ITV

Tag: Suresh Oberoi

  • ‘Shirdi Ke Saibaba’ feature on Zee TV

    ‘Shirdi Ke Saibaba’ feature on Zee TV

    MUMBAI: Zee TV will air a new show Shirdi Ke Saibaba every Sunday at 9 pm starting from 3 October. The saint popularly known as Shirdi Ke Sai Baba, is portrayed in a serial, based on Saibaba’s life and miracles.
     
     
    Shirdis’ movies trust and research center is based in Vrindavan is continuously updating its research center on the miracles and incidents involving Saibaba and his devotees.

    Speaking on the show, Zee TV president Abhijeet Saxena said, “Zee TV has always focussed in showcasing complete entertainment to its viewers. Saibaba is one such God, who has devotees from all religions. This series of Saibaba will showcase truth and power of Saibaba compared to the thought followed by people in this generation.”

    The show has been jointly produced by Raidant Showbiz and Shirdi Saibaba movies trust and research center. This series has been directed by Shiv Dutt Sharma and Amol Surve and written by Vikas Kapoor and Amar Pal Singh.

    The lead artists in the show are Sudhir Dalvi playing the character of Sai Baba, Asim Khetrapaul, Suresh Oberoi, Gajendra Chauhan, Ram Mohan, Subbiraaj, Divya Dutta, Tejal Shah amongst others.

  • Poonam Dhillon shifts allegiance from Congress to BJP

    Poonam Dhillon shifts allegiance from Congress to BJP

    MUMBAI: Looks like politics has become an alternate profession for many in the entertainment industry. Statements made by them that they want to contribute to the society and hence the decision, remains a matter of debate.

    Smriti Z Iraani led the way and the likes of Hema Malini, Suresh Oberoi, Gajendra Chauhan and Sudha Chandran joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soon thereafter. Close to the dates of the upcoming elections, yet another personality to join the bandwagon is film and television actress, Poonam Dhillon who joined the BJP this afternoon.

    Party Hopping! Poonam Dhillion smiles her way into BJP after being a Congress supporter in the past.And what’s more Dhillon has surprised many by joining the BJP as she has actively campaigned for the Congress party in the past.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com from Delhi, soon after she was formally inducted into the party today, Dhillon said, “Yes, I was for the Congress, but I was not comfortable in the set-up. I could sense it that I wouldn’t be able to do anything substantial and worthwhile. Hence, I switched my party, which I think that every citizen has a right to. I think that the nation has really gone ahead under the BJP rule and better days lie ahead if this party remains in power.”

    Talking about her decision to join BJP, Dhillon says, “As I wanted to switch over, I was talking to a few officials from the BJP. We came to a mutual understanding that when and how it should be done. That’s it!”

    But does that mean that her attention will waver from her serial Kitty Party? Clearing all doubts she said, “I’ll very much continue to be a part of Manish Goswami’s Kittie Party on Zee TV. My BJP duties might involve a bit of travel, but I will easily adjust. Frankly, I don’t know what would be my agenda; it’s too early to say. I might contest or I might just canvass for the forthcoming polls.”

    Only last week, actor Amarr Upadhyay joined the Shiv Sena. Now it would not come as a surprise if the Congress unleashes a list of celebrities in the near future as a part of the counter attack; in all probability, hectic efforts must already be on to wean the likes of Dhillon and Co.

  • BJP poll road show – Jeetendra denies, Suresh Oberoi confirms

    BJP poll road show – Jeetendra denies, Suresh Oberoi confirms

    MUMBAI: Clearly, BJP is playing the film-n-telly celebrity card to the hilt. Every day there is a new announcement of this star or that starlet climbing aboard the BJP poll cart. But as was the case last time round during the assembly elections, except some hasty announcements that turn out to be just that. Announcements.

    One such was Balaji Telefilms chairman and yesteryears’ daddy of the dance floor Jeetendra Kapoor. Reports last evening that Jeetendra would be among the ever-expanding list of celebrities, who would be part of the BJP poll road show, have been emphatically denied by a clearly flustered chairman of India’s leading production powerhouse.

    Responding to the media reports that he had joined the BJP after a meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in New Delhi, he told indiantelevision.com this afternoon, “I am close to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Venkaiah Naidu (BJP party president). But please, I am not into politics.”

    When asked whether he would at least be canvassing for the BJP, a rather ruffled Jeetendra replied, “I am supporting everybody.”

    In the past, the actor has campaigned for individuals like former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh and Union Minister Vinod Khanna only on the basis of his friendship with them.

    If Jeetendra was in denial mode, that was not the case with another industry peer Suresh Oberoi. The character actor and stop-gap host of Zee TV’s Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai told indiantelevision.com he was inducted into the party yesterday. “I have consciously gone into a hiatus since the past two years. I rejected many offers for films and television. I thought that I had worked and earned enough. I was passing my time playing golf. Then I started to feel that I must give back something worthwhile to my country. And what better mode than through the BJP? But I still waited for a while, because I wanted to see Vivek (son) settled in films. Now, I think is the time.”

    Why BJP? Why not any other party? “Well, I have many friends in the Congress. But I think that the BJP has achieved a lot in the past few years, what the Congress has not achieved in 50 years. I am especially impressed by the manner in which Atal Behari Vajpayee’s astute leadership has brought India and Pakistan close in recent times. Today, even people of Pakistan want Vajpayee back at the helm because of this reason.” he explained.

    Oberoi is open to contesting for elections, anytime. “I have left the decision in the party’s hands. Of course, they will ask me before making any announcement,” he said.

    One denial, one confirmation and one possibility. Prachee Shah (of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi fame) is a possible candidate for the BJP road show. The buzz is that she is joining but the actress herself is not certain whether she’ll enter the political fray. Apparently, she has reservations.

    She said, “The party will be taking a final decision on this tomorrow. I know Jaywantiben Mehta (minister of state for power) closely. She has graced many of my dance performances, which I have been doing to promote tourism. (Deputy PM) LK Advani had also come for one of these performances. I have also performed for the governor at Raj Bhavan. The party officials were talking to me about this. Frankly, I am still debating this issue. Even if they say yes, I am not in a position to tell you today whether I will go ahead or not.”

    Asked whether she thought that the party was utilising her services for political gains, Prachee quipped, “I agree it’s an election stunt. But since it is for a fair cause, why not? People do relate to known faces. Those who come for my dance performances come to see me and not my dance. That’s the way showbiz works, you and I can’t change that.”

    Prachee clarified that she had absolutely no intentions of contesting for a seat since she was quite tied up with her
    assignments on television (Kyunki…, Piya Ka Ghar, Urja). “I may canvass for BJP, that’s all. Still, I will take the final decision tomorrow, whether to go ahead or not,” she concluded.

    This is unlikely to be the last we have heard on the ongoing television-politics-films circus. Ditto for denials like the one from Jeetendra and apprehensions like the one from Prachee 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.