Abbas Mustan kick off Paying Guest

MTV's most popular reality Roadies 5.0 on Saturday announced its winner in its grand finale in Mumbai. And it’s the dhabha owner from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Ashutosh Kaushik, who walked away as the top Roadie after beating 12 other contestants. The show was the fifth in the series and with Roadies 5.0, the show went international for the first time.

The reality show is about participants competing to finish a task and then securing a place for themselves in the vote-out round at the end of each episode. The contestants are put through a series of challenges that are aimed at pushing them beyond their mental and physical strengths. The winner Ashutosh takes away a cash prize of Rs 2.30 lakh and a Hero Honda Karizma bike. But along with that, he walked away with a lot of fame and perhaps the title of the only Roadie to have ever made Raghu cry.

Laloo Prasad Yadav in SRK's Paanchvi Pass..

Shahrukh Khan has some very special guests lined up to attend the concluding episode of his Paanchvi class. Alongside co-actor Priyanka Chopra and her beau, Harman Baweja, SRK has the Railways Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav to take a stab at some of the paanchvi class ke sawaal.

Laloo Prasad Yadav was his usual witty self as he gave answers spontaneously even during the mock rehearsals. Not only that, the minister was quite confident about himself and claimed that he would win up to Rs. 1 crore on the show without any help and this is exactly what he won on the show. “The winning amount will be donated to the Railway Welfare and Relief Fund. This organization provides money to the needy, women in distress, and to people suffering due to all kinds of natural calamities like earthquakes, tsunamis etc", says Laloo. With a busy schedule, Laloo does not get much time to watch
the show but was full of praise when asked his opinion as he says, “It is a
very good initiative taken by STAR Plus and Shahrukh Khan. The show is very
informative and encourages today’s kids to study more.”

Talking about his school days, the minister nostalgically says, “There is a big difference in today’s schools and the olden ones. When we made any mistakes, the teachers punished us, pulling our ears. We worked at the teachers’ houses doing odd jobs for them.” Commenting on today’s generation, Laloo states, “Today’s kids are very smart. I don’t know how to operate a mobile phone or a computer, but nowadays you see small kids using these contraptions with ease. They get a lot of guidelines from their school and teachers.”Stressing on the importance of education in our country, Laloo opines, “The standard of education has improved to a great extent. A lot of stress needs to be given to education in the
primary classes, as this is the base for further education. However, most importantly, the women of our country need to be educated. The future of our country depends on our women.”

Speaking about having Laloo on the show, the host SRK says, “I am actually quite happy to have him here on the show. Frankly, I am quite surprised to see him answering the questions with so much of ease and élan, as before entering, he was just telling how nervous he is and he doesn’t know if he will be able to answer any questions. I, for one, adore his sense of humor and am a great fan of his.” To which Lalooji, in his usual witty humour, promptly replied, “It is his greatness that he compliments me so, but if he is my fan then I am his air conditioner.”

The other two contestants on the show Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja won an amount of 50 lacs that will be donated to charity too. The episode is expected to go on air on the 20^th of July.

Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar Announces Wild Card Entry

This weekend’s episode of Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar will not only see the ouster of some outstanding singers from the show but also give the viewers a chance to see some of their favorite eliminated contestants from the Champions team render
outstanding performances as they try their hand at making it back to the show thru' the wild card.

Last week, after Himani Kapoor received flak from judge Farah Khan, the young singer had given up all hope of going further in the competition and rightly enough, just a week after making it to the Champions side, she is shown the doors. But the lass got a chance to make it back into the competition as she, Priyani, Prajakta Shukre, Amit Sana, Rooprekha crooned on stage as the wild card entrants. However, lady luck did not seem to smile on Himani as Prajakta Shukre makes it back to the competition as the Wild Card Entrant.

The Challengers Toshi, Amey Date and Rex D’souzarendered stupendous performances with Toshi finally crossing over to the Champions side. With this crossover, due to the imbalance in the number of contestants, the crossing over of one contestant resulted in the ouster of two challengers, thus eliminating Rex and Amey from the show.

Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa goes Wild!!

Ardent viewers of Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa who had lost heart at seeing their favorite teams being voted out of the show have a reason to rejoice as their favorite stars have another chance to make it back into the show. However, this time, it will not be the audience who makes the decision, but a special jury. And the jury members are ace dancer Shaimak Dawar,evergreen actress Zeenat Amaan and our very own lovable host Ravi Kissen.

The wild card episode will be a treat to all the viewers as they get to see their favorite celebrities sizzle on the stage. Right from Rosa Catalano’s Rangeele Dilwale to Varun Badola’s GuruKool to Rohit Roy’s Phirangi Phatake and Prachi Desai and her Masti Ki Patshaala, from Urvashi Dholakia-Abhishek Awasthi’s Chuppa Rustam to Sharad Malhotra’s Toofani Toli to Shweta Tiwari and her Bahu Ki Behnein to Hussein’s Kal Ke Kalakar, all the teams gave stupendous performances.

While Varun Badola’s team of senior citizens received appreciation for the message of women’s oppression delivered thru their performance, wild card queen and reality show winner, Prachi Desai received flak for a mediocre performance. The dampener of the evening though was the non-performance of Sharad along with his team. Although his team’s performance was outstanding, the judges were quite unhappy that their mentor did not accompany them on stage. In fact, Shaimak opined that Sharad need not have performed, but could have just appeared on stage along with the team in spite of his injury. The judges even contemplated disqualifying his team. But, we give you no points for guessing which team made it back thru’ the wild card.

Yes, it is none other than Hussain and his team. Kal Ke Kalakar gave a stupendous performance that even got Shaimak commenting in hindi saying, 'yeh jalwa nahi, 440 volt ka jhatka tha.' Shaimak was so impressed by Hussain that he compared him to the likes of Shahid Kapoor as a dancer. The show ends with a dual performance by the finalists Rakhi Sawant's Chillar party and Ronit Roy and his Bindaas Bosses.

Ashish Vidyarthi in Smriti Irani's Waaris...

Smriti Irani, who created history by casting the Evergreen Vinod Khanna in Ugraya Productions’ Mere Apne on 9X has once again come up with an ace as she gets the very popular face of Bollywood, the National Award winner Ashish Vidyarthi to play the dad in her Zee show, Waaris.

An actor par excellence, Ashish Vidyarthi who has donned various villainous roles on the silver screen returns to television after a long gap. A well-placed source says, “Smritiji wanted a well-known face playing the father in Waaris. Ashish Vidyarthi was confirmed just yesterday to play dad to Iqbal Khan and Yuvraj Malhotra in the serial”.

Aashka Goradia of Kkusum fame will be paired opposite Iqbal Khan. When Telly Buzz buzzed the actress for confirmation, Aashka said, “Talks are on for the show, but nothing has been confirmed yet”. Our source also reveals that in addition to Bhawna Roy, Smriti is planning to cast Khushboo Purohit who was seen in Sharad Malhotra’s ‘Toofani Toli’ in the 9X reality show, Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa…

Deepti Devi clears the air

Zee’s show Parivaar – Kartavya Ki Pariksha witnessed a high last week with the entry of the bad man Swapnil, played by Faizal Raza Khan just when the protagonists Radha and Shlok were about to get married. But now, the spotlight is on Deepti Devi who plays the role of Radha and if rumors are to be believed, the production house and the channel seem to be unhappy with the actress and contemplate going for a replacement if things do not work out well.
Our well-placed source informs us that “Deepti has signed a contract that she will give fifteen hours to the serial everyday, but she hardly devotes twelve hours per day which is inclusive of her make-up time. Since the episodes are shot cut-to-cut, the unavailability of the protagonist makes things more complicated”.

However, when inquired about this, Deepti Devi says, “Well, I had issues with the team and hardly got time to sit and talk things out. But now I have managed to set things right and as a lead, I understand my responsibility and I am managing my shoot quite well”. Elaborating more on the problem regarding the timings, the actress states, “I work everyday for nearly thirteen hours. The problem occurs when I have to shuffle between my day and night schedules due to which I do not get sufficient sleep. This team is like my family and I guess such things do happen. We just need to move on with it”.

Hope things are crystal-clear between Deepti and the production team and this big Parivaar remains united for long!!

More on Smriti Irani's Waaris on Zee..

After being an iconic bahu of Indian television, Smriti Irani is creating waves in Indian television even as a producer. Telly Buzz broke the news yesterday that Smriti’s Ugraya Productions is coming up with a new serial on Zee titled Waaris. We also stated that Iqbal Khan and Yuvraj Malhotra will be playing the lead roles.

Adding more to our news right here in Telly Buzz, our well-placed source informs us that the very popular ‘Bhabhi’ of television, Rucha Gujrati will be playing one of the female leads while the dancing sensation Bhawna Roy will make her television debut with Waaris. For the uninitiated, Bhawna Roy who is presently seen in the 9X reality show Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa in Hussein Kuwajerwala’s ‘Kal Ke Kalakaar’ team was promised a lead role in Smriti’s upcoming serial, and here is Smriti offering Bhawna a pivotal role in Waaris.

When contacted Rucha Gujrathi she remained tight-lipped and said “Well, talks are on with the channel and Smriti. But nothing is decided as of now”.

According to our source, the serial will be a daily soap and is expected to go on air from 16th June and the time slot is tentatively fixed for 10.30 pm.

Here’s wishing all the very best to Smriti Irani for her new venture!!

Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Naa takes a love-triangle route...

Rahil Azam’s introduction as the unique split personality character in Ratna Sinha’s Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Naa has been appreciated by one and all. The first part of the mystery wherein Rahil changes into a classy courtesan Payal at night and Swayam in the day is now revealed to the viewers, but the grapevine has it that there are many other revelations that the audience will witness in the coming weeks.

The buzz around is that the story which had taken a thriller mode will soon witness a love triangle phase in the coming episodes. When asked about it, Ratna Sinha confirmed saying, “Yes, there will soon be a love-triangle seen in the serial”. When asked about the possibility of Payal being a look-alike of Astha, Ratna states, “It is true that Payal, who was Swayam’s lover is actually a look-alike of Astha and this is the reason why Shubh’s parents had actually agreed for Shubh-Astha marriage”.

Giving an insight on the future track, Ratna Sinha says, “The focus of the story will now be on Swayam. Shubh played by Siddharth Shukla who has been totally kept in the dark by his family will be shocked to know that his wife and his brother’s wife Payal were look-alikes”. She adds on to say that, “Swayam will assume that Astha is his wife and this will create a dilemma in the lives of Shubh- Astha”.

Iqbal Khan and Yuvraj Malhotra in Smriti's new production

Smriti Irani’s Ugraya Productions which has produced serials like Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan, Virrudh and Mere Apne adds yet another feather in its cap as it ventures out for its first project on Zee TV, tentatively titled Waaris. The buzz around is that Smriti has roped in Zee’s blue-eyed boy Yuvraj Malhotra and the heart throb of millions, Iqbal Khan to play the pivotal characters in the serial.

While the innumerable fans of Iqbal Khan who miss him as Abhimanyu Adhikari in Star One’s Choona Hai Aasmaan will be thrilled to see him back in action, Waaris will be a big break for Yuvraj Malhotra who is also seen in Zee’s Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan.

Confirming his role in the Smriti serial, a very pleased Yuvraj Malhotra says, “Yes, I am playing the role of a character called Shourya. Iqbal Khan is playing my elder brother in the serial and I will be starting shoot for this serial next week”. When asked how he managed to get this role, the firm Zee loyalist states, “Smriti saw and liked my work in Betiyaan. Plus Zee recommended my name strongly”.

Iqbal Khan was unavailable for comments.

Hamari Devrani premiering on 26th May at 1.30 pm.

STAR PLUS, the No. 1 Hindi General Entertainment Channel, is all set to launch its new show, 'Hamari Devrani' from May 26th, Mon-Fri, 1.30 p.m. in the weekday matinée band. After the success of 'Shagun', Star Plus and Shobhana Desai Pvt.Ltd yet again aim at making your drowsy afternoons exciting with Hamari Devrani.

'Hamari Devrani' is a family drama about the Nanavati Parivaar, based in Ahmedabad. It strongly establishes the sweet yet, at times, sour relationship between the five elder bahu's of the family and their youngest devrani. This is the story which unveils the various facets of relationships in a family. The show highlights the criticalness of various relations within the family like devrani-jethani, relations with in-laws and above all the relation between husband and wife.

The show is an emotional saga of the protagonist Bhakti (played by Krishna), who is a simple and small town girl. Bhakti's faith and devotion in life is her biggest strength. She is brought up by Kashi Ben - her grandmother. Her grandmother is her life and she believes Bal Gopal to be her friend & family. Bhakti is a simple yet very strong character who never gives up before adversities that she faces in life. Her faith and love always shows her the right path to success.

Looked upon as an unlucky girl, Bhakti is a complete loner. Circumstances bring her to Ahmedabad where she gets married to a family that consists of six brothers, only to realize that the road she has chosen and the family she has chosen as her marital home, have something else in store for her. Time and again she falls back on her faith in Bal Gopal for right guidance. This show is indeed a mixture of the various flavors of life.

With an interesting line of cast, the show promises to bring forward the nuances and intricacies of relationships between the elder and younger bahus of the family. This story is just not a family drama, but a mirror image of middle class Indian household.

So stay tuned to view the new relationships on Hamari Devrani, starting May 26th, Mon – Fri, 1.30 p.m. only on STAR PLUS!

Sukriti Khandpal now in Dr. Riddhima's garb

Star One’s very popular show Dill Mill Gayye has been in the news ever since talks of Shilpa Anand leaving the show have hit the headlines. As Shilpa decided to set her eyes on Bollywood, Telly Buzz had come out with the news that it will either be Mahi Vij or Sukriti Khandpal getting into the character of Riddhima.

Well, as speculations over the replacement and Shilpa’s future goes on, our khabroo informs us that it is Sukriti Khandpal who has eventually won the jackpot and that the girl, also seen in SAB’s Jersey No. 10, has already begun shooting for Dill Mill Gayye.

When contacted Sukriti, she remained tightlipped and says that she is having talks with the channel and has not yet got the green signal from them.

Yasir Shah seeks a role away from Balaji Telefilms....

Jiya Jale, one of 9X’s top rated shows,is the love story between Sunaina and Chandan. The show has constantly been full of twists and turns in the love story of the couple. In fact, the production house has done a lot to boost their TRPs like the introduction of new characters.

After Rakhi Vijan, the new facejoining the bandwagon is television’s chocolate boy Yasir Shah who was last seen in Khwaish as Azaan. When contacted Yasir says, “Yes I am going to enter Jiya Jale as a parallel lead. I will be playing the role of a lawyer whose name is Yuvi and he is
very successful and confident of himself. However, right now this is all I can say about the role. The audience will just have to wait and watch what will happen in the future. But yeah, the role is very interesting and the audience will love it.”

Yasir Shah was slated to play the main lead in Ekta Kapoor’s upcoming show Krazy Kiya Re on Sony Entertainment Television but the buzz in the grapevine is that the shoot of the show has been postponed for the time being. We wonder, is this an indication that he is being chucked out of the show?

Jatin Shah strongest contender for Sahdev

As the ball sets rolling and the queen of daily soaps Ekta Kapoor has started the shooting of the much-awaited epic Mahabharata, she is still yet to finalize some of her cast members. Telly Buzz gets to know somemore.

A reliable source from Balaji reveals to us that members
from the Ekta clan will be playing some of the pivotal roles in the epic that is to be aired on 9X. While it is being contemplated who among Karan Patel and Shabbir Ahluwalia will essay the role of Arjun, the role of the younger Pandava brother Sahdev, has been assigned to
Jatin Shah. The bad boy of television, Chetan Hansraj, will play the role of the strongest Pandava, Bhim, while Hiten Tejwani will get to play the role of either Karan or Yudhisthir.

The two beauties of television, Anita Hassanandani and Gauri Pradhan, are vying for the role of Draupadi but it has been heard that if Ekta
feels that they do not fit the bill, she plans to conduct a nation wide hunt
for an actor to be the face of the Pandavas wife. So who will be the lucky new face
to join the Balaji camp?

Yeh Hai Jalwa's Twist in the Tale

This week’s episode of Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa has a special treat as well as a shock for the viewers. The top three contestants, Rakhi Sawant, Ronit Roy and Hussein Kuwajerwala, had to perform on two different songs, the themes being physical exercise for the first performance and ‘kuch hatke’ for the second performance.

All three teams rendered scintillating performances with Rakhi’s Chillar Party giving an outstanding performance. This time the show will not have a celebrity guest but will see the return of host Saakshi Tanwar. While for one segment Smriti Iraniand Ravi Kissen were judges, the other segment had Saakshi and Ravi awarding the teams points. This time it was Rakhi’s Chillar Party who walked away with the highest scores and the audience will get to see the dance queen in a different avatar as she performed the pole dance to the tunes of Kajra Re. The host Smriti even complimented her saying, “Though Rakhi is known for the hot and glamorous roles, she belongs to those rare breed of actors who can perform anything and everything with equal comfort.”

On the other hand, Dharmesh, a member of Hussein’s Kal Ke Kalakar struck pay dirt as Smrit Irani was touched by his story and offered him a role in her upcoming Gujarati movie. Ravi Kisen gave him the same offer as he says, “Even I have a production house, where we make films and I would be honored to work with you anytime. You are always welcome.” Lady luck smiles on Bhawna Roy too as Smriti Irani offered to take her for her upcoming serial. Yet, in spite of all these achievements, the team that was ousted from the show this week is Hussein and his Kal Ke Kalakar, which left all on the sets in a big shock.

The elimination of Hussein from the show leaves Rakhi and Ronit vying for the position of the winner. However, is that it? Well, the show has a special surprise in store for the viewers. After rendering some scintillating performances, the eight teams ousted from the show will be seen back on stage together. And no, we are not talking about the grand finale but a wild card entry. Yes, one of the eliminated eight will be chosen on the basis of their performance and make
it straight to the finale. And this team will be chosen by a special jury comprising of two judges, not thru' audience polling.

So who will make it to the top three? Who will win the finale of India’s popular dance show, Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa? To know this and more, keep watching the show every Sunday at 8.00 pm only on 9X

Sharon Prabhakar in a new avatar!!

After bollywood actors turning to television, it is now the turn of singers to join the bandwagon. And it's the famous singer, Sharon Prabhakar.

Sharon Prabhakar, the Indi-Pop artist and public speaker, will be seen in her first television show on STAR Plus. A reliable source informs us that she will be doing a project being produced by Endemol India for STAR Plus tentatively titled Waaris.

Telly Buzz caught up with the singer to know more but she was tight lipped as she says, “I cannot divulge any details right now because I have not been asked to say anything about it. However, yes, I am doing a television show. As of now it’s under wraps. You will just have to wait and watch.”

We sure hope Sharon rocks television just as she did the music world!!

Shilpa Anand quits Dill Mill Gayye

Shilpa Anand, the pretty actress who has been the face of Dr. Riddhima in Star One’s Dill Mill Gaye is all set to quit the serial.

Telly Buzz caught up with Amita Devadiga, Creative Head, Dill Mill Gaye who confirmed the news, saying “Yes, it is true that Shilpa has opted out of Dill Mill Gayye”. On the probable replacement, Amita states, “We are on a lookout for Shilpa’s replacement. You will get to know of it in few days’ time”.

Much to the astonishment of loyal Dill Mill Gayye viewers, Shilpa Anand avers, “Riddhima was a very sweet character and will remain close to me forever. But things need to move on and I am surely quitting Dill Mill Gaye. My last date of shoot was on 20th May”. For the uninitiated, the buzz of Shilpa’s exit from the show was doing rounds for a while, but the creative unit had decided to keep the news low profile till all was confirmed.

Shilpa’s contract was to end in June, but the actress is said to have requested the channel and the production house to relieve her few days in advance. Shilpa who has acted in few Telugu films down South now aspires to go the Bollywood way. “I have got many offers in big screen, but I will need at least one month for myself before I take up my next offer”, clarifies Shilpa.

On an ending note, Shilpa thanks her fans for having loved her as Riddhima. “I wish the serial all the very best. They have a very smart creative unit and I am sure they will take the track in a convincing manner", says Shilpa.

With Shilpa gone, there was a buzz that Karan Singh Grover's beau Shraddha Nigam would fit into the shoes of Riddhima. When Telly Buzz spoke to Shraddha, she says, "I was one of the options for the role, but I guess I will not be doing it". According to a reliable source, "Mahi Vij who was earlier seen in DJ Akhil's music video 'Tu Hai Wahi' has been considered for the role along with Sukriti Khandpal who is seen in SAB's Jersey No. 10.

Shubhangi Atre Back to work!!

Karan Patel is getting a bit tired of the constant allegations that his Kasturi co-star Shubhangi Atre is leveling against him. "If those were true, would the Balaji production and my fellow actor on the Star Plus show have continued to work with me?" Recently it was alleged that Karan used to come drunk on sets and flirt with Atre and other women on the sets and things got worse when Shubangi refused to come to the sets.

This is not the first time that Atre has leveled harassment allegation against Patel. In his defense the actor says, “Shubhangi is insecure about herself so much so that although Kasturi is a female oriented story, the whole emphasis of carrying the show forward is on me. No wonder she is resorting to such publicity stunts”. Patel went a step forward and said that the production house should first get a proper actress; leave alone a good actress. On the question of whether he tried to amicably settle things between him and Shubangi, Patel says" I have betters things to do with my time”.

On the actress’ absence from the show for quite a while, Patel says “It's highly unethical and unprofessional on her part to keep the unit hanging for the past 5 days”. When we tried to contact Shubangi to get her side of the story, she was unavailable for comment. So we contacted her husband Piyush who denied any problem of his wife with Patel and said that the reason for her absence was sickness. “She has been back to work from Saturday”, said her husband.

Dekhein Kaun Hai Ek Se Badhkar Ek

Singing reality shows, dance reality shows, families dancing and singing, kids performing, we have seen it all. Now Zee TV comes up with a unique reality show, Ek Se Badhkar Ek,wherein you will get to see your favorite singers and actors paired together.

A reliable source reveals to us, “it is a unique reality show that has both singing as well as dancing. Some of the well known actors from the television industry like Purbi Joshi, Shayantani Ghosh, Apoorva Agnihotri, Abhishek Awasthi, Amrapali Gupta, Kushal Punjabi, Jasveer Kaur will be seen moving to popular tunes while singers like Aneek, Sumedha, Harpreet, Poonam, Emon, will croon in their melodious voices.”

Talking about the concept of the show, our source adds, “The actors will be paired along with the singers. While the singers will perform on Friday, the actors will be seen dancing on Saturday. The elimination will be decided based on marks given by the judges and audience voting. The participants start their rehearsals from 25^th May. The promos with the host Ravi Kisen have already been shot and the show goes on air in the first week of June.”

After a surge of reality shows, we hope that this reality show will be a breath of fresh air for the audience!!!

Ab STAR PLUS pe ho hoga ek naya basera

After Hamari Devrani, STAR Plus has yet another new show slated to occupy the afternoon slot. Produced by Shreya Creations, the new show is titled as Jahan Pe Basera Ho.

Giving us an insight to the story of the show, our source reveals to us, “The show has a very unique and different concept. It revolves around a middle class family from Allahabad. It is a joint family and every member loves and respects the other. However, as time goes by, the family starts doing well and progresses in life. As they get accustomed to a luxurious life, they slowly start losing their values and morals.”

Adding further the source says, “It’s a situation that most families face in today’s world. Even though the bond between the family members is still there, due to work pressure, they don’t get to spend time with one another. For instance, the eldest son who never left the house without his mother’s blessing now, does not get time to talk to his mother for fifteen days at a stretch because of his busy schedule.”

The lead characters of the show will be essayed by Nohinika Choudhary and Raj Singh Verma.

Amit Sana joins the Champions

This week’s episodes of STAR Plus’ reality show Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar has some surprises in store for its audience.

Friday’s episode has the contestants singing the tunes of some of the most unconventional singers of the music industry with songs ranging from Sanware to Albela Sajan Aayo Re. Among the challengers, Himani, Toshi and Amit Sana gave some power packed performances making them the top three Challenger performers of the week. In addition, Rex D’souza and Amey Date join the challengers but unfortunately, Rex gave a very mediocre performance along with Amit Tandon thus getting a RED FLAG from the jury. After weeks of struggle, Amit Sana finally makes it to the Champions Squad while Amit Tandongets himself evicted from the show.

On the other side, the champions had their theme as comedy and the participants came up with a variety of songs from Meri Pyaari Bindu to Hawa Hawai. Surprisingly, some of the best performers, Vineet Singh, Prajakta Shukre and Harshit found themselves in the bottom three. But even more surprising was the elimination of Prajakta Shukre, who had survived thru’ the competition in spite of her various issues on the show.

Nikhil Arya steps in Iqbal Khan's shoes

Nikhil Arya, famous for his role as Rudra in Kesar, will be seen in a new avatar as he dons the uniform of Officer Abhimanyu Adhikari in Star One's Choona Hai Aasmaan.

When contacted, Sandip Sikcand, Creative Head of Miditech, says, "Nikhil Arya, who was previously seen in Kesar and now in Kasturi will be replacing Iqbal Khan in Choona Hai Aasmaan".

Nikkhil Arya, affirms the news saying, “It feels great to be playing Abhimanyu Adhikari in Choona Hai Aasmaan. Today is my first day of shoot. I feel the role is very challenging mainly because the show has a very unique storyline and is hatke from the usual saas bahu sagas that are happening on television.” He further adds, “I have played a lover in Rabba Ishq Na Hove, a negative character in Kesar and Kasturi, so this is something different. I guess I complete a full circle donning the uniform of an air force officer.”

Iqbal Khan, who was seen essaying the role till now, carved a niche in the hearts of the audience as Abhimanyu, so will the audience accept Nikhil in his shoes? To which Nikhil instantly replies, “As I said before, I have accepted the role as a challenge. Iqbal and I, both, differ in personalities, style and persona. When the serial started out, it had the glamor quotient of the air force. However, the plot has thickened now and the Hawks are on a special mission. The character, in itself, requires more of acting and not just style. When the serial began, looking good in a uniform was sufficient, but now the acting skills of the actor need to take an upper hand. And that is exactly what I plan to concentrate on as I step into Iqbal’s shoes.”

On an ending note Nikhil says, “I know this is a huge challenge for me but I truly need all your blessings and support to essay the role perfectly and take the character and show head.”

Mahima Chowdhury this week on Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa..

While last week’s episode saw the ouster of everyone’s favorite Sharad Malhotra from Vodafone Yeh Hai Jalwa, this week’s episode gave the top 4 celebs and the individual team members a chance to showcase their individual talent.

The celebrity judge this week on the show is Mahima Chowdhury accompanied by our very own Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kisen. The four Jalwa mentors Ronit, Hussein, Rakhi and Shweta gave one of their best performances trying to outperform each other. Saakshi Tanwar missed the excitement of the show owing to her prolonged bout of illness.

As usual, Ronit’s Bindaas Bosses walked off with the honor of being the best team for the seventh consecutive week followed by Hussein’s Kal Ke Kalakaar in the second position. However, the icing on the cake was Mahima’s version of the contest wherein she awarded the trophy of the Jalwa Sitara to two of the best dancers. And this award was bagged by Vijeta from Bahu Ki Behnein and Bhavna Roy from Kal Ke Kalakaar. Shweta Tiwari’s Bahu Ki Behnein's performance left a lot to be desired as they were criticized by the judges ultimately leading them to bid goodbye to the show, leaving Ronit, Rakhi and Hussein as the top 3 contenders.

So don’t miss out all the excitement on Vodafone Yeh Hai
Jalwa on Sunday at 8 pm only on 9X and also find out who is the special third person, Mahima decided to give the trophy of the Jalwa Sitara on a whim!!!

Shahrukh de raha hai 5 crore, ab Salman dega 10 crore

India will now think in terms of percentage. Confused? Don’t be, this is the tag line Sony Entertainment Television has for its new reality show 10 Ka Dum.

Speaking about the show, Albert Almeida, Executive Vice President &Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television, says, “The concept of the show is very unique. It is an adaptation of the foreign show Power of 10. As we say, now India will think in terms of percentages. It is a show meant for common man and comprises of questions based on day to day life activities.”

When probed further to know the type of questions, Albert replied, “The questions are based on plain common sense, the things we see and hear. For example, questions like How many people in India consider black as the color of mourning? How many people believe in superstitions? etc." But how will the contestants be judged on the basis of answering these questions? To which Albert quips, “See, the questions are pre-polled and the answers have been decided by the aam janta of India. The answers are in the form of percentages. So, the contestant who is closest to the nation’s answer is the winner.”

And yes the prize money to be awarded in this show is not one, not two, not even five but ten crores. So what are the steps to becoming a millionaire?
Albert explains, “There are five steps to becoming a millionaire. In the first step, the participant is given a 40% range while in the second step he will be given a 30% chance. As this range keeps reducing, the prize money keeps increasing. For instance, if the participant gives an answer 73%, and if the actual answer is between the range of 40 to 80%, the participant wins and goes to the next step, which continues."

With 10 Ka Dum, Salman Khan joins the bandwagon of Bollywood celebrities turning anchors. When asked why Salman was chosen as the host of the show, Albert quipped, “Well he is a star. He has a powerful personality and has a huge fan following. So obviously, his presence will draw the audience to watch the show.”

Shankar Sahney to ignite Alekh-Sadhna's love in Bidaai...

Shankar Sahney, the King of Punjabi Pop and one of the best stage performers is all set to make his debut on television in Rajan Shahi’s Sapna Babul Ka Bidaai.. The singer who enthralled the audience with ‘Glassy’ will be seen playing a cameo role for a special Dhaba sequence.

Talking about his entry in Bidaai, Shankar says, “I play myself here and am entering as Shanker Sahney, the singer. I see the couple Alekh-Sadhana in the dhaba and on special request from everyone gathered there, I sing a song for them. The lyrics of the song I sing is apt for the situation as it means, ‘One does not come to know when he/she falls in love'".

When asked how he got an offer for this role, he replies, “I personally like this show a lot, and when the situation was explained to me that I will have to sing in the cameo, I readily accepted the offer. Well to be frank, I am quite comfortable doing this role as I can be myself”.

Speaking about the latest developments in the track of the show, Producer and Series Director Rajan Shahi says, "There will be a situation which will bring Alekh and Sadhna
in one of the dabba in Punjab. Shankar is present in the dabba and sings a song for them. It is not any special occasion, just that the couple Alekh and Sadhana are together by themselves for the first time since their wedding. They slowly seem to be falling for each other, but that is all I can reveal right now."

Hamari Devrani to replace Bhabhi

As STAR Plus’ Bhabhi goes off air in few weeks, Shobana Desai is all set to bring her new production, Hamari Devrani, in its place, which goes on air from the 26^th of May in the 1.30 pm afternoon slot.

Shobana Desai, Producer, says, “Hamari Devraani is the tale of a Gujarati family comprising of six brothers and their mother. Five out of the six brothers are married and now the entire family is on the lookout for a bride for the youngest son of the family. All the bhabhis are very cunning and want their devar to get married to a girl of their choice as he is very close to the mother.”

She further adds, “The story has its usual twists and turns which will be revealed in the course of time. But the main track revolves around finding a devrani for the family. The bhabhis want a girl who comes from a middle class background, someone who is very simple and will be like a puppet in their hands.”

When asked about the cast of the show Shobana said, “The cast of the show is relatively new. I wanted to take faces that were not seen on television before. The cast includes Samir Rajda, Urvashi Upadhya, Kaushal Shah, Kalyani Thakkar, Ajay Parekh, Bhumi Shukla, Mihir Rajda,Manish Purohit, Manas Shah, Neelam Panchal, Zankhanaben with new omers Madhav and Krishna Gokani playing the devar and devrani respectively.”

Faisal Raza Khan back in Zee's Parivaar...

Twists in daily soaps are the most happening aspects in Telly world and one of the easiest ways to raise the TRPs of shows. Zee’s Parivaar joins the bandwagon now as the bad guy, Faisal Raza Khan who played the role of Swapnil makes a return to the show with a fresh look.

Speaking about his entry in the show, Faisal says, “Yes I am making a re-entry into Parivaar. Right now I cannot divulge details about my character but yes, I am entering the show with a new look and a different attitude. The character will have a different shade. That’s just about how much I can disclose right now.”

However, Telly Buzz decided to delve a bit deeper and through sources we uncovered that Faisal aka Swapnil will be making his entry at the time of Radha and Shlok’s wedding. Although Faisal’s character will have a grey shade to it, he feels guilty about what has happened in the past between him and Radha. Also, he loves his brother Shlok, played by Krishna Sharma a lot, hence will be seen playing his cards very smartly.

Well, this news surely does mean that Radha's tiff with fate will continue for long.....

Gauri Pradhan to play the new 'Diva' in Left Right Left

Gauri Pradhan sheds her goody two shoes image as she gets set to enter SAB TV’s Left Right Left. The actress gained immense popularity as Nandini of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi but now her fans will get to see the gorgeous actress in a new avatar.

Regarding Gauri’s role in the show, a reliable source reveals to us, “Well as far as Gauri’s character goes, it’s actually all a case of mistaken identity. The cadets catch her by mistake under the assumption that she is the main villain called Eagle. But as time goes by they realize that they made a huge mistake and that Gauri is actually a faculty member, an officer on special duty.” Our source further adds, “She does not play a negative character per se. The army learns that Eagle has planted a mole in KMA and it could be anybody, even a cadet. As time goes by it is Gauri who unveils the truth.”

Persis, Creative Head, DJ’s, affirmed the news saying, “Yes Gauri Pradhan will be playing a role in Left Right Left. However, I would not say she plays a negative character. Left Right Left always has characters that begin in a certain manner and after a point of time, go into a complete different whelm. And that’s the same way Gauri’s character has been penned down.” Adding further Persis says, “The thing about Gauri’s character is that it is very unassuming. One minute you will see her doing an action sequence and the next she breaks down with a cute moment. And that’s what Gauri loves about the role too. In fact, her name in the show, Diva, suits her character to the ‘T’.”

When asked what’s going to happen in the future track of LRL with Gauri’s entry, Persis signed off, saying, “This all I can reveal at the
moment. To know more about what’s going to happen you will just have to watch the show. It’s a beautifully sketched character and will surely have the audiences glued to their sets.”

Natasha Grover to enter Ajai Sinha's Ghar Ek Sapna..

Biggest Loser Jeetega, one of the most popular reality show on Sahara One with a unique concept of losing weight, has a star born out of it. Natasha Grover, the runner up of the realty not only gained immense popularity by losing a massive amount of weight but also bagged a role in Sahara One’s popular show Ghar Ek Sapna.

Talking about her debut in television, Natasha says, “It’s a dream come true for me. When I started out with Biggest Loser Jeetega, I was nearly 100 kilos, and I never thought I would be able to make it in this industry.” Giving an insight on her character in Ajai Sinha's serial, Natasha adds, “I play the role of Dr. Roshni in Ghar Ek Sapna. She has studied overseas yet has Indian values instilled in her. She is very emotional but at the same time is very professional when it comes to her work. She has come especially for the treatment of Trisha. I will be playing the love interest of Darshan Dave in the serial, but there is a twist to the tale here. Unfortunately, I cannot reveal anything right now".

Natasha is on a high getting her first break with such a talented director as she says, “It is an amazing experience for me to start my television career with such Ajai Sinha. I am very fortunate to get such an opportunity, but I am still in the learning stage. Currently, I am experimenting with my roles. But, I love the feeling of being in front of the camera, it gives a certain high.”

Rahil Azam, the Raaz of the Teesri Manzil...

Ratna Sinha’s Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Naa had roped in Rahil Azam to play the mystery man in the show. As everyone was earlier pondering over the role of Rahil in the show, the actor had given a brief prelude to his role, with first-hand new to Telly Buzz that he was playing a unique split personality role which has never been seen on television before.

Now, opening up the secret to you all and confirms that the 'Raaz of the Teesri Manzil' has something to do with Rahil Azam's character... Although Rahil was reticent to divulge any details about his character, a well-placed source reveals to us that Rahil is the very mysterious character who lives in the teesri manzil. The actor plays a dual character in the show wherein by day, all see him as Swayam, but at night time, Swayam transforms into a woman and is seen as a prostitute, Payal. The entire Ranawat family is aware of the secret except for Aastha, who is kept in the dark about all the happenings. Speaking about the future track, our source reveals to us that Payal is a trained dancer and there might be a dance sequence between Aastha and Payal, following which the two become fast friends, leading to Aastha solving the mystery shrouded for so long.

Coincidentally, Sony has always been known for its thriller shows like CID and Aahat and with Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Naa, daily soaps have also joined the bandwagon of adding thriller elements. In fact, it is the first time that something of this kind is attempted on television. Television soaps have experimented with the usual run of the mill roles like schizophrenic, mentally challenged, split personality characters but a role as such is the first of its kind. With the introduction of this angle, the ratings of the show have done well and the production house as well as the channel is optimistic about the future track.

Keep your televisions tuned to Sony Entertainment Television to catch the promos being aired on the channel and watch Rahil donning the most unusual look ever attempted on television that is bound to keep all the viewers glued to their television sets.

Rajeev Khandewal back on Television

While fans of Rajeev Khandelwal are waiting anxiously for the release of his film Aamir to see him back on the screen, here’s good news for them all. Rajeev will be doing a short cameo in the serial CID where he has already played a short stint earlier as ACP Prithviraj.

The “Aamir Special Episode” will show him playing Rajeev the actor shooting for Aamir and then suddenly some complications happens, which is also in tune with the Aamir Film story. The shooting for this special episode has already started. Rajeev makes it very clear that it’s Rajeev the actor but not real Rajeev as the storyline will show him
getting engaged which is far from reality. “Its Rajeev the actor but whether its Khandelwal or not, lets leave that to the imagination of the viewers,” Rajeev says laughing. This one hour special episode will be aired before the release of the film.

What made him take up this short project? “Among many of the promotional activities for the film this is one of them. I refused to do promotions on any of the reality shows. I was not very comfortable with the idea
of promotions on those shows and then we thought when the film is different so let’s do something different too. Nobody has done this earlier, so we are experimenting it,” explains Rajeev.

Rajeev has always tried to take a different path from others and this being another one! But one thing is sure, this will surely be a treat for all his fans, who have been waiting anxiously to have a glimpse of the actor on the screen.

Iqbal Khan says 'Bye-Bye' to Chhoona Hai Aasmaan…

The heart-throb of millions, Iqbal Khan, who gained dizzying heights of success as rock star Angad of Kaisa Yeh Pyarr Hai was appreciated as the haughty yet very patriotic air force officer Abhimanyu Adhikari in Star One's popular soap, Choona Hai Aasmaan. But now the actor has decided to quit the show for unknown reasons.

When asked whether Iqbal Khan might get back later, Sandip Sikcand, the Creative Head of Miditech(Production House of Choona Hai…) says, “Iqbal Khan is out of Chhoona Hai.. now, and he is gone for good”. When asked about the reason for his exit, Sandip averred, “His contract with us ended and he did not want to renew it for some reason”.

Talking about the replacement for Iqbal, Sandip states, “It is very tough to look for a personality to replace Abhimanyu, the character that Iqbal was playing. As of now, we are considering few established actors as well as newcomers. The coming Thursday’s episode will see the last of Iqbal Khan in the serial. The story line which is now focused on Sameera’s kidnap will go on for few days. We also have a good bank of episodes in hand. We are hopeful of getting our replacement very soon and the actor’s entry might happen sometime in the last week of May. Let’s hope for the best”.

Rohit Roy's latest love on Zee Next..

Zee Next’s revamping of shows starts off with a new show from Rohit and Mansi Joshi Roy’s production house Magic Works’. The show titled Rang – The Colours of Love is a love story with the usual twists and turns in the storyline in which the three female leads, Chhavi Mittal, Karishma Randhawa and Manasvi, vying for one male. Ketki and Rasik Dave will be seen together in the serial playing one set of parents. The show goes on air from mid-June occupying the prime time slot, though the time has not been confirmed yet.

Magic Works' which has produced many a non-fiction shows like SRGMP L'il Champs debuts in fiction with Rang. When contacted, Rohit Roy confirmed the news saying, “Mansi and I did not want to do the usual run of the mill saas bahu sagas. We wanted to try our hand at something different, hence decided to come up with a show like Rang. Rang is a youth centric show and will appeal a lot to the younger generation. The three girls we have chosen for the main leads, Chhavi, Karishma and Manasvi are very apt for the characters they play. The story has a touch of humor to it.” When questioned about who will be playing the main lead, Rohit was reticent to reveal anything as he says, “Right now I do not want to divulge the name of the male lead. Personally, he is my favorite actor and in time I will definitely
reveal his name to the audience.”

We also got in touch with Chhavi Mittal, one of the protagonists of the show, who substantiated the news giving us an insight to the character she plays saying, “Rang is a very interesting and different show. It is a romantic comedy. My character’s name in the show is Trisha. She is a very intelligent, serious, responsible yet sensitive girl.”

A well-placed source reveals to us that the cool dude playing the male protagonist is the bad boy Shaleen Bhanot. When contacted, Shaleen affirmed the news saying, “I play the main lead in Rang. He has just returned from the US and his family is an orthodox family. The show is a romantic comedy and is all about how I adapt to the culture and how each girl tries to prove herself and woo me into getting married.”

Reporter: Melanie, Srividya Rajesh, Ranjini Nair Author: Melanie

Hrithik Roshan the Goodwill Ambassador of NDTV Imagine's show JUNOON!!

He is passionate, committed, a talented artist, a thorough professional and now… Hrithik Roshan is the goodwill ambassador for Junoon… Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka, the exciting new musical show on NDTV Imagine. Celebrating the shows' cultural and artistic diversity, Hrithik Roshan will lend his support to the participants of the Sufi, Folk and Filmy genres on the show. Junoon… Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka, begins on June 6th at 8:30 p.m. on NDTV Imagine.Announcing Hrithik's association with the show, Shailja Kejriwal, EVP Content, NDTV Imagine said, We are very excited as this is the first time that a channel has associated with a elebrity at this level. Hrithik's role is very unique – he is not a host, judge or erformer. He is here to lend his support to the participants. What makes this ssociation special is that we truly believe that he embodies the spirit of Junoon and epitomizes the passion which is present in all the talented artists that are part of the show! He symbolizes the personality of the show brilliantly!"

Extending his support to the participants, Hrithik Roshan said, "I am very pleased to be associated with NDTV Imagine and Junoon! I can identify with the participants and their desire to achieve success with their god-given talent. I relate to their positive and exuberant spirit because I believe that I have a similar Junoon - be it my work or my personal life."

Adds, Gajendrra Siingh, the producer of the show "It is very encouraging for us to get the support of such a big star at the very beginning of the show. Hrithik's passion, talent, spirit and commitment are great motivators and we are all delighted and honoured with his support for participants of the show".

Junoon… Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka is an exciting new musical show that will decide the country's most popular genre of music, namely Folk, Sufi and Filmy. Each team will have 6 contestants and will be mentored by an eminent personality from the music industry, namely, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for the Sufi Team, Ila Arun for the Folk Team and Anand Raj Anand for the Filmy Team.

Tune in to NDTV Imagine on June 6th and catch Hrithik Roshan, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ila Arun, Anand Raj Anand and the 18 talented contestants for the entertaining launch episode of Junoon…Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka. The show airs every Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. from June 6th.

Wedding bells ring on Comedy Circus 2

After imbibing music with comedy, this week has wedding bells ringing on Comedy Circus 2. Shruti is in her best element as she comes dancing on the stage with a band playing a baraati numbet and our very own Shana Shakeel comes all decked up as the dulha. However, the biggest question here is who is getting married?

Well, as we said, this week will see the participants trying to tickle the jury’s funny bone as they are dress up in wedding attire and create humorous situations on the theme of marriage. First up, we have Rajeev, a desperate husband who has had three failed marriages prior to the current one, with Kamya dressed up as his wife. It is a sight worth seeing, when ultra efficient professionals come out from the bride on their first night, making the wedding yet another nightmare for the husband. Following these two, is the pair of wonder girl Chitrashi , who runs a marriage bureau and is always worried about tying the knot herself, and Rehman, a politician with loads of money in search for a wife.

Shailesh and Apara come up next as a doting pair of Sas Damaad, where the totli saas takes the trip of her hakla damaad as he complains about being tied to a defective wife.This surely proves that a lot of people do have regrets post marriage too. Well, such is life!!! Many will agree one husband is too much to handle so imagine the next pair, Rajesh and Rajeev, Rajesh dressed as the bride and awaiting her five grooms. This is staged to depict the decreasing female ratio in society. Finally, we have Krishna dressed up as band member, who play for every wedding but don’t know when bells will ring in their own lives, while his partner Sudesh is the band master desperately hunting for a groom for his daughter. As all these participants get their act straight, the result is a riot of laughter on the sets.

So, watch out for this fun filled episode of laughter on Comedy Circus 2 only on Sony Entertainment Television on Saturday at 10.00 pm.

Maharashtra Vs Punjab in Waar Parriwar..

It is Mumbai Vs Punjab this week on Waar Parriwar!!The well-known singer Tyagraj Khadilkar, his sister Amruta and his little daughter Radny take on the might of the Punjab da putars -- maternal cousins Hanit and Arvind from Ludhiana along with cousin Amit from Gurdaspur family.

To judge the ongoing combat this week we have the ever-smiling Shaan and his rarely seen singer mom Sonali Mukherjee on the show. The two set the ball rolling by singing Na jiya laage na from Anand. The two rival captains Tyagraj Khadilkar and Hanit Taneja played the Captain's Knock with racy numbers Cheel cheel chila ke …and O jaane jaan respectively. For the next round Ek aur Ek Gyarah, Tyagraj chose sister Amruta as a partner and sang Jaane jaan dhoondta phir raha while Amit and Arvind belted out Roobaroo…In the final round Hum saath saath hain… little Radny joined her family for Tu ashiqui hai …with such gusto that she got a big hug from Urmila Matondkar. While the Punjabi brothers posted their reply with equal fervour with Dil da mamla …

At the end of the episode both teams were equally poised with almost equal points. The warmth and the rapport shared between the teams were worth watching. While the large-hearted Punjab da putars could be seen giving the thumbs up to little Radny as she performed, the Khadilkars too were supportive of the boisterous music of their rivals. "The show has given us a platform to bond with each other as a family," points out Tyagraj Khadilkar. "My sister (who has recently had a baby) and I hardly got the time to meet each other and now we are together rehearsing, discussing, sharing everything and I am having a great time bonding with my daughter."

Identifying with the brother-sister duo, Shaan offered some great advice. "My sister Sagarika and I had made a pact when she was in Mumbai (now she is in London), that once a week both families meet for dinner, you should do it too."

The Punjabi brothers too have come really close as a family. Children of three sisters, Hanit, Amit and Arvind are now a team off the sets too. Said Arvind, the youngest of them: "The three of us have never sung together. The rules of the show said that three members of the family should sing together we looked around in the family and discovered each other!"

If the contestants are savoring the family bondings then so are the judges on the show. The warmth and sweetness that binds Shaan and his mother is more than visible on the show. Said Shaan: "Had I told her earlier that she has to be with me on the show she would have backed out so I just sprang this on her at the last minute and asked her to accompany me!" smiles the proud son with a protective arm around his beautiful mother. Sweetness and talent runs in this family.

Catch all the family bonding over music, song and dance On Waar Parriwar on Monday May 26, 2008 At 8.00 pm Only on Sony Entertainment Television

Naye Parivaar Ki Nayi Leher - Nomination Special episode II

The excitement of the upcoming STAR PARIVAAR AWARDS 2008 unfolds with another nomination episode of the series on Sunday, May 25th, 10 pm only on STAR Plus.

In keeping with the upbeat mood, the second nomination episode is an exciting episode with members from the older family, Tanya (Rakshanda Khan) and Ganga (Shilpa Saklani) meeting the new families and breaking the ice between them. Rano (Aarti Singh) and Simar (Khushbu) are invited to the Virani household and are asked to please Ganga and Tanya so as to get an invite for the much awaited Reliance Mobile Star Parivaar Awards. Rano and Simar make a beautiful Rangoli to earn their invitation to the awards.

Meanwhile, Gattu (Deven Bhojani) is at his home, calculating the awards his family is expected to bag at the upcoming award ceremony. He is filled with excitement on hearing that Ragini (Parul Chauhan), Sadhna (Sara Khan) and Alekh (Angad Hasija) are going to visit him soon. Baa (Sarita Joshi) expresses her desire that the new parivaar should imbibe the family values and traditions from the older members of the family.

On the other hand, the Virani household is filled with noisy activity as Gudiya (Shweta Keswani) from Baa Bahoo Aur Baby strolls in and announces in her heavy Punjabi accent that she intends to wear a Bengali sari for the award function. Ganga offers to get her help from Gauri (Pallavi Subhash) of Karam Apna Apna in draping her Bengali saree. Gauri promptly agrees to help Gudia with her saree but only if Tanya agrees to help her with some garba steps.

Suhana (Daljeet Kaur), accompanied by her father Parikshit (Diwakar Pundhir) from Santaan, also visits Ganga and Tanya to grab their invite for the STAR Parivaar Awards. A game of dumb-charades follows where they imitate popular characters from STAR Plus’ shows.

Chotu (Bharat Chawda) of Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Madan (Shaleen Bhanot) of Sangam engage in an aggressive arm wrestling in order to grab the only invite left until Tanya separates them.

Yudishtir (Kapil Soni) of Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat is the next to face Tanya’s bullying. Relenting Tanya’s demands, he finally agrees to sing a song in order to bag the coveted invite!

To catch all the excitement, don’t miss the action packed Nomination Special II of Reliance Mobile STAR PARIVAAR AWARDS 2008, Sun, May 25th, 10 p.m. only on STAR PLUS!

Smitten by Shah Rukh Khan’s six packs!!

Add one large portion of simple Fifth Grader Questions, a handful of witty remarks and Professor Shahrukh's all famous wise cracks, an ounce of entertaining dialogue delivery lessons, and a dash of nail biting moments into a blender and tadaa!! Your recipe for all round entertainment and education is ready!! Help yourself to this exciting episode of Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass se Tez Hain? on Sunday, 25^th May, 2008, 8pm only
on Star Plus!!

Meet Bobby Joy, a software professional from Kerala and Sanjana Mandal a nineteen year old student from Mumbai. Bobby has been warned by his wife, that he will not be allowed to tutor his kids if he doesn't pass the Paanchvi Class test. He slowly but surely scales the money ladder while occasionally throwing a Drat!-how-did-you-answer-that-so-quickly glare at the Fifth Grader smiling cheekily at him. Completely smitten by Shahrukh's presence, Sanjana Mandal, a student from Mumbai, fumbled at each question put to her on the show. She embarrassed herself thoroughly by gaping at the simplest questions put to her, one even about her own city, inviting Professor Shahrukh's trademarked tongue-firmly-in-cheek comments for herself.

How much will they win on the show? Will they be able to match the wit of a Paanchvi Pass? Or will they like most other contestants walk away outwitted by a fifth grader?

Don't miss this fun n' filmi episode of Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass se Tez Hain? on Sunday, 25^th May, 2008, 8pm only on Star Plus!!

Richa Sharma in Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar!!

Today's episode of Clinic All Clear Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar is dedicated to Sufi music. Bringing the theme alive, Bollywood singer Richa Sharma opens the episode with an extraordinary rendition of the song 'Tere Bin Nahin Lagda Dil Mera'.

Toshi Sabri, Himani Kapoor and Amey Date are the top three contenders for the CHAMPION title after bagging top scores in the last episode. The jury cannot help but comment on the strategy employed by the CHAMPIONS every week in choosing the cross over contestant.

Abhijeet Sawant, Rahul Vaidya, Vineet Sigh and Harshit Saxena bagged perfect scores for their performance on the songs 'Khwaja Mere Khwaja', 'Baba Haji Ali', 'Teri Deewani' and 'Nainon Ne Teri Kaisa Jadoo Kiya Re' respectively. Their splendid performances and high scores raised the bar for the other contestants that followed.

Ishmeet Singh's performance on 'Bulla Ki Jana Main Kaun', Debojeet Saha's 'Saiyaan' and Himani Kapoor's 'Sanu Ek Pal Chain Na Awe' failed to impress the judges and they were at the receiving end of the judges ire for their average performances. Vishal-Shekhar and Richa Sharma break into an impromptu performance on 'Jag Suna Suna lage'Om Shanti Om where they all worked together as a team. bringing back the nostalgia of

To watch the CHAMPIONS captivate you with their Sufi music tune in to Clinic All Clear Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar, Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 10 pm only on STAR Plus.

It's tears & smiles with Rumana Saif on PAANCHVI PASS

The biggest television game show of the season based on the international Mark Burnett format 'Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?' Host of Star Plus’ Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? Shah Rukh Khan warms up to the rollover contestant from Kolkatta, 53 year-old housewife, Poonam Mahajan. He opens the show walking in with her and recites a lovely poem for her: This Saturday, the show will be a capsule of emotion & excitement as 'Bollywood Badshah' Shah Rukh starts off the episode with his mesmerizing dialogues:

“Log kahte hain, ki meri aunty ke hoth gulabi hain...Lekin main kahta hoon ki meri aunty ki aankhen sharabi hain...

Log kahte hain ki meri aunty ke gaal chamakdaar hain...Lekin main kahta hoon ki meri aunty ki muskaan mazedaar hai...

Log kahte hain, ki meri aunty badi cool hain.. Lekin main kahta hoon, ki meri aunty toh gulaab ka phool hain...

Inki baaten itni meethi jaisa sandesh hai...Yeh dil se hain bholi...lekin dimag se Paanchvi Paas se tez hain”

Amazed at Shah Rukh’s poetry, she begins the game of answering questions from the first to the fifth grade. How far does she go in winning the prize money of Rs 5 crores?

It’s time for another contestant and once again, it’s a lady from Kolkatta. Thirty-three-year-old Rumana Saif is an administrative executive. As she takes the challenge to face the simple yet tricky questions from first to fifth grade, Shah Rukh comments that the buzz around is 'Kareena Saif', but Rumana Saif is something which he had never heard before.

Shah Rukh is at his humorous best and makes Rumana feel really special and flirts with her. Rumana, an ardent fan of Shah Rukh, can't believe that she is standing so close to her dream man. She bends forward to touch him to believe if its indeed reality or a dream.

Rumana reveals her story of having been through an unsuccessful marriage and her hardships being a single parent. Rumana wishes to buy her son all the luxuries in life with the prize money she earns. The episode gets emotional as she completely breaks down as she narrates her life’s story in front of Shah Rukh. But its minutes before Shah Rukh entertains her and makes her forget her pain as she takes the test. He plays the chirpy track 'Pretty Woman' which lights up Rumana's face with joy!

So stay tuned to catch this emotional & exciting episode of -~ Airtel presents 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain?’ May 24th, Sat, 8 p.m. only on STAR Plus! ~

Salman Khan writes his blog...

Check out Salman Khan's blog http://duskadum.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-still-remember-day-when-my-brother.html as he writes, talk about his experience so far with the show and day to day happenings...

Here is an excerpt from his blog written on May 21st 2008...

I still remember the day when my brother Sohail Khan, who always dreams big, thinks different, brought the proposal to anchor a show for Sony Entertainment Television. I had my reservations. The idea sounded so impractical that I rejected it even without giving it much thought. All my decisions are based on my instinct and some people think that I am too moody and cynical. But believe me I have been guided by my instincts and my heart all my life! I do not depend too much on intelligence, analysis and calculations… I believe in poet Adam who has said: " Aakal har kaam ko zulum bana deti hai…". Some meaning is lost in the translation-- that intelligence begets torture and torment and man is lost in deep thought and often feels ashamed of things that have never happened!

However, Sohail, the eternal optimist, and family friend Ajay Chhabaria have tremendous patience and endless power of persuasion. They kept asking me to look into the format closely. Their patience and perseverance paid dividends…

My experience of playing guest contestant in a show had taught me that simple inability to answer questions may humiliate a person in presence of millions of viewers. All such shows have that inherent humiliation. As a matter of fact most students do not ask questions in classrooms is only because of the fear of being refuted by the teacher and the thought of being ridiculed & booed by fellow students.

Questioning has been a taboo and there's social stigma attached to it which is quite unnecessary. Ours is a very obedient society. We have created an atmosphere in which ignorance has become bliss. What attracted me to the format of 10 Ka Dum is that there is no false shame and sense of humiliation if your answer is wrong. Sample survey has determined the exact answers in form of percentage and nearest to the exact answer is the winner.

This game is simple. It is a game of guessing.

So here I am convinced & ready to go…The format attracted me…and how! Stay connected will be back tomorrow....




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Loria Doshi shares her experience on Jaipur serial bomb blast

While in Mumbai, Loria Doshi, participant of Gini& Jony Chak De Bachche on 9X still can't get over the fact that the temple she used to visit everyday since her childhood was one of the places targeted during the recent serial bomb blast in Jaipur. Though far away from home, Loria's eyes are filled with tears as she shares the fond memories she has of her daily routine visit to the temple along with her grandmother which was virtually her second home. Loria's grandmother continues to visit the temple everyday and the ill fated day was one such day. Loria Doshi is thankful, to God that
her grandmother is safe at the same time she also prays to give strength & courage to families who have lost their near and dear ones in the blast.

Deeply shaken about the entire incident, Loria and her fellow participants of Gini& Jony Chak De Bachche requested the producer of the show Gajendrra Siingh to let them use the platform as an opportunity to appeal to public to maintain peace and speak their heart out. Not only did Gajendrra Siingh & participants joined hands they also got full support from the hosts Manoj Tiwari & Roshni Chopra along with judges of the show Raveena Tandon, Ganesh Acharya & Salim-Sulaiman and the entire crew of the show Gini & Jony Chak De Bachche on 9X came forward to support the cause by spreading the message of love, harmony, & non-violence.

Join, Loria Doshi & the entire team of Gini & Jony Chak De Bachche to be a part of this cause this Friday, May 23^rd , 9pm on 9X

Engineer plays to buy SRK's house while Housewife wants to adopt him

STAR Plus' Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, the biggest television game show of the season, is based on the international Mark Burnett format 'Are you Smarter than a 5^th Grader' The interesting format of the show puts forward challenges for successful and confident adults from all spheres of life. The hurdle is that all contestants are stumped when asked primary school level questions. This builds up the pressure of remembering one's basics and
keeping their reputations intact! The charismatic host ShahRukh Khan opens the show this Friday with the chirpy five classmates as they groove to the title track of Om Shanti Om. The first contestan is a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan. 21-year-old student Sagar Vidula is currently pursuing a mechanical engineer course from Surat. Sagar dreams of buying SRK's house Mannat after winning the grand prize of Rs 5 crores. He has visited SRK's home, Mannat, four times but has never got the opportunity to meet his idol. Shah Rukh jokes with Sagar asking him how much he had bribed his guards on seeing a picture of Sagar's with a security guard outside Mannat! Sagar is completely bowled over by Shah Rukh's charm and gifts him a friendship band while SRK, in turn, autographs his shirt. Sagar, despite his nervousness of standing inches away from his hero, climbs up the money tree making his father proud. Sagar also dedicates a poem and recites it for SRK.

The second contestant of the evening who is all set to face the challenge is the 54-year-old homemaker from Kolkata, Poonam Mahajan.
She walks in with a box of sandesh (sweets) and presents it to Shah Rukh
along with a bouquet of beautiful flowers. This enthusiastic woman keeps
hugging SRK so often that he forgets his lines out of embarrassment. Poonam requested him to be her son and hugged SRK. SRK, surprised at the beginning, very warmly hugged Poonam back and ate sandesh out of her hands. He lovingly kept calling her 'Poonam aunty' during the show. It was apparent from his actions that he completely adored the elderly lady.

Shah Rukh says 'Kalvida' reciting a poem written by a fan of the show,

"Likhne padhane se mujhe na agar parhez hota –

Aaj main bhi
paanchvi pass se tez hota

Dikhta main TV pe, khabar sansanikhez hota –

Kash main paanchvi pass se tez hota

Chaaro taraf mera hi naam praise hota –

Shah Rukh se zyadaa mera craze hota

Apni duniya ka main Changez hota –

Agar main sirf paanchvi pass se tez hota!”

Will Sagar be able to win the grand amount to purchase Mannat and will Poonam overcome her zeal at hugging SRK and answer questions correctly to win big bucks? Watch the two participants trying hard to focus on the game despite being mesmerized by SRK's style &
charisma.

Catch all this excitement and a lot more only on Kya Aap
Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? this fri-sun at at 8 pm only on STAR Plus.

'KYA AAP PAANCHVI FAIL CHAMPU HAIN?'

The effervescent spoof master is back. And this time, expectedly so, he's in the lead role of FILMY's new hilarious show titled 'KYA AAP PAANCHVI FAIL CHAMPU HAIN?'. Ruk Ruk Khan a.k.a Sunil Grover, FILMY's spoof master, known for his funny and irreverent take on Bollywood, has delivered yet another master stroke with 'KYA AAP PAANCHVI FAIL CHAMPU HAIN?'.

Last year, Ruk Ruk Khan entertained audiences across the country, with his witty and innovative spoofing on the show Kaun Banega Champu. The show gained popularity and made Champu a household name. 'Kya Aap Paanchvi Fail Champu Hain?', marks his comeback this year.

The show boasts of a much more exciting format than the original – with grown up paanchvi fails as the 'kids' and Bollywood celebrity look-alikes as contestants, promising to keep audiences glued to their television sets. Adding to the humor will be Ruk Ruk Khan's questions, which will be completely lacking in intelligence and irrelevant to any school curriculum, leaning more towards fun, jokes, slap stick humor and entertainment. All in all it promises to be a complete entertainer with the characters, look, set and questions ruthlessly spoofed. The show will have NO prize money of course, because you cannot possibly buy dumbness – its God gifted after all!

Adds the spoof master, Sunil Grover, cheekily, "Ruk Ruk Khan is the better version of the original. He's funnier and more versatile. No wonder that FILMY audiences want him back! On a serious note, he also has a serious message for all, which is, that you don't need to be a topper in class to succeed in life. Behind all the fun and jokes, that's the underlying message in all its episodes. But in its entirety, the show is all set to give audiences a break from the ghisa-pita Bollywood television shows."

Suchita Shah, Senior Supervising producer, FILMY says, "We aim to provide unadulterated humor to our viewers and the entire concept of Kya Aap Paanchvi Fail Champu Hain?, has been weaved around it. Sunil's funny one liners, his charisma and the run-away success of Ruk Ruk Khan last year made him the obvious choice to hostthis show. We are sure that he will hypnotize audiences yet again."

Watch out for this quirky show with Ruk Ruk Khan, as he goes all out to make our contestants' lives just a little more miserable. Tune in to 'KYA AAP PAANCHVI FAIL CHAMPU HAIN?', from June 7, every Sat and Sun at 7:30 PM, only on FILMY!