ITV

Tag: Kumkum Bhagya

  • Cricket with the tadka of a daily soap

    Cricket with the tadka of a daily soap

    MUMBAI: Whether it was being the first satellite channel to launch in India in 1992 or introducing non-fiction formats of singing & dancing talent hunt shows or producing fiction shows that addressed social issues in a poignant manner, Zee TV has been a pioneer in the Hindi GEC space, setting trends for competition to follow. The channel has also led the way in the marketing domain with path-breaking innovations such as the first-of-its-kind on-ground shaadi of the leads of its primetime show ‘Pavitra Rishta’, inviting the masses to bless Manav-Archana as they tied the nuptial knot. The channel further went on introduce the phenomenon of Mahasangams that captured an exciting interplay between the ongoing tracks and the actors of two of its shows. After setting several such precedents, Zee TV is all set to achieve yet another first on Indian television with its exciting new property – Zee 20 Cricket League.

     
    For India, Cricket is a passion. A celebration. A religion. And…your favorite families on television are all set to bring you the most entertaining cricket tournament of this season! In an exciting coup, Zee TV will have the most sought-after actors from all its primetime shows come together on a cricket field, be split into two teams led by Raj (Mishkat Varma) and Samarth (Navi Bhangu), the protagonists of  its show ‘Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya’ and battle it out in a nail-biting 20-over match packed with high-voltage drama. The man who wins the match will walk away with the heroine Avani! With half of your favorite stars backing Raj and the other half rooting for Samarth, wonder who will win the Zee 20 Cricket League and walk away with the girl? To find out, watch this cricket tournament with the tadka of family entertainment on 24th and 25th May at 6:30 PM on Zee TV.

     
    So,  who’s on whose team, you ask? Raj’s team is called Raj Ke Challengers and includes Mrunal Thakur (Bulbul of Kumkum Bhagya), Ankit Gera (Mayank of Sapne Suhaane Ladakpan Ke), Neha Marda (Urmi of Doli Armaanon Ki), Arhaan Behl (Raghu of do Dil Bandhe Is Dori se), Baburam of Do Dil Bandhe Is Dori se and Ashish Chowdhry (who plays Raghav in Ek Muthi Aasman).  Samarth’s team called Samarth ke Daredevils includes Shabbir Ahluwalia (Abhi of Kumkum Bhagya), Rachana Parulekar (Kalpi of Ek Muthi Aasman), Roopal tyagi (Gunjan of Sapne Suhaane Ladakpan Ke), Mohit Malik (Samrat of Doli Armaanon Ki), Supriya Shukla (Sarla of Kumkum Bhagya) and Aahil of Qubool Hai. Watching your favorite stars in stylish cricket jerseys instead of their usual looks will be a delightful treat for every viewer!
     

    Zee TV Programming Head Namit Sharma said, “The Cricket fever is at its peak at the moment. Television audiences in India love their stars, the drama surrounding their lives and they love Cricket. What we have in store for them is a double whammy of drama and Cricket with some of their most favorite faces on television playing their favorite sport. This is the first time ever that a Hindi GEC has managed to assemble the most popular stars from all its shows and get them to play a 20-over match. The game will be peppered with interesting twists and turns that blend seamlessly into the ongoing tracks of each of our shows. There will be so many interesting aspects such as the commentary, performances by cheerleaders, locker-room dynamics between the characters that form a team, issues like cheating, sabotage & match fixing. Each of our actors will be completely in character. The entire drama of Zee TV’s most popular shows will unfold against the canvas of India’s favorite sport and we’re certain that the audience will relish this most entertaining spectacle!”

     
    The pretty young girls of every show – Pooki of Ek Muthi Aasman, Pari of Pavitra Rishta, Shivani of Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se, Payal  of Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, Aalia of Kumkum Bhagya and Shazia of Qubool Hai will doll up as the cheerleaders and do a lively routine to motivate and charge up their respective teams. With comedian Suresh Menon donning multiple avatars ranging from Amitabh Bachchan to Sachin Tendulkar to … hold your breath, Usha Nadkarni’s character of Savita Tai from Pavitra Rishta, audience is bound to be in splits!
     

    Do not miss the Zee 20 Cricket League on 24th and 25th May at 6:30 PM on Zee TV!

  • Zee TV’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ launches on April 15

    Zee TV’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ launches on April 15

    MUMBAI: Narrating tales that have captivated audience attention for almost two decades now, the master storyteller Ekta Kapoor is back with a new offering on Zee TV. Her new show ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ launches on 15th April  at 9 PM, this time replacing her own immensely successful show ‘Pavitra Rishta’ on the channel. Based loosely on Jane Austen’s classic ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ is its Indian interpretation, following the life of a Punjabi matriarch Sarla Arora who runs a marriage hall and lives with the hope of seeing her two daughters Pragya and Bulbul who’re poles apart, happily married some day! Known for making shows that are women-centric, the pivotal characters of this new show are a bunch of strong, feisty women, living together in an all-female, matriarchal family.

     

    Sriti Jha plays the character of Pragya, the elder sister, who is practical, hardworking and committed to supporting her family … though she’s barely finished her own studies, she teaches at a college to ensure that her mother Sarla’s (Supriya Shukla) meager earnings from the ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ marriage hall never fall short in making the two ends meet. In the midst of all this pressure on her, she’s forgotten how to unwind or pursue any passions of her own. Mrunal Thakur plays Bulbul, the younger sister who has her head in the clouds. She’s vivacious, smart, stylish and a complete dreamer. It barely occurs to her to snap out her own make-believe, rose-tinted world and be of any real use to her family. She idolizes the ruling heartthrob of the country, Rockstar Abhi. Actor-turned-producer Shabir Ahluwalia, who has shied away from facing the camera since 2012, has been roped in to play Rockstar Abhi with a cult following of his own. Faisal Rashid will be seen as Suresh, the college professor who works closely with Pragya (Sriti Jha). Having led a tough life in the military and lost most of his close ones, he is an embittered soul with much angst and pent-up frustration about life. It remains to be seen how the lives of these two men intertwine with the Arora girls and change their destinies forever!

     

    Talking about introducing a fresh concept on primetime, Zee TV Programming Head – Namit Sharma said, “It takes one epic show to replace another, so you can imagine the faith we have in Kumkum Bhagya, as a property, to replace a show that has been extremely special to Zee for over 4 glorious years. Pavitra Rishta has given Indian television audiences their most sought-after dinner table companions in Manav and Archana – star-crossed lovers that millions of viewers have loved, and idolized. Kumkum Bhagya is another extremely engrossing story from a Punjabi mohalla in Mumbai. It talks of a matriarch and her quest to find ideal grooms for her daughters who’re as different as chalk and cheese. Deriving its core from Sense and Sensibility, Ekta has Indianized it beautifully. It’s a passionate drama of love, a far cry from regular saas-bahu soaps and has an ensemble cast of some very talented actors.”

     

    With ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ slated to air at 9 PM from the date of its launch on Zee TV, ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will now be aired Monday – Friday at 6:30 PM on the channel. Talking about the time shuffle amongst her projects on Zee TV, Ekta says, “While two of my shows (Pavitra Rishta and Jodha Akbar) are already on-air and doing immensely well on Zee TV, it’s a pleasure to extend my partnership with Zee to a third show. ‘Pavitra Rishta’ has had a run of over 4 years now and the journey has been most gratifying for me as a producer. While the audiences who are hooked on to ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will continue to enjoy the show at 6:30 PM, ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ will open at 9 PM, drawing maximum eyeballs. Kumkum Bhagya is so contemporary in its treatment that viewers will be able to instantly spot characters out of their own lives in the show. It’s a story of passionate love that anyone with a soul would be able to easily relate to.”

     

    Speaking of his comeback as an actor, Shabir says, “With me producing shows, it was getting very difficult to manage time for acting assignments. But now, I have decided to concentrate on acting. You can’t be away from what you love doing for long. The role appealed to me a great deal. This is the first time that I will be playing a rockstar on television and in order to look my part, I had to ensure that I did not just get my costume and look right, but also get that attitude right that is required to portray a rockstar onscreen.”

     

    Ekta Kapoor’s association with Zee TV dates back to almost two decades ago when the partnership produced one of the greatest successes of satellite television – Hum Paanch. Her soaps, be it Kasamh Se, Pavitra Rishta or Jodha Akbar – the latest historical to rule the roost on Indian television, have been universally appreciated and have enjoyed long, glorious runs on the tube.  

     

    Starting 15th April, stay tuned to Kumkum Bhagya at 9 PM every Monday-Friday, only on Zee TV!

  • ‘Pavitra Rishta’ to be replaced by Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’

    ‘Pavitra Rishta’ to be replaced by Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’

    MUMBAI: Two decades ago, Ekta Kapoor started her association with Zee TV with the popular sitcom – Hum Paanch.

     

    And since then there is no looking back. The queen of television especially the primetime slot is back with a new show on the channel.  The new offering will be replacing her own successful and popular show ‘Pavitra Rishta’.

     

    The show ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ will once again see Kapoor’s blue-eyed boy Shabbir Ahluwalia who has shied away from facing the camera since 2012, essaying a role of Rockstar with a cult following on the show. The lead actress of the show is played by Sriti Jha who will play the elder amongst the two sisters on the show loosely based on Jane Austen’s classic ‘Sense and Sensibility’.

     

    The Indian interpretation follows the life of a mother who runs a marriage hall and lives with the hope of seeing her two daughters – poles apart in bearing, outlook and disposition, happily married some day. Known for making shows that are women-centric, the pivotal characters of the show are a bunch of strong, feisty women, living together in an all-female, matriarchal family.

     

    On her new show, Kapoor said, “All I can say is that it’s a very passionate story of love …!”

     

    But does this spell ‘The End’ for the former show?  Not really, ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will now be aired Monday to Friday at 6:30 pm on the channel.

     

    Talking about the time shuffle amongst her projects, Kapoor said, “Pavitra Rishta has been on-air for over four years now and the journey has been most gratifying for me as a maker. After ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu thi’ if there is any other show which is close to my heart, then it is ‘Pavitra Rishta’. The characters of Manav, Archana, Arjun, Purvi and now Ankita-Naren have endeared themselves to the audience, so much so that they are an inseparable part of their lives. While the audiences who are hooked on to ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will continue to enjoy the show at 6:30 pm, the new show ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ will open at 9 pm, drawing maximum eyeballs.”