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memsaab

@memsaab

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Posted: 19 years ago

THIS IS A "MEMBERS ONLY" POST
The Author of this post have chosen to restrict the content of this Post to members only.

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Daud Raza

@NandaniAddict

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

Mohan back with Saath Phere
By: Vickey Lalwani
October 18, 2005

Mohan Bhandari goes into the flashback mode

At one time, actor Mohan Bhandari had five shows on air — Karz, Parampara, Patjhad, Jeevan Mrityu, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara and Gumraah. Later seen briefly in Kittie Party and Mangal Pandey — The Rising, Bhandari was virtually out of action for nearly nine years.

But now, he is back in a full-fledged role, as Saloni's strict father in Sanjay Wadhwa's Saat Phere (Zee).

Colour blind

Says Bhandari, "I am glad that someone has offered me something substantial again. In Saat Phere, I am playing a father who is against dowry, but whose daughter has a difficult time getting a groom because she is dark-skinned."

LA mishap

Bhandari had left his officer's job with State Bank of India in 1996, when he was seen across all channels. How did he survive? "I received my benefits from the bank," he says. But where was he? Didn't he undergo surgery in LA, where he had gone for a film? "I had gone to LA for a film, where I got hurt. I was in hospital for a few days," says the actor.

At the time, it was said he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. "I don't know why people started talking that way…." Could that be the reason the offers started decreasing? "Possible. But I guess television changed its face. Suddenly, women oriented serials were all over the place."

Why didn't he approach producers for roles? "I went to Manish Goswami; did a few pilots with UTV and Cinevistaas, lekin baat bani nahin. Those pilots never got made. I even did a pilot for Sanjay Wadhwa — that's how he knows me — when he was not an independent producer, but worked with his brother."

New beginning

Heaving a sigh of relief, Bhandari says, "Saat Phere is a new lease of life for me. I hope people like me like before." Has he been offered good money? "Money is always in short supply," he signs off with a laugh.

[email protected]

Edited by anitha.b - 19 years ago

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Daud Raza

@NandaniAddict

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

Mazher Sayedd will be the new face of Samar in Zee daily, Saat Phere. Mazher replaces Anand Suryavanshi, who quit the show within a few days of its launch last month. The serial has the character of Samar playing the doting brother of main protagonist, Saloni (Rajshree Thakur).

Yesterday was Day One of Mazher's shoot at Magnum Studios. "I made my television debut as Anish, in Kahiin Kissi Roz. My first day of shooting was here; now, for Saat Phere, I am back shooting at the same location. Life has come full circle," says the actor, who was also seen as Dr Walia in the afternoon show, Kesar, earlier this year.

Anand's raw deal

According to producer Sunjoy Waddhwa, "The reason for Anand's exit was he thought he was getting a raw deal. But it was made clear to him from the beginning that Rakesh Bapat was the main male lead. At the same time, being Saloni's brother in the drama meant that he, too, had a lot to do in the show."

Samar's track

Explains creative head Mitu, about Samar's track, "Samar has been shown caught between the responsibilities of a son, brother and husband. His family does not want him to marry the woman he loved.

They wanted him to marry someone else, who will bring a fat dowry that will enable his sister Saloni's marriage. Ultimately, Samar does marry the woman of his choice, Kaveri (Aanchal Dwivedi). So there is also the track of his family's relationship with Samar and his wife."

Mazher is slated to make an entry in Saat Phere in the last week of November. "I was last seen on TV in Kamini Damini and Kesar. In fact, I was on the way for a modelling assignment when I received a call for Saat Phere I took a U-turn and went straight to the production office," he says.

Twists and turns

Saat Phere, which is set in Rajasthan, is about the journey of Saloni, a dusky girl who overcomes colour prejudice to emerge successful. Incidentally, besides Samar's replacement, the daily also had a string of directors.

First, Rakesh Sarang was replaced by Sapna Joshi Waghmare and later by Rajan Shahi.

"Rakesh was busy with his other show, Hare Kkanch Ki Choodiyaan, so he could not continue. Sapna had agreed to direct for only a limited period; now, Rajan directs Saat Phere," says Waddhwa.

And will the show's dusky duckling turn into a beautiful swan? "It's a daily show, and there can be several twists in it," he adds.

Who is Mazher Sayedd?

1. Began acting while in Mithibai College; later did theatre with Kader Khan and Salim Ghouse.
2. Played Anish in Kahiin Kissi Roz (Star Plus), Rocky in Kuch Jukhi Palkhein (Sony), Dr Walia in Kesar (Star Plus) and acted in Kamini Damini (SaharaOne).
3. Is also a model.

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Daud Raza

@NandaniAddict

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

Saloni's starry tantrums

Sudipto Chattopadhyay
Friday, November 04, 2005 15:45 IST

Even before the TRPs start trickling in, 'Saat Phere' seems mired in controversy. First it was Amit Suryavanshi playing Saloni's brother who walked out of the soap. Now Rajshree Thakur, playing Saloni is giving the producers ulcers with her starry nakhras and tantrums.

Apparently this new kid on the block has already developed an attitude problem and takes her role as the protagonist a wee bit too seriously. She refuses to report on time for shots as she thinks after coming to the sets, her time is wasted by the technical crew who are busy setting up the shot.

While seasoned veterans like Neena Gupta and Mohan Bhandari sit patiently on the sets for the shot to get started, Rajshree walks off in a huff to her make-up room and insists on being called when everything is ready.

With her current attitude we wouldn't be surprised if her 'Saloni Ka Safar' ends rather abruptly. With replacemetns becoming common, the show will go on if the story is well told, with or without Rajshree.

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Daud Raza

@NandaniAddict

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

Rajshree is Zee TV's new find!

Approximately four years ago, Zee TV launched a new face, gave her a screen name and splashed her across the country in an unprecedented publicity campaign. 'Khushi', (as she was called) has now given way to 'Saloni', a girl next door, in Sunjoy Wadhwa's forthcoming Saat Phere, that will debut soon on the channel.

The right face for a serial is perhaps the most daunting task for any production house or channel. The success or failure of a show depends on this monumental endeavour -- whether it is Smriti as Tulsi, Kuljit as Kareena, Mona Wasu as Miilee or Mona Singh as Jassi, these are faces that have launched a thousand TRPs for their respective shows. Now it's Zee's turn to introduce a new face -- Rajshree Thakur as Saloni, in Sunjoy Wadhwa's Saat Phere.

Rajshree Thakur: the ugly duckling of Zee?

Come 17 October, Zee's Saat Phere will have Rajshree playing the lead, Saloni. This show is the model's first brush with television.

Rajshree, a thorough Mumbaikar, harbored dreams of acting in films until she liked the story of Saat Phere so much that she decided to keep her big screen plans on the backburner.

Armed with a degree in LLB, the Mumbai lass has also done an Indo-French film along with some theatre work in college. "I was a news reader with AIR for almost two years and did some press and commercial ads(Tanishq, Bajaj hair oil, Birla Life Insurance, BJP's India shining) until the writer of Saat Phere called me for an audition. Two screen tests later, I was told I had to play the main lead in the serial alongside some real good names from the television industry," smiles Rajshree.

What's your role in Saat Phere, we ask -- "I play Saloni, a simple, subtle , down to earth girl who is quite an introvert by nature. I play a girl who comes to Mumbai from Rajasthan and the traumas of her life are depicted in a very beautiful manner. The social stigmas attached to her dark complexion and the fact that she cannot get a match and the way she tackles it, is her journey along with her love for her childhood sweetheart which she cannot confide,"says Rajshree.

So how did people back home react to her foray into the glamour world? "Initially, they were sceptical about me getting into the field due to the late hours and having no godfather in the industry, they thought it would be tough for me. However, now with the way my career is shaping up they are happy for me" sighs the actress.

Sunjoy Wadhwa, producer of Saat Phere says,"It's a nice story about a woman's (Saloni's) quest for her identity and her struggle against the social stigmas of the society and the pressure from her kith and kin."

The serial was initially tentatively titled Rang, then Saloni and has Rakesh Bapat as the main lead and Shweta Kawatra and Neena Gupta in pivotal roles. While the promos manage to keep curiosity alive with some unkown faces discussing the matrimonial prospects of dark skinned girls, the director confirms that it was just a stunt to pump up interest around the show.

With a lavish set, a fresh new face, an unusual story and some seasoned actors Saat Phere should definitely be worth a watch...

Edited by NandaniAddict - 19 years ago

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Daud Raza

@NandaniAddict

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

Rakesh makes TV debut with Saat Phere
By: Shaheen Parkar
October 12, 2005

SMALL SCREEN DEBUT:
Rakesh Bapat in Saat Phere

Bollywood actor Rakesh Bapat (Tum Bin, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Main Aaya) makes his small screen debut in Sunjoy Waddhwa's daily, Saat Phere.

A Grasim Mr India (1999) title-holder, Bapat's film career has been a lukewarm affair. Is that why he is turning to the small screen?

No godfather

"Not exactly," he says. "After winning Grasim Mr India, I thought of doing TV, but films came my way." He admits he had no godfather in the industry and did not market himself as most actors do.

"I didn't know the machinations of Bollywood, so things did not work out for me," says Bapat, who will next be seen in Dev Basu's film, Jadoo Sa Chal Gaya opposite, Meera Vasudevan.

TV versus film

Even though Saat Phere has a huge cast, he feels each character's role is very well developed. Bapat plays the role of Neel, who falls for the protagonist Saloni (Rajshree Thakur), who battles with a string of prejudices against her. "Today's serials provide an actor with plenty of scope as there are several twists and turns in the drama. In films, you play the character throughout."

Bapat bagged Saat Phere courtesy the show's supervising producer, Nilu. "She told me it was great role and after I heard the script, I found it was a superb story. We have been shooting daily and director Swapna Joshi Waghmare has got the best out of me. She knows how to make each character feel important."

The actor does not feel that for television things are done on a small scale. "The whole show has a film-like feel to it. The producer has extended a lot of comfort level on the sets and I am looking forward to the show."

[email protected]

What is Saat Phere?

This daily airs on Zee from October 17, at 9.30 pm. Produced by Sunjoy Waddhwa and written by Purnendu Shekhar and Rajesh Dubey, the cast includes Rakesh Bapat, Neena Gupta, Mohan Bhandari, Shweta Kawaatra, Akshay Anand, Sharad Kelkar and two new faces — Rajshree Thakur and Poonam Gulati.

It has Bollywood designer Shahid Aamir (for the first time on the small screen) styling all the characters in the show.

Saat Phere, which has a Rajasthani setting, is about the journey of Saloni (Rajshree), a dusky girl who overcomes colour prejudices to emerge successful

Edited by NandaniAddict - 19 years ago

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sweet n sour

@sweet n sour

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

A case for dark women

Zee TV kick-starts "Saat Phere - Saloni Ka Safar" thisMonday

Like a drop in the ocean, another serial is ready to join the sea of serials in the television world. This time it is Zee's Saat Phere - Saloni Ka Safar, marking its debut from this coming Monday at 9.30 p.m. The serial unlike its counterparts is neither a part of the saas-bahu bandwagon nor does it claim to be solely based on a love story. What makes it different, as the Programming Head of Zee TV, Ashvini Yardi, puts it is,"it raises the issue of stigma faced by some Indian women because of their dark skin colour." The serial revolves around the trials and tribulations faced by an average Indian girl with an exceptional talent in the backdrop of atrocities like colour discrimination, dowry harassment, subjugation, etc. While it is known the serial stars versatile actress Shweta Kawatra in a positive role with Rakesh Bapat, who kick-starts his television journey with the serial, the leading lady of the story in the meanwhile has been kept under wraps. All one can know is that she is some Rajshree Thakur, a fresh face in the television arena.
Says Shweta who is playing a music director in Saat Phere... ., "I am playing the role of a talented, kind but lonely and vulnerable girl. She goes to Rajasthan and gets impressed by Neel's (the protagonist played by Bapat) singing. She decides to bring him to Mumbai and eventually falls in love with him." Rakesh Bapat fell in love with the character of Neel the moment he heard the script. "Neel is a very endearing character. He is an orphan and a childhood friend of Saloni. Their chemistry is like that of Radha-Krishna. He is an excellent singer and his guru who also taught him music, is everything to him. Working for the serial has been like going to an acting school, and everyday I am learning something new. It is a very well made serial and will go down well with the audience."

Let's let the audience decide that!

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sweet n sour

@sweet n sour

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

Kawaatra back in serials
By: Vickey Lalwani
July 25, 2005

Shweta Kawaatra

Rakesh Bapat

Actress Shweta Kawaatra, aka Pallavi of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, is all set to return to TV serials in a full-fledged role.

The show, titled Rang, is produced by Sphere Origins (of Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand). Directed by Rakesh Sarang, it will air daily on Zee TV.

After Kahaani, Shweta was missing from serials. She did a cameo in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin and Instant Khichdi, besides that, her television assignments were restricted to hosting Current Bollywood (Set Max), Good Morning Bollywood (Sahara One) and Crime and Punishment (Sahara Rashtriya Samay).

She also acted in Paritosh Painter's play Uncle Samjha Karo. And wooed the big screen in Onirban's film, My Brother Nikhil.

Shweta confirmed the Rang deal with producer Sanjay Wadhwa on Saturday evening. But she remained tight-lipped about the role. Even Wadhwa was not forthcoming, "Shweta will be seen in a positive character. It's a meaty role," he said.

Wadhwa, who is looking to put Rang on prime time, says he narrated the role to Shweta in the scripting stage and she had shown a lot of interest. "That time, she had quit Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and was relatively free.

After that, we met and things fell into place," he said. Wadhwa's first serial, Neeyat (starring R Madhavan, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Dheer, and Shahbaz) in 1997, was aired on Zee.

[email protected]

What is Rang about?

Rang is the story of two sisters (played by newcomers Rajshri Thakur and Poonam Gulati). The cast also has Neena Gupta, Akshay Anand, Sachin Kelkar, Aanchal, Mohan Bhandari and Rakesh Bapat.

Shooting for Rang has started in Marol — Kawaatra starts shooting her portions from August. Some portions will be filmed in Rajasthan, in August. The serial has 208-episode contract, and is expected to telecast from September.

this means that the serial was originally planned to be called Rang.

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ANJANA

@ANJANA

Rocker

Posted: 19 years ago

Sharad Kelkar to be Saloni's hubby in Saat Phere!!

Every serial is now bringing in twists and turns to spice up our evenings! Saat Phere is not far behind! The show has roped in a new character who will take the show on a completely new level. Sharad Kelkar, who plays Rudra in Sinndoor will be playing the role of Nahar Singh

Sharad Kelkar

"Yes, I was offered the role and I grabbed it. I will marry Saloni. The character sounds good and I am definitely looking foward to it," says Sharad.

" Sharad was undoubtedly the first choice for the character. We had contracted with him in the very beginning of the show itself. So it was just him and no one else," says producer, Sanjoy Wadhwa.

" Sharad's character is very dynamic one. It will bring about a change in the story. This is the first schedule which I am shooting for, and for me the story would start off after this character's entry. Before this, it was the premise which was being set up. The characters were being introduced. Sharad's character is a very interesting one and is integral too. He will take the show on a different dimension. I feel Sharad is really talented and the role completely suits him," says newly appointed director, Rajan Shahi.

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jingle

@jingle

Inactive

Posted: 19 years ago

#10

Rajshri readies for Saath Phere...
By: Tushar Joshi
November 17, 2005

Saloni ki shaadi:
Rajshri Thakur

Saath Phere's Saloni (Rajshri Thakur) has been in trouble on the small screen for quite some time. However, in real life, Rajshri's happiness knows no bounds — the actress has decided to get engaged to her longtime boyfriend on November 25. The ceremony will happen in the city, in Maharashtrian style.

Reporter to actress

When contacted, Rajshri was secretive, and refused to give details or even confirm the engagement. "It is true that I am settling down," said the actress who, before making her debut on the small screen with Saath Phere, worked as a news reporter with All India Radio (AIR), Doordarshan (DD), and Zee News.

No time to prepare

Now that she is doing the show, there is hardly any time to let the good news sink in. "I have been shooting 13 to 14 hours daily, so there's no time to even help my folks out with the preparations," said Rajshri. What about marriage? "I don't know if I will be allotted time to attend my own engagement; so marriage will take place in some time, but not soon."

Secret man

Refusing to disclose the name of her fianc, the actress said, "I don't want to give away everything. All I can say is, he works in Marathi theatre and is an actor. We have been together for the last five to six years, and it feels great to see the relationship materialise into something serious."

Traditional proposal

So how did he propose? Was it on bended knee, with flowers? "He never proposed!" exclaims Rajshri. "I had no clue for so long that he loved me. In fact, he directly approached my father, before he told me. My family knows him quite well, so they had no issues with his approach. I am thankful that everything worked out in our favour."

How does he react to her work? "He is very critical; I am quite scared of letting him see the show. Being an actor himself, he points out the mistakes I make." The one thing that Rajshri adores about her guy is his understanding nature. "He has made it very clear that I will continue working even after marriage," she explained

Neena Gupta's glamorous avatar, as Manno bhabhi, in Zee's 'Saath Phere', has hogged more attention than the show itself. However, the actress, famous for her independent style, isn't happy with the way she's been showcased in the drama.

Sources from the production house point out that Neena doesn't like the positioning of the tattoo she must paint on for each episode - she wants it shifted to another part of her body.

In the first few episodes, Neena has a tattoo on her chest that reads "Manorama", in Hindi. But lately, that tattoo has disappeared from its original place and landed up on her back - in the form of two peacocks.

Jagah badlo

Says a source from the unit, "Neenaji wasn't too happy with the placement of the Manorama tattoo; she thought it was uncalled for, and asked for a change. And since it was a temporary tattoo, someone had to paint it on every day. That upset her a lot."
When contacted, Neena Gupta said, "I don't know who has given you this information. I have only one tattoo at the moment, which is on my back. I haven't had any issues with that one."

But didn't she have problems with the earlier chest tattoo? "This is totally ridiculous; I don't want to comment on it," said the actress.
Drew too much attention

Rajan Shahi, the new director of 'Saath Phere', was aware of the changes in the positioning of the tattoo. "Since I have joined the show, I have seen only one tattoo - the one on her back, with the two peacocks.

But Neenaji tells me that initially, she did have another tattoo on her chest; that has been taken away as it was getting more attention than needed. Now, I think, she uses a dupatta as well with the outfit."

Channel didn't like it

Says one of Gupta's female co-stars on the show, "There were issues about the tattoo. The channel also wasn't too keen on it... Neena, too, had reservations. However, now that it's on her back, she seems fine with it."

Edited by bluepink - 18 years ago

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