FRESH SEASON ON STARONE

Hallelujah! It's raining new shows on Star One, all poised to capitalise on the anticipated success of Nach Baliye!

After Pyar Ki Kashti Mein, Instant Khichadi and Hotel Kingston, it's time for Special Squad and Siddhanth to make way for newer, snazzier shows on the channel. Rose Audio Visuals' India Calling and K Sera Sera's Darna Mana Hai are all set to hit the tube on 14 November.

India Calling will be a daily to be aired in the 9:30 pm slot and will star relatively new faces, Mansi Parekh and Vipul Gupta. Veterans like Anang Desai and Himani Shivpuri, along with Rose AV favourite, Nigaar Z Khan will form the rest of the cast.
India...has a fresh contemporary theme -- it's about youngsters who take up jobs at call centres fresh out of college. In a way, the show is an extension of Remix, currently on air on the channel, also produced by Rose AV.

"It's about a girl called Chandni. In true Rose style, we have attempted a real, more human show," says a visibly excited producer Shrishti Behl Arya.

The promos of the show are already on air and the campaign will be in different phases to introduce its basic storyline.

Meanwhile, the other show, Darna Mana Hai will be aired Monday to Thursday. Saurabh Narang will direct some of the episodes of Darna... and each week will have a brand new story, we hear.

Interestingly, all the men who had been promoted as the 'men on Star One' during the launch of the channel in October 2004, are currently left high and dry -- Bhanu Uday (Special Squad)and Pawan Shankar (Siddanth), Sachin Tyagi (Family Business), Vinod Sharawat (Bluff Master) and Gaurav Chanana (Hey Yehi to hai woh), their shows having been pulled off or are in the process of doing so!

But Star One's programming head Ravi Menon insists that Siddhanth and Special Squad will both be brought back in a revamped avatar during the next season. Right now is the time to capitalise on the hype and projected success of the reality show Nach Baliye, with innovative concepts like DMH and India Calling, according to Menon.

"It's like my first love being taken away!," sighs Pawan. "But it's the norm nowadays, there is nothing that one can do about it! But again, stretching a show for too long is illogical and now I can concentrate on other projects, adds Pawan, whose character in the show will marry his lady love in the concluding episode, we hear. While the shooting for Special Squad has wrapped up, Siddhanth is shooting for the final five episodes.

"I am going to take a break now. Then I am going to look for work. I am looking to do good films, with a good storyline, I intend to take a long break from serials," says Bhanu Uday, who seems adamant about not returning to the show, if it gets a second look in. "I am done with Special Squad," points out the actor.

This is just the beginning of the second season of Star One...stay glued to this space for more.