There were reports that Shweta Tiwari, who is playing Prerna in Kasauti Zindagi Kay, may be replaced by the production house as she is not giving her 100% to the show. A source from the unit however has denied this.

“Shweta comes to the sets everyday and is giving more than 100% to the show. There is going to be no replacement for her as the production house cannot do without her. This show is successful because of her and it will be silly to replace her,” says the source.

“It is true that sometimes the production house uses a body double for her, but that is for master shots and every actor does it for their show. So there is no big deal about it,” the source adds.

Mahesh Pandey, scriptwriter of the show, also has something similar to say. “If we replace Shweta then we will have to end the show as well. There was no such discussion otherwise Ektaa would have informed me about it. It is true that Shweta is facing many personal problems but Balaji is absolutely ready to adjust with her dates and timings.”

Further, it was also being said that the show may be pushed to the noon slot from prime time due to low TRPs. But Mahesh terms it as baseless. “Kasauti is not getting low TRPs at all. In fact last week it was the number two show on Star. We do not want to shift it to the noon slot.”

Kasautii Zindagi Kay, after its leap, has been a shadow of its previous self. With a more mature Prerna (who’s been sleepwalking through her part these days), and the absence of the sparring between Bajaj and Anurag Basu, the show is beginning to lag. Now we are told the infamous Komolika is poised to return, complete with a new hairstyle. It might just do the trick. Urvashi Dholakia as Komolika did inject an amount of spice into the Kasautii proceedings, and if the plot supports her fresh entry, the show might just wrestle itself back into the reckoning again.

Ekta Kapoor may be hoping that Urvashi Dholakia’s Komolika character will help boost the TRPs of Kasautii Zindagii Kay . Komolika is back on the show after one year.
The issue is not the women but men. Audiences want the men – Ronit Roy and Cezanne Khan back on the show. Ronit, Ekta may still be able to bring back through some bizzare twist, but Cezanne won’t be back, considering he was the one to opt out of the show.

Click to enlarge

Syed Zarir Hussain, Namseling (Bhutan), June 17: The skyline was afire with tints of red and gold with the sun beginning to set over the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Middle-aged Lily Tashi and her two sisters-in-law were busy, their hands in full flow, sowing paddy in this village on the outskirts of capital Thimphu.

The clock was ticking and the three women were getting restless to get back home.

“What will happen to Ap Baja?” asked one. “Will Am Pena and Anura come together as a couple again?” wondered another before the three hurried back home with bamboo baskets slung over their backs.

Guess who Ap Baja, Am Pena and Anura are? Ap Baja (Ap means Mr in Bhutan) is none other than Mr Bajaj (Ronit Roy) of the popular Indian soap “Kasautii Zindagii Kay” telecast on Star TV, Am Pena (Am means Ms in Bhutan) is Prerna (Shweta Tiwari), and Anura is Anurag (Cezanne Khan).

Speaking just a smattering of Hindi, the three Bhutanese women – their national language is Dzongkha – pronounce Prerna as Pena and Bajaj as Baja – but that doesn’t deter them from following the serial.

“For us, ‘Kasautii…’ is almost a religion – we have been following the serial for years and have never missed it,” Tashi said.

“I have just about two hours to complete all my household chores – freshening up, cooking and other things – before I get to be in front of the TV.”

Such is the craze for Prerna and Bajaj that any Hollywood or Bollywood actor would be put to shame in this Land of the Thunder Dragon of 700,000 people.

“Demi Moore, Cameron Diaz, Priyanka Chopra, or even John Abraham would go unnoticed, but if Prerna or Bajaj or Anurag happen to come to Bhutan they would surely be mobbed!” said Pema Rinzin, a well-known Bhutanese filmmaker.

The popularity of the Hindi soaps has its flipside – the timings of the serials have led to several family discords, even triggering a divorce.

“I have two TV sets at home and by 9 p.m. (Bhutan time is half-an-hour ahead of the Indian Standard Time) both the sets are blocked – my wife watches ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’ and my teenaged daughter loves watching ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV,” Rinzin said.

“I catch up with world news on TV only in the mornings and often have to miss football matches at night.”

In 2002, a couple in Mongar village fought over a World Cup soccer match and a Hindi soap as there was only one TV set at home and different tastes to cater to.

“The fight reached such a stage that the husband in a rage pushed his wife, leading to a fractured arm. The two later got divorced,” Sherub Gyaltshen, general secretary of the Motion Picture Association of Bhutan, told IANS.

It’s not just the women who are crazy about Hindi TV soaps – a village council meeting that was to discuss urgent local issues was adjourned because many of the male members pleaded with the headman to stop the proceedings when it was time for “Kasautii Zindagii Kay”.

“If someone casts Prerna in one of the Bhutanese language movies it would surely be a hit because she is so popular in the towns and suburbs of Bhutan,” said Dorji Wangchuk, an award winning documentary filmmaker and vice president of the association.

(Syed Zarir Hussain can be contacted at zarirhussain@yahoo.com)

— IANS

In a candid conversation, Shweta Tiwari (Prerna of Kasautii Zindagii Kay) talks of her definition of love and playing grandmother to seven girls in the serial

By: Kshama Rao

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THE print and the electronic media descended at a suburban studio (at the back of beyond in Saki Naka Andheri) on a sweltering Wednesday afternoon on the sets of Ekta Kapoor’s Kasautii Zindagii Kay.
Prime time prima donna Prerna was expected to meet them. The protagonist of the six year old show has just won yet another long jump television race (the show has leaped by 20 years once again) and Prerna is now grandmom.

Alas, even as the journalists waited patiently munching cold samosas and cups of tea, Madame T (that’s Shweta Tiwari) showed no signs of coming. After over an hour, the channel PROs (now visibly embarrassed) informed that the star is incommunicado. But no sweat, the seven grand daughters of Prerna and old guard Hiten Tejwani who’s just walked in, in bleached hair and golden brown lens, were available for interviews.
Not wanting to give up, we messaged Tiwari later in the evening. We tell her about how everyone waited to meet her and could she at least do a telephonic interview? And surprise, surprise, five minutes later, she calls up and chats right away.

Tiwari’s character post the gen-leap will that be of a tough disciplinarian. Having gone through a lot of heartache and betrayal, Prerna will now be “anti love. She’s not against men. She only wants her girls to be cautious. She doesn’t want them to interact with boys at all. Because if they do, then they will fall in love and love will only get them pain.”

What does Shweta think of love? “Love is selfless. Love is not sex. When attraction comes into play between a man and a woman, then it becomes lust,” she simply says.

The actress, who is married to her childhood sweetheart Raja Chaudhary, says she is in a permanent “state of in love. I keep falling in love all the time.” Before you rub your hands in glee expecting some masala, she says, “I love my unit, I love my friends, my daughter, my dog.”

Er, how about falling in love with a co-actor? “You mean, getting attracted to them? Then that’s not love, that’s lust. I told you in my definition — love is selfless, it’s caring for, getting concerned about the person you care for. It’s much more than being attracted to someone. And for attraction, I am attracted enough to Raja at home,” she chuckles.

But what about childhood crushes? “Yes, I have had those.” Is she demonstrative in love? “You tell me, from the way I am talking to you, what do you think? Yes, I am the demonstrative kind, the huggy-kissy type. I can be very loud in showing my love for my people. But I don’t mwah mwah just anyone. I can’t fake my feelings.”

Serendipity, Notting Hill and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge are her all time favourite romantic/love films. In the new scheme of things, Anurag Basu (Cezanne Khan) and Mr Bajaj (Rohit Roy) will not figure in Prerna’s life. Won’t she miss them? One could sense her facial muscles tighten as she says, “The only thing I would miss in Prerna is the excitement in her role, in her character and Ekta has assured me of that so there is no question of missing anyone else.”

Playing mom to children of her age was alright but a grandmom to seven girls? “I know. I kept asking Ekta how will I pull it off… I didn’t want anyone to call me dadi or nani on screen so she said, ‘Don’t worry, they will simply call you P.’ That’s better, no?”

She signs off on that note. And by the way she neither told us why she didn’t show up at the press conference nor offered an apology. Is that what you call a star?

www.mid-day.com

On-Screen: Prerna Bajaj
Prerna Bajaj is the main protagonist of Kasautii Zindagi Kay. Earlier, she was married to her boyfriend Anurag Basu but thanks to the twist and turns, she becomes Mrs. Prerna Bajaj. The story revolves around Prerna and takes Kasauti of her every time. But she is like Tulsi and stands by the truth and fights for it. She has sent her own son-in-law-Sharad (Karan Singh) to jail because he raped her driver’s daughter Mukti (Tina Parekh). She is the ideal woman of Kasauti or as her son Prem calls her “Mother India.”

Off-Screen: Raja Chaudhary speaks on Shewta Tiwari
“She is altogether different. Prerna is more mature whereas Shewta is very childish. Earlier, I was amazed with the role of Prerna and I asked her whether she will be able to do this role properly or not. But I was wrong, she is a great actress. Her off-screen image of a mother is similar to that of Prerna as she is very close to our daughter– Palak. She can’t live without her. For her Palak is her life line.”

Does he watch Kasauti?
“Yes sometimes me and my daughter see the serial and in certain scenes, I even criticised her performance. But she convinced me that it was the requirement of the character and, in the end, she wont the argument.

What about your Bhojpuri film?
“Of course she is acting in it. The movie is called Hamar Saiyan Hindustani , which is ready for release next month. Her character name is Radha and it is completely different to Shewta. In real life, she is more practical and professional.