Solhah Singaarr Articles (No Comments) - Page 4

Ram milaye yeh jodi!

Akangsha Rawat and Karan Singh have a tough time shooting without wearing their lenses. Sapana Patil Poojary Akangsha and Karan Lead actors Akangsha Rawat and Karan Singh of Solhah Singarr caught themselves in an embarrassing situation when they both reported on the sets without their lenses. The actors were crippled as they couldn't comprehend the director's instructions who was standing at a distance. The on-screen couple became the laughing stock on the unit.     Akangsha says, "My lenses had expired, so I had worn spectacles that day. But I had to take them off while shooting. Karan and I were shooting a romantic scene and were standing in the middle of the pond. Most of the crew members and the director, Pawan Kumar were standing on the bank which was quite far from where we were standing. The director was giving us instructions from a distance and although we could hear him, we could not see what signs he was making with his hands. We would often mistake his signs and would end up doing what we were told not to do! Like, when he wanted us to move forward to be within the frame, we would move apart and out of the frame." Talking about how she suffered that day because of not wearing her lenses, she adds, "We were surrounded by lighted candles and I was wearing long flowing skirt. I was worried about my safety. So, I had told the unit hands to alert me when I would step near the candles. But in the midst of a take, unit members couldn't speak out to tell me to be alert! So that was another problem." Karan adds, "God, Akangsha and I did face a lot of problems that day. We would look into the air and say our lines. We had become the object of ridicule that day. Unit members were teasing us that love is indeed blind. We had become helpless for the lack of something as essential and basic as lenses." When contacted, director Pawan Kumar couldn't control his laughter. He says, "Both didn't have their lenses that day. To add to their woes, we were shooting at night. The unit members had to help them get through the shoot." http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&am p;sectid=12&contentid=20061228042949318cad0cd2

Mrinal on her brand new show

The actress who turned producer with the international travel show  Happy Journey which she is also anchoring has taken a 10-day break from the shooting of her daily soap  Solah Singaar. Not for anything else but to shoot for the second schedule of her travel show in Egypt. During her last visit to the North African country famous for its pyramids Mrinal Kulkarni could not complete the shoot in one week. "I had to rush back to Mumbai to shoot for Solhah Singaar. Egypt is a vast country. There are a lot of places still to be covered for the show. So now I am going there again for another 10 days. But this time it will be both work and a holiday for me as I am taking my son Virajesh with me," she reveals.

http://www.deccan.com/TV%20Guide/TV%20GuideDescription.asp#J ohny%20Gela%20Re,%20only%20to%20be%20back%20in%20its%20secon d%20season

Notice It?

Star Plus' Ek Chaabi Hai Pados Mein should ideally be a daily. It's too good to be enjoyed just once a week. The show shares its theme with Mohalla Mohabbatwala currently running on Sab, but it would be unfair to compare the two, as both are being treated differently by the makers of each. But Chaabi is a treat to watch, capturing the complexities of ordinary life as it does in a touchingly humorous way.

The rest of the cast too is competent but it is lead Varun Badola who has really come into his element here. After the odd Star Bestsellers that he featured and excelled in, it is now that Badola gets to exhibit his histrionics, as even Astitva could not do for him. He is charming, sarcastic and witty and makes you wonder why deadpan heroes become icons on TV while those like Badola continue working unsung?

I am yet to get around to watching Kulvaddhu, the heavily marketed new Sony show. But with the Solhah Singaars and Zaara that I am still trying to digest, it might just be a while till I get down to appreciate similar minded shows with an open mind!

http://www.indiantelevision.com/special/boxpopuli/y2k6/dec/b oxpopuli34.htm

Just a kiss-understanding

Karan Singh decided to kiss co-star Akangsha Rawat to break the ice before an intimate scene. Akangsha was not amused. Closing in: Karan and Akangsha in Solhah Singarr Is there such a thing as too much kissing? The lead actors of Solhah Singarr, Karan Singh and Akangsha Rawat were trying hard to get a kissing scene right. Fifteen wet tries later, the director Pawan Kumar called for a much-needed break. All the kissing had Karan's brain working overtime and in a flash of inspiration, he decided to bestow Akangsha with, well, yet another kiss! The lucky lady was, however, caught off-guard and turned various shades of crimson. Akangsha sheepishly says, "Yes, initially, I was terribly uncomfortable. There were several people around and the thought of how my parents will react to this scene was bothering me. But director Pawanji was very patient. He called for a break and I was lost in my thoughts, when suddenly Karan kissed me. I went red… I didn't know how to react! He caught me off-guard. Then everyone started laughing and I realised that Karan did not mean to offend me. He is a prankster and this was his way of breaking the ice. After that, I relaxed and we did the scene well." Karan, on his part, says, "Akangsha is making a big deal out of nothing. I understand it must have been difficult for her to do an intimate scene, but it is part of our profession." Apparently, tension on the set is part of the profession as well. Director Pawan Kumar says, "The two share a great on-screen chemistry. Yes, Karan did kiss her and she went red. But I am sure he didn't mean to offend her. It could be that they both like each other. Love is blind and in our profession after spending so many hours together, actors do tend to get involved with each other."  Could this be the start of an interesting kiss-a in the actors' lives? http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&am p;sectid=12&contentid=20070103030529906c4bffd59

By A.L. Chougule

Waqar Sheik is back in Solah Singaar after a long break. He says it's a role any actor would die for — very realistic and the director has handled the subject with a fresh approach Excerpts from an interview Q Why did you take a nearly two-year-long break from TV? Till 2004 I was shooting 30 days a month and had one serial each on all leading channels.  In 11 years of my career I had done nearly 30 serials and a variety of roles. After a point, monotony set in and I needed a break. Gradually I reduced my work and when one show after the other wound up I didn't take up new serials. I desperately needed a break. Q What did you do during the break? I did theatre, a few commercials and two off-beat films, Koi Gwala Nahi and Manzar. Besides I spent a lot of time with my wife and daughter. I also worked on my physique, knocked off some weight and got a new hairstyle for my comeback on TV. Q Why did you choose Solah Singaar as your comeback show? Among the offers I got Solah Singaar appealed to me the most. It's the kind of serial no one can say no to. The way it's been written, the director's approach and execution make it a far more realistic show than what's there on air today. Q What's your role like? Shontanu is the youngest son of the family. The character was talked about in the show at the time of the launch and introduced two weeks later when he comes from London to immerse his wife's ashes in the Ganga at Varanasi where he meets Meera and sees Alaknanda in her. Shontanu and Alaknanda were in love but circumstances forced her to marry my middle brother Kumar Bhardwaj. After Kumar's death it is Meera's wish to see her mother happy in marital bliss and she wants Shontanu chachu to marry Alaknanda though it goes against the tradition of the conservative family and society of Varanasi.    Q So old lovers will be united finally. When will Alaknanda and Shontanu get married? Thanks to Meera who wants to see her mother married again, the family has finally agreed for the marriage. But there are forces within the family that do not want the marriage to happen. Since it's a family drama set against the backdrop of a conservative society where widow remarriage is a contentious issue, family politics also plays a crucial role in it. Alaknanda and Shontanu will get married ultimately, but new problems and issues will confront them. Q Is it true that you and Akangsha Rawat (Meera) share an excellent on and off screen chemistry? No, no. It's not true at all. Today the media has nothing else to write except speculative romances, relationships and chemistry between two co-actors. As the story goes Meera relates a lot to Shontanu. He is her favourite chachu. Shontanu, on the other hand, has a lot of affection for Meera. We have a lot of common scenes. But being a newcomer, Akangsha sometimes smiles or breaks into laughter when I look at her affectionately while shooting a scene and the director has no option but to shoot the scene again. This has given rise to rumours that our chemistry is giving problems to the director. I am a married man. There are already two women in my life, my wife and daughter. I don't want another woman. http://www.deccan.com/TV%20Guide/TV%20GuideDescription.asp#B ack%20after%202-year%20break

Newcomer Akangsha Rawat who debuted on television with Solhah Singaar doesn't feel pressurised working in a daily serial. "I love to work every day and get bored when I am not required to shoot because not only am I enjoying my role but I also like the camaraderie we all share on the sets. I really chill out here," gushes the model-turned- actress who likes to chat a lot with her co-actors Waqar Sheikh and Karan Singh. "They are real brats who crack jokes every minute." But when she is not talking to the two brats, Akangsha loves gossiping with her female co-actors. "We talk a lot about films, gym, food, cars, holidays…but we really freak out talking about men," laughs Akangsha, adding further that while her elder co-actresses like older and mature men she is attracted to boys of her age.  "Older men tend to dominate. Youngsters are more romantic and take good care of a woman." www.deccan.com

 Anuj teams up with Afghani beauty queen
   By: Shaheen Parkar
   January 26, 2007

---

Anuj Saxena The maverick is at it again. After turning producer and restarauteur, the doctor-turned-actor Anuj Saxena, who also has his pharma business, now steps into the theatre world! His first stage venture as producer is Psy-Clone, starring former Miss Afghanistan, Vida Samadzai. Saxena describes his latest move "as an extension of my venture into the field of entertainment." He feels it is not difficult to manage so many things. "I have an overview of all my business ventures." However, Saxena will not be acting in the play. The play is written and directed by Sanjay Srinivas, who previously did interactive playback theatre in plays like Chanakyashastra, Chaplin In Love and The Dressing Room (on which his film was based) to his credit.   Vida Samadzai Clone syndrome Psy-Clone, which opens on February 4 in the city, narrates the travails of an engineer who is in the process of getting human cloning legalised. Just as he is about to submit his report, well-known personalities from history like Bheem, Marilyn Monroe, Phoolan Devi, Adolf Hitler, Lady Diana and Mahatma Gandhi spring up to add humour to the human cloning debate. Incidentally, Srinivas had staged Psy-Clone in Mumbai in 2003 with another producer. At that time, the cast included Rajesh Puri, Aruna Sangal, Madhvi Chopra and Alekh Sangal, among others. For Psy-Clone, Saxena's Maverick Productions has tied up with Nirav Parekh's Maincourse Entertaintment, who has staged plays like Chanakyashashtra and Paying Guest. "As I don't have the experience, I'd rather tie up with someone who knows the job," explains Anuj. Kabul fiza Vida, who was Miss Afghanistan 2003, has been in Mumbai for a while and is spotted on the city's party circuit. "This will be my first foray into the theatre world,'' she says. "I was approached by Nirav Parekh for the play. He is also planning a film for which I am in talks," says Vida. The cast of Psy-Clone also includes Naved Aslam, Pratima Kazmi, Chinmai Kelkar, Monty Gill, Kavita Sharma and Raj Banerjee.

Edited by monika.goel - 17 years ago

Solhah Singarr gets a twist!

Solhah Singarr will have a new turning point in its storyline soon with Meerra (Akangsha Rawat) sacrificing her love and getting married to a groom of her Meerra in her wedding avatar! parent's choice. With the new family post marriage comes in a changed name (from Meerra to Shagun- which means good luck the family decides to keep as they think it'll bring good luck to their home and a long life to their son. "My marriage takes place rather quickly as my family decides to get me married. This is done because in the track, I am trying to get my mother re married)." My step sister gets married to my ex flame and I am married with this guy, Sumer (played by Sachin Tyagi) who has Akhanda Yog. My aunt fabricates a false kundali and gets me married, so now what is left to be seen is will Meera who fought for her mothers widow remarriage will she herself turn into a widow," points out Akangsha who will have designer sari look in the show. The actor feels like she has actually been married into the new house as she misses the old set and family with whom she had been shooting for the past four months. Will Shagun be Shaguni for Sumer and the Chaturvedi family? http://us.tellychakkar.com/y2k7/feb/9feb/news_solhah.php

Waiting for the wedding

Solhah Singaar on Sahara One is one of the most progressive serials to go on air in recent times. Dealing with the sensitive issue of widow-remarriage, the serial is also steadily becoming popular with the masses. We decided to catch up with the actors and find out how they are faring.... Metaphorically speaking, the Aarey Milk Colony road in Goregaon acts as the great divider between two kinds of television entertainment that private satellite channels offer. On the one side, Sankaraman Studios is sort of a factory where Ekta Kapoor's K-soaps are produced that entertains middle and lower-middle class India in cable and satellite homes and delivers eyeballs. And on the other side of the road, is Space Studio which is a shooting floor for SaharaOne's Solhah Singaar that deals with the centuries-old contentious issue of widow remarriage. It is not that the producer of Solhah Singaar is not in the business of eyeballs and high revenue for his channel. In fact, he is. But his show is definitely - if not very distinctly - different from Ekta's shows. At least at the content level, that is. Solhah Singaar definitely stands out in terms of its story, treatment and making if not in TRPs. "Rolling," we hear as we step into the studio's shooting floor. Mrinal Kulkarni, Waqar Sheikh, Akangsha Rawat, Karan Singh, Shalini Kapoor and a few more actors are in the middle of a scene that deals with Meera requesting her grandmother to give permission to Alaknanda to paint colours in her white saree by marrying her brother-in-law Shantanu. Widow remarriage goes against the tradition of the conservative society of Varanasi and Bhardwaj family. But it is Meera's dream to see her widowed mother blooming in marital bliss with Shontanu chachu. Grandma not only has to face the conservative society outside her home but also fight the internal forces in the family that are against the marriage. She however, listens to her heart and promises Meera that Alaknanda and Shontanu will be allowed to get married soon. While the wedding of two widowed members of the Bhardwaj family will be an awaited event, we catch up with Waqar Sheikh who plays Shontanu in the serial. This is Waqar's comeback show on the tube after a one-and-half-year sabbatical. "I come to Varanasi from London to immerse my wife's ashes in the Ganga. There I meet Meera and I see Alaknanda in her. And then through a flashback it is revealed that Shontanu and Alaknanda were lovers but because of certain circumstances she married my younger brother Kumar who died in the third episode of the show. Now the story has reached the point where everyone has come to know that Shontanu and Alaknanda were in love with each other but had sacrificed their love for the good of their own families. And now that both are widowers with grown-up kids, it is Meera's wish to see her mother married to Shontanu chachu," explains Waqar who has returned to television with a new look. "I lost weight and got a new hairstyle," he smiles. The reason for taking a long break from serials is that he was bored with monotony. "Till 2004, I was shooting 30 days a month and had one serial each on all leading channels. Gradually, I reduced my work and when one show after the other wound up I didn't take up new serials," says Waqar. He feels that after working for 11 years and having done more than 40 serials he needed time to think about the kind of work he should do in future. During the break he did theatre, a few commercials and two off-beat films, Koi Gwala Nahi and Manzar. Among the TV offers he got he chose to do Solah Singaar for his return on the small screen because it's the kind of serial that he wanted to do for his comeback. "The way it's been written, the director's approach and execution make it a far more realistic show than what we have today on air," he adds. If it's a perfect show for Waqar it's the same with Mrinal as well who was not too keen on taking up a daily after doing Avantika for over four years. "I am really charged up about playing the role because Alaknanda is the meatiest character in the serial. The first thing I liked about this serial is its one line - 'how a daughter gets her mother remarried'. Usually when you are offered a daily you only get to know a rough idea about the story and your character. It's for the frst time that I got to know the complete story of the serial, which is full of twists and turns. Even the character's graph is so happening that it's surely going to surprise viewers. Besides, the character is very progressive in her thinking despite the serial's traditional backdrop," elaborates Mrinal who can't hide her excitement. "I am really on a high," she continues. Besides, the serial, the other reason is that for the last one-and-a-half years, she's kept herself busy with four films, three Marathi and one Marathi-English bilingual. "Of the four films, Amol Palekar's Quest was the most exciting one because it was too close to life and was made quite differently," says Mrinal. If Quest made waves in international film festivals, Bayo was screened in the Indian panorama of this year's International Film Festival of India in Goa in November end. "I felt really great," smiles Mrinal who recently turned producer with a travel show called Happy Journey which she is also anchoring. Back from a recent shoot in Egypt for the show, she is again visiting the North African country famous for its pyramids because she couldn't complete the shoot in one week. "I had to rush back to Mumbai to shoot for Solhah Singaar. Egypt is a vast country. There are a lot of places still to be covered for the show. So I have to go there again for another ten days. And this time it will be both work and a holiday with my son Virajesh," she informs. It is holiday time for Akangsha Rawat as well. The model-turned-actor who plays Meera is headed to Bangkok for ten days with her parents. "I need this holiday to recharge myself," says Akangsha who is happy playing a character of her age in the serial. "Like most 19 and 20 years old girls, Meera is careless and thinks the world is only full happiness, till an unfortunate event in the family changes the course of her life completely," she elaborates. "In most serials young girls of my age are mostly playing bahu, mother or saas. Even if the character starts as a young married woman, she soon becomes mother and eventually mother-in-law. But Meera is different. She is young and she is not going to get married and become a mother so soon." But doesn't she have a love interest? "Yes it is there. Abhimanyu is the guy she is in love with. But I don't see marriage happening for at least six months to one year," she clarifies. For Akangsha, playing the main protagonist in her debut serial is not an easy job. "It has already brought in lot of expectations and pressure. When I see my pictures in newspapers and hoardings I get a little scared. But I am learning to handle it all," she grins. Smile is writ large on director Pawan Kumar's face too. He is happy that his show stands out in the clutter of saas-bahu dramas. "May be it's not a big hit like other shows.

But it's being talked about. People are appreciating it," says Kumar who is also directing Zee's Dulhann.... "I give 15 days each to both the shows." In his absence his assistants handle one show while he is busy with the other. What makes him happy is the fact that Dulhann... is also getting positive feedback as well TRP numbers. Kumar is of the view that a director gets lot of opportunity to experiment with new things at the beginning of the show. "Once the show settles down then it becomes more of a routine job. Roz Khana pakane ka kaam ho jata hai," he laughs.

http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=14866