Mallik and Javed Akthar on the hot seats as they take judges' chair once again for the show.

This year too Indian Idol aims to cover the entire nation to scout for the best singing talent. The fourth season auditions will be held in the following cities:

Ahmedabad – April 7^th & 8^th,
Amritsar – April 9^th & 10^th,
Bangalore – April 12^th & 13^th,
Guwahati – April 13 & 14^th,
Kolhapur – April 15^th & 16^th,
Varanasi – April 16^th & 17^th.

This will be followed by auditions in Delhi, Gwalior, Jaipur, Kolkatta, Lucknow and Mumbai.

In Ahmedabad, the Indian Idol express will make rounds of high traffic areas with ex- Indian Idol contestants Ankita and Charu sharing their memorable experiences of the third season and calling people to participate the auditions. The bus will move across the city on Monday April 7^th, post 3.00 p.m. covering the following areas: Fun Republic, Iskon Mall, Himalaya Mall, and Law Garden (at C G Road).

On April 8^th, the bus will cover Nav Gujarat Income Tax, Akhbaar Nagar, Shahi Bagh, Dili Darbar, Shahpur, Nehru Bridge (Opp Rupali Center), Kakarya Bus Station & Bapu Nagar.

To participate in Ahmedabad all you have to do is catch the Indian Idol Express Bus as it moves around your city and go and audition there. In case you miss the bus watch Sony Entertainment Television for numbers and registration details as the phone lines open from April 2,2008. Budding aspirants between the ages of 16-30 can realize their dreams…come, this is your chance. Audition now.

A production of such magnitude warrants only the best in the industry to make it happen. Sony Entertainment Television is once again partnering with one of the country’s leading production houses – Miditech Pvt Ltd, the international company – Fremantle Media who are the license holders to the format Indian Idol. Their expertise in producing successful, top quality format shows along with the unparalleled success of Indian Idol 1, 2 & 3 in the past three years will ensure that this year too Indian Idol is the slickest and most magnificent production on Indian television bringing in the best talent that our country has to offer.

Indian Idol is all about dreams and making dreams come true. So if you have a dream to make it big to super stardom, here’s your chance. Rush for the auditions.

So get set, as the fourth season of Indian Idol prepares to rock the nation yet again!!!

Cream of Talents in Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar...

If your favourite singer on Indian Television's most watched reality shows – Amul STAR Voice of India, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Fame Gurukul and Indian Idol- didn't win the title, then here's another chance to cast your precious vote for them. STAR Plus brings you yet another opportunity to identify the je ne sais quoi; the fire that separates the better from the best.

Starting 11th April, Friday & Saturday, 10 pm, Star Plus presents Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar, a platform that identifies the most popular small screen musical reality idol between the Champions (winners) and Challengers (runner-ups) of popular musical reality shows such as Amul Star Voice of India, Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Fame Gurukul etc

Keeping a watchful, critical eye are the acclaimed judges - ace choreographer and Bollywood director, Farah Khan, music director duo Vishal and Shekhar - and lifting the spirits on the sets apart from adding a dash of glamour is the host of the show, Mandira Bedi. Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar is produced by Endemol, the leading producers of hit reality shows.

Announcing the launch of the show, Keertan Adyanthaya, GM and EVP, STAR India Pvt Ltd, said, "This is akin to the World Cup or the Olympics, Winners of talent shows & the most promising talent across channels coming together to give the audience a chance to judge who's the best. STAR Plus has always brought you mind blowing entertainment and this battle of talent promises to be a breathtaking show."

There would be two teams on the show; The Champions and The Challengers. The Champions are the title winners of all the various singing talent hunt shows such as Indian Idol, Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Star Voice of India and Fame Gururkul. There are 6 Champions on the show. The Challengers are the runner-ups or the ones who almost stole the titles from the winners but did not make the cut. There are 12 Challengers on the show. The show will first have the Challengers battle it out amongst themselves every week to make the cut to the Champions side. One Challenger joins the Champions every week in order to compete alongside them at an equal platform. Basis their performances, the audience and the jury votes decide who will stay on and which one of them will be eliminated the next week.

Says Deepak Dhar, Country Head- Endemol India, "We are very excited to present 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar'. As the participants' reputations and their previous shows' reputations depend on how much they achieve on this show, we are confident that the champions and challengers are going to inject high voltage energy into every performance. Audiences can expect maximum entertainment from this earth-shattering musical extravaganza!"

Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar is yet another opportunity for runners-ups to outshine the title winners from their respective shows, as well as winners from other musical reality shows.

Grab this exclusive opportunity to vote for your favorite singer and have them bag the title of 'SUPERSTAR', even if they had missed the coveted title by a whisker in their earlier reality shows. You have 12 weeks to pick your 'SUPERSTAR'.

Stay tuned to Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar starting 11th April, Fridays and Saturdays, 10pm only on Star Plus

Jay Bhanushali back in the game

Jay Bhanushali fans were left heart broken when he quit Kayamath. But now they have a reason to smile as Jay is making a comeback in a new Balaji production show.

Balaji Telefilms is coming up with a new show called Krazy for Sony Entertainment Television. And rumours are abuzz that Jay Bhanushali is playing the main protagonist in the show. The show revolves around college going kids and Jay’s fans will get to see him in a new persona.

Jay Bhanushali who plays Neev in Kayamath had declared earlier that he is quitting the show. As of now, the track in Kayamath is precariously poised as Neev and Prachi's marriage is on the cards, with Milind, Prachi's husband(Shabbir Ahluwalia) still suffering from partial amnesia. When asked about this, Jay says, "I don't know what the creatives have planned, but I am quitting the show very soon".

Although Jay is reluctant to divulge any details about the new Balaji show and says that nothing is confirmed yet, our sources reveal that he is doing the show for sure.

All we can say is, welcome back Jay!!!

Soni Singh, the third bahu in Teen Bahuraniyan..

After playing numerous negative characters right from Surili in Banoo Main Teri Dulhann to Kajal of Kumkum to Nikki of Ek Thi Rajkumari, Soni Singh enters Teen Bahuraniyaan. The Telly Buzz team caught up with the actress to know more.

Soni Singh steps into Manjeet’s shoes as she becomes the third bahu in Teen Bahuraniyaan. Giving an insight on how she enters the Gheewala Parivaar, Soni says, “I play a very simple girl named Kajal. The Gheewalas call the girl and her family home as marriage talks of Kajal and Mahesh is on. But Mahesh, played by Prashant Chawla abuses them and throws them out of the house. But eventually the marriage does happen. Later, Kajal slowly changes her colours and gets negative.” And what is the motive behind the negative shade of the character, we ask? Soni quips, “I haven’t got the narration of that part as yet. So I really don’t have any idea.”

The talented belle is doing Ek Thi Rajkumari on Zee Next, where she plays Nikki, a spoilt brat from London. Soni will also be seen in Viacom’s new show, Manjali Bahu where she plays the other woman in Sanjeet Bedi’s life. Speaking about her character Soni says, “Sanjeet and Shweta Tiwari portray a married couple, and I enter as his secretary. I slowly fall in love with him, and we start having an affair. I then become the General Manager of the company. I am not a girl who cries because the person is married. I just want my share of time with him and that makes me happy.”

Teen Bahuraniyaan also has Shubhavi and Roopa Dwiteya entering in the show as Soni’s aunt and mother who are trying to get her married to Mahesh.

Joshi's declared Mr and Ms. Television..

And finally the much awaited moment is here when Television Industry gets its first ever Mr & Ms TV… the winner of much awaited shows is out and the winners are Swapnil Joshi & Purbi Joshi…

The multi talented couple had crossed the fire walks and hurdles set by co -contestants and judges. They proved that they truly are all rounders and entertainers in all the senses. They were given tough fight by Karan Wahi & Jaswir Kaur but the neck to neck competition ended with the power packed performance of all the four finalists with an action packed grand finale…

Each one was superior but it seems the seasoned artists got the benefit of experience as against the new comers. All the eliminated contestants wished to see Karan as the winner as the young lad had won everyone's heart with his sweet and helpful temperament but Swapnil was judge's favorite from day one and that surely gave him an edge ahead of all the other contestants. Purbi was favorite of both, the judges and the audience and her talented genes surely helped her win this contest.

Waar Parivaar, a Musical battle between families..

After Voice of India and Chhote Ustaad, Gajendrra Singh’s Saibaba Telefilms brings another reality show for the Indian audience, and this time on Sony Entertainment Television, Waar Parivaar – a singing reality show which will have families battling out for the title of the Sangeet Gharana.

Telly Buzz caught up with the director Gajendrra Singh to know more. Speaking about the concept of the show, Gajendra says, “The show is a singing reality show. It is different from all other shows. Here we have families competing with one another for the title. There have to be minimum of 3 participants from each family. The concept of the show will be more on the lines of the gharana format that we had in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.”

And how is the voting pattern of this show going to be? Gajendrra replies, “We haven’t decided on the voting pattern as yet. We might finalize it by next week". And judges? “The judges also have not been decided as yet. But this time the judges will be different. I plan on getting the legendaries of the music industry as judges for the show. In fact I am currently in talks with Pandit Jasraj”, says Gaj ji.

The biggest news is that the gorgeous Urmila Matondakar will be hosting the show. As all Gajendrra Singh’s shows have been a treat for the eye, we eagerly await to see what this show has in store for the viewers.

Sony Entertainment Television gets bigger with 'Waqt'...

Sony Entertainment Television is now gearing up for the inception of two back-to-back daily soaps in B.R. Chopra’s ‘Sujata’ and Dheeraj Kumar’s ‘Waqt’ from April 14th. While 'Sujata' will occupy the 10PM slot, 'Waqt' which is a story of an adopted girl Rudra places itself at the 10.30 pm slot.

‘Waqt batayega, kaun apna kaun paraya’ is the story of Rudra who is always considered ‘paraya’, an outsider by her foster mother, Yashomati. However, when her own blood, her sons deceive her, it is this paraya daughter, who stands by her and supports her and the family.

Payal Sarkar, who won the hearts of one and all in SAB’s ‘Love Story’ will essay the lead role of Rudra. Produced by the very talented Dheeraj Kumar(Creative Eye), the serial is packed with powerful performers in Kishori Shahane, Mukesh Khanna, Nishigandha Wadh, Eva Grover and Dheeraj Kumar.

Talking about her role, Payal Sarkar says, “Rudra is a very bubbly girl who knows her limitation as she is an adopted girl. She is a person who loves to take up responsibilities at home, and works towards them sincerely”. Making a giant leap from a love story to a family drama, Payal is very excited to be a part of this serial. “As an actor, I will want to take up various kinds of roles, and this role is very much different from my role in Love Story. This is the first time I am doing a family drama and am enjoying it”, says the actress.

As we wait for waqt to take us closer to ‘Waqt batayega, kaun apna kaun paraya’, we wish them all the luck!

Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Naa gets Mysterious..

Ratna Sinha’s Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Naa, the show that was talked about being different from the old saas-bahu drama, being about a girl torn between the dilemma of whom to give more priority, her family or her husband’s family will now add a thriller element to the story line.

According to the recent promos shown, the story will take a new twist wherein the protagonist Aastha, played by Aastha Choudhury will start hallucinating and rather witness strange things happening around her.

When contacted, Ratna Sinha had this to say about the mystery that will change Aastha's life from April 14th. “There has been a trap set for Aastha in which she has fallen, and there is a big reason behind Aastha getting married into such a rich family without facing any opposition from the groom’s family members.” Does this mean Shubh is part of the conspiracy too? “Well yes, to a certain extent. There is a reason why Aastha has come into the family. Shubh is part of the whole plan, but he is not aware of the entire scenario. He is also kept in the dark,” replies Ratna. She adds in to say, "But Shubh loves Aastha for sure".

The mystery will get bigger with the arrival of a parallel lead, and news is that Ratna Sinha is on a lookout for the actor to play this pivotal role.

The buzz around was that big names like Iqbal Khan and Chetan Hansraj were being considered for the same. So who has been finalized among the two? Ratna Sinha quips, “Yes I am looking out for a parallel lead. This new character will be someone related to the past of one in the Ranawat family. His entry will not only open up avenues for a love triangle, but I can say that there will be lots of complication in the love story”. She further adds, “Initially Iqbal Khan and Chetan Hansraj were roped in for the role, but they could not make it. Varun Badola was almost finalized, but as he is busy with his directing, he could not give us dates. We are still on a lookout for the face of the character.”

Get to see the mystery unfold in Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Naa from April 14th..!!

Sad demise on the sets of Naaginn

A very tragic incident struck the sets of Naaginn on 8^th April when a unit member Ramnivas Yadav (Carpenter) was hit and run by a truck in the busy street of Chandivali area around 5 in the evening. He died on the spot. Nobody even realized that he was missing until somebody reported that a blood smeared body was thrown across the road. Later they came to know that he was unit member of Naaginn.

The team of Naaginn was shooting the shaadi sequence of Amrita and Arjun Aka Shayantani Ghosh and Sachin Shroff when the incident occurred. Talking about the incident Shayantani Ghosh says, “It was really shocking for us as we were about to start the shoot for a new sequence and Ramnivas had gone to bring something for the shoot. We had to resume shoot because we had to meet the telecast dates. On a busy road like Chandivali, during peak hours if something like this happens it’s so unpleasant. I don’t know about the rest, but I personally feel that all of us should contribute some amount and help his family. Something like this also happened during my shoot in Ghar Ek Sapna.”

The unit has decided to pay a tribute to him by dedicating one episode in his name, since he has been working with the production house for the last 15 years.

May his soul rest in peace.