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It's
happening all the time. Faces on the tube change faster than the
London weather. Here are a few of the victims who have been targets
of the inclement weather.
Victim
No.1:
VARUN BADOLA
 Mihir
Virani, sorry, Amarr Upadhyay (some tags stick, come what may) came
back to television in the avatar of Dev, courtesy the woman who
is giving Ekta Kapoor sleepless nights, Aroona Irani. Our sixth
sense tells us that they've struck a deal- Aroona's next film will
have Amarr donning the hero's hat. The media pens had spilt their
ink thick and fast, blaming Varun that he had been unprofessional
as he had favoured a film producer (Tigmanshu Dhulia) with respect
to the allotment of dates. But like a nice boy, Varun let the storm
subside. If you want to remain in the river, you don't make enemies
with the crocodile! Now he is going around saying in hushed tones
to his kith and kin, "Tigmanshu is close to me. I could have easily
adjusted the dates with him." Get it?
Victim
No.2:
KARAN OBEROI
 Star
Plus rang in the new year with Hai Na Bolo Bolo. Raw anchors
Karan Oberoi (who?) and Nausheen Ali Sardar (Kkusum) took
the dias. The TRP ratings of the show were 1.78. Star Plus and Rajesh
Chaddha, Head of BAG Films in Mumbai, jointly felt that Ravi Behl's
introduction would boost the TRPs. Apparently, Nausheen was asked
to lose the excessive weight she had put on - at the wrong places.
Nausheen obliged, Behl trampled on Oberoi's toes. Behl buzzed, "I
was told that Karan had date problems. I am a music freak and I
am going to dance till the cows come home." Did it help? The present
TRPs are no better!
Victim
No.3: SUHASINI
MULAY
 Will
UTV explain where Suhasini Mulay disappeared from Shagun?
Pretty voluble at the treatment meted out to her, Mulay had said,
"I had been away to Japan representing Lagaan at the Japanese
Foundation that promotes cross culture. Since neither Aamir nor
Ashutosh could make it, they asked me to grace the occasion as they
required a film personality who had acted in Lagaan and was
well-versed with Indian and Japanese films. I had informed the people
concerned before I embarked. Yet when I came back, I found myself
out of Shagun. UTV did not tell me I was being replaced."
Mulay's loss was Rupa Divetia's gain. But did the viewers take it
lightly? One of them told us, "I have stopped seeing Shagun
after Mulay went."
Victim No.4:
VANDITA VASA
 Yet
another question for UTV. How did Pooja Ghai Rawal become the apple
of their eye to upstage Vandita Vasa (in Shagun) who had
played the role of Arti with aplomb since the inception of the serial
for over 100 episodes? From the darling daughter to the vicious
siren to the mended woman, Vandita drew men to switch on their TV
sets. Pooja may be pretty, but Vandita is pretty and talented to
boot. Since when did looks start getting brownie points over performance?
Have television serials become beauty pageants?
Victim No.5: VIKAS
BHALLA
 The
dud series Miit directed by Anurag Basu fumbled and stumbled
but did not fall on its face. Who was the saviour? Ex-film actor
Vikas Bhalla. But who cared? One fine morning, the saviour got up
from his bed and somebody punched him in the face. Poor guy went
sprawling back and asked 'What have I done?', only to be told 'We
are not answerable to you'. Guess what happened thereafter. Bhalla
started getting 60-70 emails a day from his fans asking him why
he had 'left' (read 'left' again) the serial. And guess why Bhalla
had signed on Miit in the first place? Anurag Basu who directed
him in Karishma- Miracles Of Destiny pleaded with him to.
Did Basu give an explanation to Bhalla? No.
Does one good turn deserve another? No! The fact that Bhalla ran
out of luck on Karishma... too because what promised to be
a bang has turned out to be a whimper, is a different story. Hiten
Tejwani aka Karan of Kyunki... went laughing all the way
to the bank.
Victim No. 6: RAJESHWARI
 Ananya
Khare made her pillow wet with tears when she was replaced by Rajeshwari
in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. Nobody had a kerchief for her.
And before we identified with Rajeshwari, another pillow had been
soaked in tears. Do you know why? Sakshi Tanwar, yes the 'sabhi
ko pyaari' Parvati, could not stand Rajeshwari. Their growing animosity
had created tremendous, sorry, unbearable tension between the two.
One of them had to go. How could the protagonist be put on the altar
of sacrifice? Not a single rupee for guessing who became the sacrificial
lamb.
The inside information is that Ekta Kapoor had brought in Shweta
Kawaatra just to dilute her strong character by keeping another
strong character who could match her shoulder to shoulder. If you
don't know that Ekta and Shweta had a major showdown sometime back,
we wonder what you know! Else why on earth did the voluptuous Shweta
find herself out of Kkusum? Shweta had told us, "Actually,
I was having lots of problems in Kkusum from the very beginning.
There is a lot of politics going on in the serial."
"There
are some middle-men who sit with the decision makers and then convey
to the artistes what exactly needs to be done. These guys sing altogether
a different tune to us than what they have been told. They needlessly
and deliberately create these problems, which in turn lead to misunderstandings
between the higher-ups and the artistes. Actually, my grandfather
had expired and I needed leave. Despite all the problems I would
have continued if I had been let off for those six days without
a hitch. I told Ekta about it, but she did not allow me to go. It
was like walking over my self-respect. I could not take it. We had
a very heated argument over the phone."
Now this seems to be one stray case where matters seem to have been
mended, because last heard, Shweta was back on air on Kkusum!
Victim
No. 7:
SHILPA KADAM
 Dr
Simran played by model Shilpa Kadam was discreetly replaced by Rupali
Ganguly (daughter of veteran director Anil Ganguly) in Sanjivani.
It was said that Shilpa was unhappy with her role acquiring vampish
overtones. But I doubt whether there are many who know what was
happening behind the scenes. It's nothing short of sensational,
actually. Both, Shilpa (Simran) and Gurdeep Kohli (Juhi) were madly
in love with Mihir Mishra (Rahul). There was raging jealousy and
a tug-of-war between the two females, over this one man. It was
a clear-cut case of possessiveness and thwarted passion. When asked
to explain her abrupt termination in the serial, Shilpa had said,
"It was a mutual decision taken by the channel and Cinevistaas."
For what? To stop the tale of possessiveness and thwarted passion?
Then why the discrimination between Shilpa and Juhi? Even Juhi could
have been told to leave. By any chance, did the channel and Cinevistaas
consult Rahul on whom to discard?
Victim
No. 8: GAURAV CHANANA
 Viewers
who have been wondering what happened to the young and handsome
Dr Rahul Mehra from episode 17 onwards on Star Plus' Saniivani,
this one is for you! All seemed hunky dory for Cinevistaas' ambitious
project which deals, sorry, dealt (read last week's 'Perspectives'
for more on this) with the medical field seen through the eyes of
four young doctors with a dash of romance, till the lead actor Gaurav
Chanana (Dr Rahul Mehra) got a film offer from Tips for a lead role
in one of their forthcoming projects slated to roll from mid-July.
Gaurav grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He pleaded with
Sanjivani producer Uday Singh Phoolka to relieve him, who,
according to reports, had wanted to actually sign on Vishal Singh
right from the beginning but had relented at the insistence of the
channel, to relieve him. When contacted, Phoolka said "You are right.
Gaurav did give me a problem. He wasn't giving me the required dates.
So I didn't know when I'd be shooting with him. How could I go on
with him? So I replaced him."
However,
here's the scoop. Gaurav was dejected with Cinevistaas for not having
offered him a film as per a promise made earlier. why should such
a big production house make a promise meant to be broken? Can you
blame the actor for losing interest if he has been cheated? Anyway,
mid-July has come and gone. Where is the Tips Film?
Victim No. 9:
INDER KUMAR
 'Bechara'
Inder had no work. The situation is no different even today. He
had suffered a major accident- a helicopter crash! During his post-operative
care, Ekta promised to bring him into Kyunki....as a replacement
for Amarr Upadhyay. Inder shot for a few episodes, the press cornered
him for interviews. He thought 'he was happening'. There was a big
smile on his face wherever he went. His body language changed. He
thought he had a new lease of life. But just a few days later, he
was out of the reckoning, having lost the 'Mihir' crown to Ronit
Roy....
Victim No. 10:
KAVITA KAPOOR
 The
serial was titled Just Mohabbat, but it was not love by any
standards for Kavita Kapoor. A lesser endowed Lilette Dubey was
fitted in her place. Post replacements, explanation from the loser
and the gainer were extremely diplomatic. The two girls are real
actors. They can pretend. Happiness and sorrow are a part of everyday
life and an issue should not be made about them, they preached.
If wishes were horses….
Victim
No. 11: EVA
GROVER
 Remember
Eva Grover's vampish attitude towards the Virani Parivar? Surely,
that didn't deserve her to be kicked in the rear? She was simply
doing her role! A non-entity to television who can't act for nuts,
she is now better known as Jatin Lalwani's estranged wife.
Victim No. 12: DINESH
THAKUR
 Even
the grandparent has not been spared. In Kyunki..., Dinesh
Thakur was playing the role of the grandpa, he and Sudha Shivpuri
looked good together, 'a made for each other' couple. But Ekta perhaps
thought 'the couple lacked chemistry'. Yes, you need to have a good
chemistry with your life-partner even if you are old, tired and
bent! Sudhir Dalvi aka Saibaba of Shirdi Ke Saibaba was roped
in and Thakur asked to bow out!
Victim No. 13: ROHIT
ROY
 When
Anuj Saxena went out of Kkusum, I guess Balaji Telefilms
had announced: 'Wanted replacement on temporary basis. Will be relieved
as soon as the original comes back. Talent- no criterion, looks-
quite important'. Rohit Roy made hay until the sun shone. Ekta explained,
"Anuj had gone abroad. Now Rohit wants to go. Meanwhile, Anuj has
returned. So."I don't know how his elder bro Ronit Roy (who had
gone quite high during Ekta's birthday bash and gone a bit off the
hook) who has quite a temper took it as, but to the extent I know
him, he must have clenched his fist in exasperation once at least.
Wanna bet?
Victim No.15: JOY
SENGUPTA
 Joy,
who was playing the protagonist in UTV's Bhabhi was shown
the door after 70 episodes, courtesy producer Ashok Shekhar and
UTV roped in Manish Goyal. The UTV line: Joy got involved in some
theatre work, so we decided to part ways. And guess what Manish
had to say! "Today, the channel is the King. Joy is a damn good
actor, but the channel perhaps wanted to give a new look to the
serial."
Victim No.16: NEHA
MEHTA
 A
case of 'sati'? If hubby Joy Sengupta in Bhabhi has to go,
you too have to! Tsk! Tsk!
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