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Apara Mehta has her hands full! After Kyunki.. she signed on Saat Phere on Zee TV (though she's out of it now) and later went on to do Resham Dankh on Star One. But since Apara was keen on getting back into the Balaji fold she took on Karam Apna Apna; afterall it was Balaji which gave her all the name and fame.

But now a little birdie told us Apara's dates have gone for a toss, as she has to give more time for Karam Apna Apna. And couple this with her theater commitments, Apara also often travels abroad for her plays.

Now, we really wonder how she's going to manage so much work, as she's already been accused of giving more time to Balaji for obvious reasons. But knowingly fully well what a hard taskmaster Ekta is, lets hope Apara finds her balance.

Afterall, there is life beyond the K factory Balaji.

Kiran Karmarkar who was to play a major character on Star One's upcoming show Resham Dankh has now been replaced by Sumeet Raghavan, who was earlier slated to play another character on the same show. Subsequent to this major change in the casting, the family drama has now undergone quite a few changes in terms of characters and script.

Producer JD Majethia says, "We have re-started on a fresh note. Honestly, when we started off we took a lot of time. So, after shooting four episodes, we made certain changes and started re-shooting."

So, were these change the reason for Kiran to leave the show? "When we made the changes we needed more dates from him, but that was not possible for him as he had other commitments. So, we had to move on without him being a part of the show," says the producer.

A source close to the production house reveals that they started re-shooting 15 days ago because of technical problems. He says "The lights were not up to the mark, so they had to shoot all over again."

Sumeet Raghavan will now be playing Shantanu Balraj, Rahil Azam's elder brother on the show. Rahil essays the lead role of Aditya Balraj.

"When they approached me for Shantanu's character, I did take some time to think about the same, as the dates were clashing with Akela. But, as it was Hats Off production I was very confident, so agreed upon the same. Also, this role is much more challenging than the role I was offered before. My character is that of a drunkard, and has sarcastic undertones to it."

Sumeet Ragahvan's earlier character will now be played by Jiten Lalwani who is currently been seen in Sony's Rishton Ki Dorr and was a part of Kyunki…before the leap. "Yes, I am doing Resham Dankh. My role is that of Aditya's (played by Rahil Azam) best friend, and later on the show we turn out to be business rivals," says the actor.

Apart from these changes, Rajiv Mehta aka Praful of Instant Khichadi and Dimple Shah, a famous Gujarati actor who was last seen in Kudkudiya House No 42 on Sony will also be seen on the show.

"They have always been a part of the show, but were to enter the track after the ninth episode. But since it's a family drama, we thought that a house with only six people won't look good enough. In fact, it would look very empty, so now the audience will get to see everyone from the very beginning itself," affirms JD.

We hope after a clump of changes the show lives upto everyone's expectations!

This Monday, from the makers of hit television comedies like Instant Khichdi, Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and Baa, Bahoo Aur Baby, comes Resham Dankh, Hats Off Productions' first major foray into daily dramas.

Starring big names from the world of telly like Mouli Ganguly, Raahil Azim, Apara Mehta, Sumit Raghavan and Rajeev Mehta, Resham Dankh is based on a weekly story by Aatish Kapadia and Mahesh Yagnik that used to come out in the Gujarati magazine Chitralekha and was later converted into a novel.

"The serial has navarasa... all the ingredients for a successful soap," producer J.D. Majethia tells Metro. "Where it differs from other soaps on TV is that Resham Dankh is a finite daily. We have a beginning, middle and end and we know exactly where we wrap up."

That was very crucial for Mouli who has been selective about her small-screen assignments. "As an actress I am very happy because I know at the very outset where my character is headed," she says. "Initially when I got a call from Aatish and JD, I thought it must be a comedy and was disappointed to find Resham Dankh a drama. But when I heard the script, I was excited with the detailing of the various characters in the soap."

To be beamed on STAR One, the new serial will air from Monday to Thursday, every night at 9.30 pm. "Family-oriented dramas are very much an intrinsic part of TV-viewing in India," says Shailja Kejriwal, senior creative director, STAR India. "Resham Dankh targets the audiences who are looking at a contemporary story that retains the traditional ethos of our country."

Resham Dankh revolves around young parents and how their life changes when the first son in the family is born. "It is a super-rich multi-millionaire family that hasn't had a son in years," explains Majethia. "The elder brother is not married and the younger one has two daughters. What happens when the middle brother finally has a son, the heir to the empire, is the crux of the story."

To play out in a period of 12 to 15 months, Resham Dankh will replace the Siddharth Basu celebrity quiz show Heart Beat — Dil Thham Ke Khelo in the prime-time slot.