~Cast & Characters~
With a tightly-focused (though often far from logical 😆) story following the journey of its lead couple, Kumkum Bhagya features a small core cast of highly talented and dedicated actors. The supporting cast includes many accomplished veteran actors also, with special and recurring appearances by a few unforgettable faces!
Kumkum Bhagya follows the journey of Pragya Arora, a simple girl at heart who goes from being a literature professor at a quiet college to being the wife of India's only rockstar overnight. In the quest to attain a peaceful life with her unexpected "Suniye," Pragya faces her battles with sheer conviction and an unfaltering smile. However, she also has realistic responses to setbacks along the way as even her epic patience has a limit. Most of all, she is known for standing right back up to tough it out again and again.
Sriti Jha essays the role to perfection, setting the bar higher with the always evolving avatars of Pragya - from the practical & dutiful elder daughter of the Arora family to Abhi's feisty unwanted "Chashmish" bride to infatuated & devoted Fuggi to sizzlingly independent Mogambo to the rockstar's secretary/best friend Nikku and surely more to come. In emotional scenes, the impact of Sriti's performances are unparalleled, while her comic timing, especially in the memorable Drunk Pragya sequences, is one of the show's biggest assets. Celebrating 10 years in the industry in 2017, Sriti is known for her complex past roles, most notably Jhanvi & Sia in Dil Se Di Dua...Saubhagyavati Bhava, Sandhya in Rakt Sambandh, and Devika & Sudha in Jyoti. With Kumkum Bhagya, Sriti has become a household name not only in India but across the globe, capturing hearts as the beautiful-inside-and-out Pragya -- and we can't wait to see what more is in store!
Abhishek Prem Mehra aka Abhi the Rockstar is the male lead of Kumkum Bhagya, a man who came from poverty to become a wealthy and influential celebrity based on his musical talent and dedication. Initially an egocentric and cynical guy who doesn't believe in love, Abhi's experiences with Pragya have changed his perspective in life. While it took him a long time to fall in love and overcome the misunderstandings that formed the basis of his marriage, and even though they are separated for some reason or another in every track, time and time again Abhi's heart has found its way back to Pragya.
Shabir Ahluwalia brings Abhi to life with his formidable talent and swooning good looks, attracting audiences worldwide. Kumkum Bhagya marks Shabir's major come back to TV after his previous hits Kahiin Toh Hoga and Kayamath. Abhi's witty dialogues and hilarious puns are one of the biggest highlights of the show, while Shabir's powerhouse performances in emotional, angsty scenes never fail to leave one in tears. We are excited to see both our onscreen Rockstar and the real life hero of our hearts reach greater heights of success in coming years!
Purab, Aaliya & Tanu are three key characters in Kumkum Bhagya - for three very different reasons! Purab Khanna is Abhi's best friend and as close to Pragya has ever had to a brother. Currently played by the dazzling and humble Vin Rana, previously the lead actor of ZeeTV's Vishkanya, Purab's loyalty & never-ending efforts to unite AbhiGya make him an invaluable player in the story!
Shikha Singh brings edge & glamour to the role of Aaliya Mehra, Abhi's spoiled and at times seemingly-psychotic little sister. Aaliya's love for her brother and for her former fiance Purab has taken her down dark paths as the show has unfolded, and yet there are moments where she truly does seem to care about them both. Prior to becoming the lead villain in Kumkum Bhagya, Shikha's major roles included Shikhandi/Shikhandini in Mahabharat & Amba in Na Aana Is Des Laado.
Well-loved for her prior roles in Ek Nayi Chhoti Si Zindagi and Punar Vivah, Leena Jumani
has carried the role of Tanu Mehta since October 2014 and borne the brunt of
the hate directed at the character with grace and patience. Aaliya's best friend and Abhi's sometimes-girlfriend Tanu is a villain of equal stature to Aaliya. The one-time supermodel initially rejected marriage with Abhi in favour of her career, but her paranoia of losing him to Pragya soon turned into an obsession that has led to ever-more wicked deeds. Her biggest plan to date was to trap Abhi into marriage by falsely accusing him of fathering her child, to cover up a pregnancy from a one-night stand. This became the basis for Kumkum Bhagya's infamous year-long pregnancy track, but even when that plan failed Tanu managed to keep a place in Abhi's life.
Although they have moved on from the show, no history of Kumkum Bhagya is complete without mention of Mrunal Thakur and Arjit Taneja. The jodi of Bulbul and Purab known fondly as RaBul caught the imaginations of thousands of viewers who eagerly followed the love story of two good-hearted young people whose union was constantly threatened and delayed. Although they finally married in a sudden mandir ceremony in late 2015, their happiness was short-lived as Bulbul was compelled to apparent suicide within a few days of the wedding. After her loss, Purab has devoted his life to carrying out her last wishes and trying to unite Abhi and Pragya once and for all. Mrunal and Arjit are currently seen together on the Indonesian show Nadin, an exciting development for the many devoted fans of this amazing onscreen duo who are also great offscreen friends.
Arora House in Chembur is Pragya and Bulbul's family home, a cozy, middle-class house full of love and warmth. Its residents and visitors include:
- Sarla Maa played by Supriya Shukla; Pragya's mother, known for her anxious care as well as her fierce temper, and adored by both her beloved daughter Pragya and her cherished son-in-law "betaji" Abhi
- Balbir Arora played by Madhu Raja; Pragya's dadi, known for her love of "cough syrup" aka desi sharab and given the nickname Rockstar Dadi by Abhi after his unforgettable Pag Phere experience at Arora House
- Janki Amma, a working lady with nursing experience, who has always been treated as a family member by the Aroras and who is known for her love, dedication, and Punjabi dialogues!
- Purvi played by Charu Mehra; Janki's daughter and initially a bubbly, lovable younger sister to Pragya and Bulbul, Purvi's unfortunate exit in the show came at the hands of Aaliya, who made her a scapegoat for Pragya's first kidnapping which Purvi had no involvement in at all
- Suresh Srivastav played by Faisal Rashid; once Pragya's best friend and even her fiance for a short time (twice!), Suresh is known primarily for his stern personality and for his unrequited love for Bulbul. Although he has not been seen since 2015, Suresh's importance in the early part of the show can never be forgotten.
Mehra Mansion is home to Abhi's family, and it is the setting for the majority of scenes on the show. It can sometimes seem more like a madhouse than a family home! While it is often busy with parties for every occasion, its regular residents - present, past, and recurring - include:
- Daljeet Mehra aka Dadi played by Daljeet Soundh; Abhi's dadi and the head of the Mehra household, known for her extreme dependence on both Abhi and Pragya and their number one fan though her choices don't always help them be together...!
- Indu Daasi played by Roshan Khan; Dadi's younger cousin who initially came for AbhiGya's wedding but who has stayed on as a much needed support to Dadi and an irreplaceable source of both comic comfort and true wisdom for all members of the family
- Swarni Daasi, Dadi's elder cousin, known for her love of naps! Also a guest for AbhiGya's wedding, she has not been seen in many months, leading us to believe she is probably back home for now
- Taiji aka Pammi Mehra played by Shivani Sopori; Abhi's chachi is known for being both greedy and lazy, but unlike other soap aunties she has never been known to plot serious harm...as yet!
- Tauji aka Ajay Mehra played by Ajay Trehan; known for having very few dialogues but always being a solid source of support; also constantly teases Taiji in that cute middle-aged married way that gives some of us future marriage #goals 😉
- Mithali Bhabhi played by Suwati Anand; occupying a unique role as a sometimes-villain, sometimes-good-gal, Mithali Bhabhi can reliably be found on the scene of any major happening, ready with her trademark amazed expressions; she is also the best comic character on the show whose presence helps give Kumkum Bhagya its unique light-hearted tone
- Raj Bhaiyya played by Anurag Sharma; initially a very principled and moral man, Raj Bhaiyya took the villain route for a time due to mistakenly blaming AbhiGya for troubles actually caused by his wife Mithali; he is now repentant, but the problems in his marriage remain unresolved leading us to wonder if another dark turn may lie ahead for this compelling character
- Rachna Srivastav Mehra played by Aditi Rathore; the original "pregnant woman" of Kumkum Bhagya, Rachna finally got a happy ending when Pragya helped her finalize her marriage to Aakash; a great support to Pragya who has sadly moved on, presumably living elsewhere in India with her husband and their baby son Bittu...safe from the shenanigans at Mehra Madhouse!
- Aakash Mehra played by Ankit Mohan; initially a spoiled brat, Aakash quickly grew into a responsible young man once Abhi made him his manager; now married to Rachna, he was last heard of as being made responsible for an important work project which required him to move away from Mumbai with Rachna and Bittu
- Robin, the main domestic staff member at Mehra Mansion, a fan favourite as well as being adored by his Pragya Ma'am and Abhi Sir
- Babli & Bunty Mehra, the children of Raj and Mithali who are unfortunately usually away at boarding school, but they can be counted on to excitedly call Pragya "chachi" when they aren't supposed to. Recently their joint birthday party became an occasion for adult drama, while in the past Bunty's toy car gifted by Abhi played a major role in solving the mysteries of the MMS track.
- Ronnie (played by Rajor Raj) & Payal were the unforgettable rival PA's brought in by Pragya and Abhi as proxies in their wars during the Mogambo track. They featured in many comic sequences but also played important supporting roles for AbhiGya at a time of deep confusion.
No show is complete without a crew of villains! While Tanu and Aaliya (fondly known as TaAliya!) carry most of the villain-ing weight, there are some other important names to note as well:
- Nikhil Sood played by Rajat Dahiya (current) and Nikkhil Arya (previous); the father of Tanu's stillborn child, Nikhil has come to be known as Tanu's boyfriend though initially he was more of the one-night-stand-from-hell (the kind that won't leave you alone even when you're done with them!); he covets Abhi's wealth and has a fixation on ending Pragya's life, though his motives seem to change with time and thankfully he has not been successful in his nefarious goals yet.
- Special mention to Madhurimma Tuli, who originally played Tanu with a dangerous, sultry air that left a permanent impression. Madhu's beautiful friendship with the cast members continues to this day
so that she is often seen at award functions with the Kumkum
Bhagya team :)
- Neel Thakur aka The Corporator played by Neel Motwani, a recurring villain from 2014-2016 whose initial obsession with Bulbul's beauty eventually turned him into a major antagonist in AbhiGya's life. Responsible for the epic first kidnapping of AbhiGya and known to have an unresolved tension of a sort with Aaliya, though neither of them might admit it ;)
- Mr & Mrs Mehta are Tanu's parents, played by Bobby Khanna & Roma Lavani; can be counted on to support their daughter's whims even when she's in the wrong, and have been known to pressure & manipulate Abhi to marry Tanu...even when he's already married!
- Vijay played by Mohit Daga, a hired assassin whose attempts to kill Pragya never quite worked out, though her willingness to play nursemaid when he was injured led to a tiny spark of jealousy from Abhi for which reason he must always be remembered 😆
- Saira played by Staffy Chhabra, Pragya's boss at the Love Life Music Company in the early part of the memory loss track. While she seemed like a kind and good-hearted person at first, she allowed Aaliya to bribe her into trapping Pragya in a truly ugly false molestation case which Abhi was thankfully quick to defuse.
To all members of the KKB cast
past, present & recurring:
THANK YOU
FROM ALL OF US!
