Latest Television news right here! @ 07.07.2009

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Cinevistaas' supernatural thriller on Sahara One, Shubh Kadam recently completed 175 episodes for which a party was organized yesterday night at the Gabbana, Bandra.


Talking about Shubh Kadam, Producer Siddharth Malhotra, looking neat in a white kurta says, "We had a contractual obligation to do 260 episodes and we have already reached 175 episodes. I hope to go beyond the contractual amount of episodes to deliver them more than they asked."

Recently, the story line of Shubh Kadam has shifted gear and is being focused on a new story line. The Producer has no qualms about the change in story line. He says, "I believe you should put in your best efforts in whatever work that you are given. We have given Shubh Kadam the best graphics, the best location the best artists without holding anything back. So it always good to give optimal performance within the given confines."

The lead actress Mahi Vij was looking stunning in a blue-grey off-shoulder dress but only till the neck because the beauty of her face was marred by an army of pimples. However that did not bog her excitement down as she chirpily says, "I can't believe I have completed 150 episodes. I'm very proud of myself. At first I thought I will get weak just by the 50th episode but here I am celebrating the 175th episode!".

Pratik Shukla, the male lead was looking quite smart in a body-hugging t-shirt which was also in blue grey color. He says, "I am glad that our team effort has been rewarded. This is my first show and I really feel good that my first show has achieved such a huge success."

The music at the event was done tastefully. With a short appreciation ceremony and dinner, the evening ended on a beautiful note..

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His many fans are going to be devastated when they read this one. Heartthrob Kunal Verma aka Yug suffered a gruelling ordeal just a day before his birthday (6 July). The actor was on the beach at Madh Island a day before his birthday when he nearly lost his life. Talking about the incident the actor said, “I hurt myself very badly just the day before my birthday so all my birthday plans that I was hatching for a while were all in vain. I was standing on the rocks with my friends when a huge wave knocked me down. As a result I bruised myself. I was planning to host a party for my friends but I couldn’t as I was reeling in pain. I could have actually died that day as it was such a bad fall. I think this has been the worst birthday ever.”


Incidentally, Kunal’s father too had a major accident in the month of April. Recalling the incident the actor says, “These three months have been really bad for me. My father who is a Western Railway officer fell off a train at Vapi station on 24 April while trying to help someone board it. The train started moving and he fell right between the train and the platform. My dad suffered fractures in his ribs and pelvic bone. He was advised complete bed-rest for two months. Now he has recuperated.”


The actor didn’t tell his mother fearing that it would trouble her. “I did not narrate the incident to my mother at all. She has gone through a lot and I can’t add up to her worries,” he adds.


Talking about the gift he received from his parents he says, “The best gift ever is their blessings which was showered upon me in abundance. I can’t expect and don’t desire to get any other gift from them. I can’t thank them enough for the beautiful life they have given me.”


Amidst all the mishaps the actor did manage to have a nice time with family. Kunal went out to dine with his sister and family.


We wish the actor the very best for the coming year and hope that he suffers no more mishaps.

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Of late Sahara One has not been experiencing a great climb on the GRP ladder. And if it has to beat competition the channel will have to go in for some innovative programming. Revival is the need of the hour and one of the ways is bringing in freshness. In the coming months, Sahara One will be launching two new shows.



We had reported that Creative Eye is producing a mytho titled Ganesh Leela. The other daily is being produced by director-producer Anubhav Sinha.


Confirming the news, Sahara One Creative Director Mushtaq Sheikh says, “We’ll be launching two dailies, one is Ganesh Leela and the other is Anubhav Sinha’s untitled show. Ganesh Leela will the first one to go on floors. It will take few months for the other show to go on air. I can’t disclose anything more to you now. I don’t whether you can call it revamp but we’re taking steps that are good for us.”


With new shows coming, some of the existing shows will feel the heat.
Says a source, “Among the existing shows only Woh rehne wali mehlon ki and Mata ki chowki are safe. The rest are on par with each other. So, it will be one of them who’ll face the axe. Ajai Sinha supposedly is in talks for a new show. If that happens that could perhaps bring the curtains down on their long running show Ghar ek sapnaa.”

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Last week Wiki reported that Sunrise Telefilms was all set to produce a show for NDTV Imagine titled Taqdeer. Now it is reported that the show’s title has been changed from Taqdeer to Palkon Ki Chaon Mein. The show is about two girls of which one is poor and the other is rich.


Informs our source, “The show is now titled as Palkon Ki Chaon Mein and is a story of two girls – one poor and the other rich. The show will have actors Rajendra Gupta, Madhuri Sanjiv Dixit and Adarsh Gautam playing prominent characters in the show. The protagonists will be fresh faces and it is going to be a prime-time daily.”


When contacted both Rajendra Gupta and Madhuri Dixit refused to comment.


Actress Madhuri Sanjiv Dixit was seen in Chacha Chaudhary as Chachi opposite veteran Raghunath Yadav.
We sent a text message to the producer Rashmi Sharma but she didn’t revert.

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Currently under the overhaul spell, Sony Entertainment Television (Set) is pumping in close to Rs 30 million to market and promote its soon-to-launch big ticket show Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao.

The one-hour show, based on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, will air on Sony from 13 July, replacing Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega.

While the marketing of the show will remain high across Sony's network channels, Iss Jungle… will also be promoted across other channels including Hindi news channels like Star News and Aaj Tak. Says Set marketing head Danish Khan, "We have booked 8000 TV spots across television channels from different genres. We have also booked spots across kids channels like Disney Channel, Hungama and Nick for maximum visibility." Khan, however, declined to comment on how much Sony would be spending towards marketing the show.

While television remains the preferred medium to build the show's brand and awareness proposition, Set will also exploit other media platforms like radio, digital and outdoor to support the brand-building process. As part of its radio promotion activity, the channel has tied up with stations such as Radio Mirchi, Radio City, Big FM and Red FM. "Radio will drive recency from 9 July onwards," avers Khan. Outdoor media, meanwhile, will be utilised to promote the channel's new property in Delhi and Mumbai. "The show will be branded across 200 Best buses in Mumbai. We are still negotiating for branding on local trains in Mumbai," adds Khan.

As part of its digital initiative, Sony is using the social media networks in a big way. "We had tried exploiting the medium for Bhaskar Bharti and it was successful. This time we are leveraging the web in a bigger way. We will have the show hosts Yudi and Mini Mathur blogging each day. Also, Iss Jungle… will be present on Facebook and on YouTube," avers Khan. Targeted at male and female audiences in the 15-34-age-group, Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao will be telecast from Monday-Thursday at 10 pm and on Fridays at 9 pm.

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Jay Kumar Nair, who was among the top four contestants on Dance India Dance, has finished shooting for his film Fast Forward. The movie will release next month.


Jay says, “I was offered the role before I took part in DID. I was a winner on Boogie Woogie and the film’s producer, Anjum Rizvi, noticed me on the show. When he called me for the role I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke and, as I have been fooled before, I just hung up. Then, he called someone who knows me very well and told him about the offer. It was then that I realised it was not a lie.”

Fast Forward has been delayed by two years. The cast started shooting for the film in 2007 and the movie will release in August this year. But this hasn’t dampened the actor’s spirits. He says, “I am happy and excited. I have a done few small roles here and there but this is going to be my first important project after I became famous via DID. I have choreographed three songs but was not given credit in the titles. Now, the producers have promised that my name will be mentioned.”

Talking about his lifelong dreams of being an actor, he says, “It was my dream to be an actor. Choreography is also a top choice for me but I will never do a TV show, not even dance realities. After gaining so much popularity, it’s up to me to manage it and further my career.”

Jay is also working with his friends on a script but says that it is a work in progress so he will not be able to reveal much. As for his other projects, he says, “I am looking forward to Zee TV’s world tour, which they are supposed to arrange soon. I have also been offered to judge competitions and performances and I am planning to start my own class in October. I have been getting offers for music videos too and have worked on a few movies, but I will not be able to reveal their names until a release date is announced.” Jay’s academy is in Andheri, Mumbai, and he will conduct auditions to choose his assistants after which he will train them.

Fast Forward also stars Akshay Kapoor and Rehan Khan. The film releases on August 7

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Shweta Gulati will be hosting the new reality show Dekh India Dekh, the sixth season of the stand-up comedy series Comedy Circus. The actress, who is presently working on two other shows as well, gave us the details.




“So far, I have shot for only two episodes and I am managing it well. I will take some time to get used to all this,” she says of her busy schedule. Talking about her experience on the sets, she says, “We would often end up just laughing at all the acts. I once performed a gag in the series Chinchpokli to China with VIP, who made the act outstanding. I enjoyed it a lot but I feel more comfortable as a host than as a contestant.”

The actress talks about the importance of comic timing on a show like Dekh India Dekh, saying, “You have to be chirpy and on the louder side when you are hosting. I mostly have a script so spontaneity is not really required.”

Shweta refused to admit that she is replacing Shekhar Suman on the show. She says, “It is not like I am stepping into his shoes. The concept was completely different when he was hosting. It was just gags that the contestants would perform. Now, the actual competition starts. I’m taking the opportunity as an entirely new show.”

As for the rumours that her daily soap Dil Mill Gayye is going off air, she says, “It is doing well. It’s still the number two show on the channel and it has been getting good responses. As far as I know, it is not going off air. However, it is ultimately the channel’s call.”

Shweta was recently seen in the film Detective Nani, however, she says that she has no plans to swap her TV career for films yet.

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He looks very firm and surely carries a stiff air about himself. But all this changes when he starts talking. Well, we are talking about the very confident character of Karan Oberoi, played by Hasan Zaidi in Star Plus' Sabki Laadli Bebo.



His answer begins with a question as he says, "Why is everyone telling me that Karan is a negative character? He is simply straightforward. He has a no non-sense attitude which may not be the ideal one to carry, but that certainly does not make him negative."

Ok so we get it. Karan is a guy who does not know to spell soft. So will he ever get the fact that being ruled by your emotions is not all that bad? "All that Karan is doing right now is purely a decision of his heart. Only the guy does not recognize it. And talking of emotions, yes Karan will soften if Bebo starts loving him truly. The true love of Bebo has the power to transform Karan completely."

Isn't the relationship between Karan and his sister Simran a bit odd? "You're right ,they may not portray the typical brother–sister duo. But when both the siblings are highly ambitious and they grow up in such an aristocratic society, then I guess for their relationship to turn out this way, is natural," justifies Hasan.

The entry of Karan Oberoi has made situations between Amrit and Bebo all the more vulnerable. A decision now looms over Bebo which will force her to choose between her family and her love.

If our sources are to be believed, for the first time in her life, Bebo aka Shivshakti Sachdev will go against her family and decide to marry Karan. There will be an interesting twist wherein just before the marriage, reality dawns on her, which will ultimately result in the family calling off the marriage. This will kick-off a very interesting phase in the life of Amrit and Bebo which will be gripping to watch.

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Kamya Punjabi of Sindoora fame recently gave the news of her pregnancy to all of us and here she talks to us about her five-month pregnancy. The expecting mother is having a great time as she is chilling at home.




“I am having a real great time at home. After Dulhan got over, I kept on rejecting all types of work as I was pregnant. Although I didn’t want to reveal about it but people started guessing and then at a point of time, I realised that one can no longer hide such things and its high time I should even tell people about it.”

Kamya says apart from just chilling at home, she is enjoying each and every bit of her motherhood. She tells us, “I am spending time with my family and enjoying the rains. I go out and eat ice creams when it’s raining. Listening to music is yet another hobby of mine. In fact presently I am collecting songs of various kinds; I am basically very fond of old classics of Lataji, Kishore Kumar, Jagjit Singh and Mukesh Kumar. There are many songs which I love but roz roz aankhon tale is my all time favourite.”

Kamya’s gynaecologist has advised her for many things. She tells us, “I am advised to completely abstain myself from non-veg food, not to drive and take medicines except for my calcium and iron tablets. He has also restricted me strictly to do any exercises and also I am told to drink lots of water.”

Punjabi says she is doing all that a lady should do when she is pregnant as she says, “My mother stays very near to my place and hence she comes over quite often, she keeps on telling me good stories and my hubby Bunty keeps on making me laugh. Every morning I do my puja and then I listen to all the religious songs. In fact I recently visited the Golden Temple of Amritsar with my family and I am even spending good time with all my friends.”

Although the actress says she hasn’t decided on the name till now, there are many other things which she is doing as she tells us, “We haven’t thought about the name as of now but whenever Bunty gets time, he starts hunting for a good name. I am pampering myself to the fullest. I’ve cut and coloured my hair, then I love wearing baby clips and short and loose clothes. I am just loving all this time.”

Kamya’s expected to deliver her child by the first week of November. Indya wishes her well.

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Dashing TV actor Gaurav Chopra shares his personal preferences with Indya in this one-on-one interview. Find out his favourite things, what he’s done in the movie theatre with his girlfriend and how he was felt up by his female fans while clubbing!



Favourite perfume: It has to be Issey Miyake, the Japanese brand, and Mont Blanc.
Favourite brand: I’m not a brand freak. I believe that when you wear something, people should say it looks nice. If they do then it’s a good brand.

Favourite shop: I love shopping randomly at malls and on the streets while abroad. I also like United Colors of Benetton.

Favourite innerwear brand: It has to be CK.

Favourite holiday destination: Without a doubt, it’s Europe. It’s my ultimate, all-time favourite holiday destination.

Favourite hangout: Most of the time it’s on the sets and, sometimes, I just chill out anywhere. I don’t have a particular place.

Clubbing experience: I once went to Aurus and there were these pretty girls starring at me. Soon one of them came and asked if she could take a picture with me. I said okay and then, one by one, all of them started approaching for snaps! After that, they started holding and kissing me. In short, they were all over me! That was craziest incident I’ve ever experienced.

How often do you surf the net? Almost everyday.

Ever visited a **** site? Yes, and those who say they have not are lying.

Favourite TV shows: Dance India Dance. I used to watch it often but now I don’t.

How many girls have you dated? I have no count of how many girls I have dated but it’s quite a good list!

Have you ever got naughty with your girlfriend in a theater? Yes, but let’s not get into details!

Hottest TV actress: I don’t see any hot actress on TV today…maybe Mouni Roy.

What do you think about the show Rakhi Ka Swayamvar? I have not seen the show yet so I can’t really say much about it.

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Kamla Tripathi of Maat Pita Ke Charono Main Swarg is dead, which means that Pooja Madaan, who played the role, has finished shooting for her cameo.




The actress, who made a comeback through Swarg, says, “Everyone there is very talented. It was a great experience shooting with Rajan and I would love to work with them again. I was offered the show and took it up because my character was strong, the serial airs on a good channel and most of all, because it was a cameo. Doing a daily is not my cup of tea but I am ready to do shorter roles. I have a 3-year-old daughter, Samika, who has just started going to nursery so I wanted to make sure I’d still be able to spend time with her.”

And in order to minimize their time apart, the toddler was also brought to the sets by Pooja when possible. She explains, “During the one month duration of my role, my mother would take care of her while I was shooting. But I took Samika to Vrindavan when we shot there for two days and she enjoyed herself. Everyone pampered her on the sets.”

Pooja has found a loyal fan in her daughter, who watched all of Swarg’s episodes starring her mom. She says, “She likes to see me onscreen in sarees. She has watched all the episodes except the death sequence. I didn’t allow her to see it because I didn’t want to upset her. She used to imitate me and, one day, when she was imitating my character to my mother, my mother asked her to name Kamla’s husband. Samika told my mom her father’s name, Deepak. She was confused!”

The youngster also seems to be following in her glamourous mother’s footsteps. She modeled for a Reliance print ad when she was just one-year-old. Her proud mom adds, “She has a good face and I don’t mind her doing ad assignments but serials are a strict no. It is too hectic a job for kids. They often get irritated.”

Right now, Pooja is enjoying time with her daughter and catching up with friends. She plans to soon shoot Samika’s portfolio and is also looking forward to more acting assignments. “I am open to film offers as the schedules are less hectic,” she signs off.

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Hussain Kuwajerwala is back from a jolly good vacation in Rome, and has gotten back to working on television!!

The popular actor cum host will now be seen in a new avtar as judge on the longest running show on television, Sony's Boogie Woogie.

Confirming this, Hussain says, "For the first time, I am coming as a celebrity guest in a show. The amazing part is that I will be judging contestants for the first time. It was a great experience being part of the Mummy's Special of Boogie Woogie. When I heard that mummies were dancing, I wondered how they will manage to perform, but I was truly amazed to see them perform so remarkably".

Hussain shares with us a a secret, "Ten years back, I came to Boogie Woogie with my college team to perform, and now I got back to the same stage as judge, and it was a memorable moment for me".

The actor will also be seen shaking his leg. The episode will be aired this week.

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Madonna to perform on X-Factor?

Lady Ga-Ga and Rihanna may also be a part of it



Pop diva Madonna may perform on this year's popular music talent show X Factor.

"This year is going to be bigger than ever - we are planning to get the best names in music," a website quoted a source as saying.Simon Cowell, the producer of the show, wants to get singer Robbie Williams. The star has spent years in the wilderness and Cowell wants the singer to make a comeback by performing on his show.


Others being lined up to perform on the talent show include Outrageous chart sensation Lady Ga Ga and Umbrella singer Rihanna.
The new season of the show returns August 22.

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Zaina Vastani is the new small wonder who has got popular on television. The little girl who plays Antara, in the Zee show Aap Ki Antara portrays the role of an autistic child so beautifully that she has become an instant hit with viewers.

Here is the five year old in an innocence-filled, sweet conversation with ..

Are you enjoying working in the serial- Aap Ki Antara?
Yes. I enjoy a lot.

Tell us about Prabhleen didi?
Prabhleen aunty is very beautiful. She loves ice creams.

Prabhleen Aunty or Didi?
I call her didi.

Didi in front and aunty at the back?
Yes.

Why? She asked you not to call her aunty?
Yes.

Who is your favorite among the co-stars?
Abhishek Bhaiya and Prabhleen Aunty.

Do you do masti on the sets?
Yes. Lots. And then mummy shouts at me. But I don't lessen up.

How did you prepare yourself to play Antara? What instructions were you given?
I did not prepare anything. Whatever director uncle tells me I do that.

Does Director Uncle(Sanjay Surtar) pamper you?
Yes. He lets me sit on his lap. He gets me loads of chocolates!

Which is you favorite chocolate?
Perk. Because it's very crunchy.

How do you manage your studies?
In the morning I go to school and in the evening I shoot.

When do you do your homework?
I do my homework on the sets. In fact I'm doing homework right now. I'm doing my spellings. (At this point Zaina goes on to read all the words from her homework book…)

Are you a teacher's pet?
Yes. She sometimes calls me Zaina and sometimes Antara. But I don't like her when she calls me Antara.

You don't have too many lines to say? Are you okay with it or do you feel you should have more?
I have dialogues no? I say…Antara icecream…Antara icecream…

Do your friends treat you in a special way, now that they see you on TV?
Yes. They all love me now.

How do you feel when you see yourself on TV?
I feel nice.

Who are your favorite actor and actress?
Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. I met them on L'il Champs. They kept calling me Antara.

Do you like applying make-up?
I don't do make-up.

Tell us about your twin sister Ziah and elder sister Simin?
My sister Ziah is working with Darsheel Safary in a Bollywood film and its name is Bum Bum Bole. My elder sister is not doing anything.

Do you guys have fun together?
Yes we do.

What do you do in your free time?
I read magic books. You know the one where you can make a bird come out of your sleeve? Like those.

Have you learnt any magic tricks yet?
No not yet.

Well, wish you all the best for your magic tricks Zaina…and for the magic that you perform in front of the camera too!

[welcomewiki]

Anand Suryavanshi who played the character of Rishi in Star Plus afternoon show Grihasthi is down with severe back pain. "I had a re-occurring slip disc problem which has got worse. I am on bed rest for the past 10/15 days. There is an inflammation and the doctors say it is prolapsed disc problem. I am feeling better now, and am more mobile now".



Once he recovers, Andy as he is popularly called would try his hand in Bollywood. "I am looking at interesting roles". Although he agrees that only few telly stars have succeeded in making the transition to big screen, he states, "It does not mean that I should be scared. I clearly know what kind of stuff I am looking at. I would not be content in just filling up the canvas".

Anand who has also done Mamta and Sindoor among other shows, gets defensive when questioned on the fate of Grihasti. "I will not say it was a major hit, but we did decently well!. And plus tell me one afternoon daily which has really rocked the TRP charts?"

He further added that for the moment he is on break when it comes to television. "I might return if something interesting turns up!". Personally he likes hit international formats, but is realistic enough to know that they will not happen in India any soon. "For the moment, shows with rustic back ground( Ballika Badhu and Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya) are ruling the roost. TV industry always follows the clone trend, but sadly at the end of day, only the leader is remembered. We all talk about KBC, does anybody ever mention Sawaal Dus Crore Ka?", he states.

Andy also admits that he has not got any reality shows till now. "But may be that's a plus for I am not over exposed".

I have done good amount of work but may be not on well known channels, e.g. Zameen Se Aasman Tak, Kya Dill Mein Hai (9X). He had also done a small cameo in Sony's failed show Viruddh. "I had fun for it was a treat working with a senior actor like Vikram Gokhale", he ends.