ITV

Tag: Salim Shah

  • ‘Kashmeer’ to wind up earlier than scheduled

    MUMBAI: Kashmeer, the serial, which brought a whiff of fresh air into soap laden Star Plus is winding up in 17 episodes (on 8 May) instead of the scheduled 26. 
    A love story with militancy and terrorism as the backdrop, Kashmeer was launched with a lot of fanfare on 16 January at 9 pm. One of the mega shows launched by Star Plus at the beginning of this year, it has some well known Bollywood names like Farooq Shaikh, Suresh Oberoi, Salim Shah, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Nirmal Pandey, Smita Jayakar, Lushin Dubey, Neelima Azim, Vineet Kumar, Vishal Singh, Ankur Nayar and Gul Panag among the cast.


    “We cut down on the number of episodes because we realised that the story could be wound up in 17 episodes. It is a start to finish series and since there was no story line or characters that we could work on, we reduced the series to 17 instead of the scheduled 26. It is primarily a tale of time, hence we didn’t want to stretch the series needlessly,” says Contiloe Films producer Abhimanyu Singh.
    The artistes, some of whom were apparently caught unawares by the announcement, have a different story to narrate though. Well known actor Smita Jayakar has lashed out saying, “I am really disappointed that the episodes have been cut down. We were told that the decision was taken because the channel felt that it was not getting the desired ratings.The serial has got rave reviews and a good response from the audience. If one remembers the so called saas bahu sagas on air also started out with modest TRPs, Kashmeer has definitely fared better. There should be a limit to channel interference….,” she said.
    Acclaimed actor Farooq Shaikh agrees. “We all put in our efforts to be part of something different, something significant and of value to our country instead of the same old dreary soaps and we are told that because it didn’t get the expected ratings its being cut down by nine episodes. It is indeed unfortunate,” says Shaikh.
    Gul Panag, however, doesn’t see it like that. “While signing the contract, we were told that the series could finish anywhere between 13 to 26 episodes. The serial has Bollywood greats like Suresh Oberoi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Nirmal Pandey to name a few, who cannot shell out time for a soap that would go on for two to three years. It is a call that the channel and production house have taken.”


    Thus, the bottom line is that like all good things, Kashmeer too, will come to an end. The only difference is that the end will come sooner than expected.

    Also read: 
    Star Plus unveils ‘Kashmeer’ next week 
    ‘Kashmeer’ – Guns and Roses 
    Big money riding on shows launching this month

  • Star Plus unveils ‘Kashmeer’ next week

    MUMBAI: The first salvo has been fired. 


    Star Plus, which has planned a slew of new serials before World Cup cricket starts next month, has firmed up plans for the first of the lot, a mega scale serial that’s aimed at raking in the viewers. Kashmeer will commence airing on 16 January at 9 pm, the time when Zee airs its weekly blockbuster.


    Debuting as an actor in the serial is Gul Panag, who was the co host of the karaoke show Kismey Kitnaa Hai Dam , which goes off on its seasonal break when Kashmeer launches.
    According to an official release, Kashmeer has been shot  in the picturesque valleys and mountain terrain of the northern state. It is a one-hour love story with militancy and terrorism as the backdrop starring Farooque Sheikh, Suresh Oberoi, Salim Shah, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Nirmal Pandey, Smita Jaykar, Lushin Dubey, Neelima Azim, Vineet Kumar, Vishal Singh and Ankur Nayar besides Gul Panag.

  • Bhagyashree, hubby turn TV producers

    Bhagyashree, hubby turn TV producers

    MUMBAI: With Kagaz Ki Kashti (KKK), the new daily soap to set sail on Sahara TV, Bhagyashree has adorned the role of creative head and hubby Himalaya that of producer.

    The serial made under their banner Shrishti Entertainment is all set for launch at 10 pm on 4 November 2002. The serial has a budget of a whopping Rs 50 million plus and is scheduled to have 268 episodes for one year.

    Bhagyashree and Himalaya also have another soap called Tanha Dil Tanha Safar, a joint venture with UTV and five medium budget films in the pipeline. While Himalaya, last seen with Bhagyashree on the big screen, will refrain from acting on the small screen, he plans to don the greasepaint for his forthcoming films.

    The soap which has three K’s( the most popular and deemed auspicious letter nowadays)claims to be different from the ongoing saas-bahu sagas currently on air. The story revolves around Arti (played by Bhagyashree), a small town girl whose childhood sweetheart returns from the US with a girlfriend, thus forming the predictable love triangle. The story goes on to focus on Arti’s battle to win him over and the many challenges she faces. Apart from being packed with the usual twists of heartaches, family melodrama and the likes, the serial’s USP are songs created especially to add glamour and depth to the serial.

    “The title has been inspired by the evergreen ghazal kagaz ki kashti by Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh as it brings out the essence of the serial. We are trying to show how each and every individual nurtures some childhood dream and how one is forced to change oneself, to adapt to the surroundings, sometimes turning into individuals one really doesn’t want to,” says Bhagyashree. ” We hope that the serial will be able to garner an impressive viewership for the channel, just like some soaps have managed for channels like Star and Zee ” she adds

    The soap has an impressive star cast like Govind Namdeo, Salim Shah, Maru Sheikh, Rajiv Varma and Ritu Raj to name a few.

    ” We endeavour to show love in all its colours. It emphasises the love and affection that exists between a father and a daughter, siblings , husband and wife , family members etc and how in spite of their many differences , they are always there for their loved ones in times of need,” says KKK producer Himalaya.”Though the original concept is mine , the screenplay and dialogues have been written by Parveen Sethi, ” he adds.

    “Each and every character of the serial is well etched and has an important role to play. Not one character can claim that his or her role is in any way less significant than the other. They are characters the audience will be able to identify with ,they are characters with shades of grey and not the usual black and white,” claims Bhagyashree.