BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) In keeping with the trend of re-telecasting hit old TV shows during the COVID-19 lockdown, the popular "Balika Vadhu" is in for a re-run, and actress Avika Gor, who played the central role of Anandi in the serial, is clearly on cloud nine.## Taking to Instagram Story, Avika posted a video that shows her singing the show's title track, "Choti Si Umar Mein", a Rajasthani folk.## "Balika Vadhu re-telecast... I am so overwhelmed," she captioned the video, thanking her other former co-stars.## "Balika Vadhu" was aired from 2008 to 2016. The show deals with the issue of child marriage. The cast included Surekha Sikri, Vikrant Massey, and Sidharth Shukla.## Colors channel decided to re-telecast the show in the wake of several Doordarshan repeats including "Ramayan", "Mahabharat", "Byomkesh Bakshi", "Circus", and "Shrimaan Shrimaati". Several other private channels have also already brought back many popular old shows.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) "Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal", which ran from 2014 to 2016, is back on television. Its cast members Vishal Kotian, Delnaaz Irani and Kishwer Merchantt went down memory lane to shared some anecdotes from the shoot.## The popular historical comedy, with a lot of drama, suspense, and thrills, was inspired by the tales of Akbar and Birbal.## Vishal, who played Birbal in the show, said: "My experience of working in the show was amazing as I was surrounded by a set of close friends. Sometimes, magic just happens and the exact thing happened with this show. Nobody knew at that time that '...Akbar Birbal' will become such a hit."## "I remember when I first went for the reading session for the show, Kiku (Sharda) and I were there and this movie 'Jodhaa Akbar' had released and was already a huge hit. So I had the image of Akbar as a well-built guy and when I went for the reading, I actually thought that I was called for the role of Akbar as I believed it suited me more. When I started doing the show, I realized how Birbal's character is so much like me in real life as well.## "Another thing which changed with the show was my Hindi, as being a Mumbaikar, my Hindi was not up to the mark and no one could have thought of casting me in a show like '...Akbar Birbal' but as the show progressed, my Hindi actually improved," he added.## Delnaaz was seen as Maharani Jodha in the TV show. "There are some beautiful memories associated with the show. As we used to spend most of our time on the sets, each one of us had decorated our rooms as per our choice and requirement. For instance, my room had a prayer corner, office corner, Mirchi lights and I would light a Diya every day.## "On the other hand, Kiku being a foodie, had his room filled with eatables, fridge, microwave, etc. There was altogether a different level of comfort between each and every member of the show where we were like one big happy family on the set."## Kishwer essayed the role of Urvashi, a beautiful dancer appointed by Emperor Akbar.## "It's a show that has been very close to my heart and always will be. This was a character that I thought I could never pull off but I still ended up giving it a shot. I am not very comfortable with comedy as most of my roles have been negative characters. But working with Kiku, Delnaaz and Vishal actually taught me a lot," she said.## "Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal" is aired on BIG Magic.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Veteran Gujarati actor Arvind Trivedi, who became a household name all over India playing Raavan in Ramanand Sagar's "Ramayan", got emotional while watching the re-run of the popular mythological serial.## In a video circulating on social media, Trivedi, who is in his eighties now, is seen watching the 'Sita Apaharan' (Kidnapping of Sita) episode with great attention. The video has gone viral on the internet.## In the video, Trivedi folds his hands in the end. The scene got him very emotional, as per a report by timesofindia.indiatimes.com.## Amid the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown, the popular mythological series is being re-telecast on Doordarshan.## "Ramayan" aired in 1987-1988, and is created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The show was a television adaptation of the Indian Hindu epic of the same name.## The show was a game-changer for Indian television, hooking the nation to the show. Sunday mornings were never the same for families in India after the first episode of "Ramayan" aired on television. The impact was such that the actors associated with the show, continue to live under the shadow of their characters, with people remembering them for the roles they played in the show, which narrated the life story of Lord Ram and Sita.## The role of Ram was played by Arun Govil, Sita played by Deepika Chikhalia, Lakshman was played by Sunil Lahiri, and Hanuman by late Dara Singh. It also featured Sanjay Jog, late Vijay Arora, Sameer Rajda, late Mulraj Rajda, and late Lalita Pawar.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Actor Shashank Vyas is not a social media addict. He says he chose not to make his personal life public by posting pictures or tweeting private details.## "All this time I have been accused of not being on social media by my fans. I don't take social media seriously. It is a fun thing and I only use it to reach out to my fans, that too once in a month," said the young actor.## "One has a choice of being on it or not being on it. I choose not to make my personal life public by posting pictures or tweeting private details. It is an individual choice at the end of the day. Posting everything online and then complaining of invasion of privacy is a hypocritical thing to do," he added.## He feels that just like having a million followers won't affect his craft, similarly having fewer followers won't affect his "dream, my health, and my craft".## "Through social media, one only wants to seek social validation or adulation to feel good about themselves. In other words, it is all illusionary space. The key to happiness is in my pocket and not in someone else's hand," he said.## Meanwhile, Shashank said that he has always tried to concentrate on his work and agrees that there might not be too many great roles out there.## "Any seasoned actor who in the real sense is passionate about acting, will not pick up a role casually. There is a huge scarcity of good writers. Right now, only supernatural shows are getting made, which does not offer much to an actor in terms of creative satisfaction," he said.## "Many fantastic actors say no owing to the lack of good scripts. A script has to be so compelling that you hear it once and you know you would like to be a part of it. If the role is well-written on paper then an actor has to be physically and mentally present and everything will turn out good. The part where an actor is not convinced is the logic bit. The audience today is spoilt for choice with the vast amount of shows to choose from and they will not accept just about anything. The content has to be compelling," added the "Balika Vadhu" actor.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 12 (IANS) Former "Bigg Boss 13" contestant Shehnaaz Gill is utilizing her lockdown time into self-care and working out.## Shehnaaz, who is fondly called as "Punjab ki Katrina", took to her Instagram stories and shared a photograph of the sun.## She captioned the image, which was taken at 6.58 a.m.: "Working out makes me feel free and alive."## On the work front, Shehnaaz recently featured in a music video with her "Bigg Boss 13" co-contestant titled "Bhula Dunga".## The song was released on March 24 on Indie Music Label's official YouTube channel and is composed by Darshan Raval.## The romantic track's video showcases the sizzling chemistry between Sidharth and Shehnaaz, who made a lot of headlines for their close bond in the reality show.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 12 (IANS) Actor Rohitashv Gour feels that watching comedy shows at this time of distress, is great.## "I agree that corona has taken a toll on the whole world, but if in this time we take too much stress and panic, then our lives will become a mess. So it would be better to keep a positive attitude and try to spread positivity around through the medium of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram," he said.## "Watching comedy shows at this time is very helpful because we get to laugh, which is a good thing. We become stress-free for some period of time and our minds get diverted," he added.## His comedy show "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai" is being telecast now.## "This is a good thing as people who have missed the old episodes will catch up and we are getting very good responses on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. People are very happy," he said.## The actor has also been seeing some of the episodes. "After seeing myself in the show, I feel that I would have done a little better and will try to improvise in the coming episodes," he said.## On what he is watching now, he said: "I always try to watch comedy shows. I would recommend shows such as 'Lapataganj', 'Malgudi Days'. Movies such as 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro' is a good option. In old shows, you can see 'Mr. Yogi', 'Wagle Ki Duniya' and 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi'."## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 11 (IANS) Even as talk has been rife all through Saturday that the ongoing Covid-19 induced lockdown is likely to continue for two more weeks, there is good news for couch potatoes.## Given the good response to the re-telecast of several old popular TV shows among new-age audiences, Sony SAB has decided to re-run its hit sitcom "Office Office".## The show stars Pankaj Kapur as retired schoolmaster Mussaddi Lal Tripathi and narrates his struggles to get work done in corrupt offices in a satirical manner.## On hearing the news of the show's return, actor Deven Bhojani, who played a pivotal role in the show, got nostalgic.## "It's a great feeling that 'Office Office' is coming back. We made the show in 2001-2002, and after almost two decades it will go on air again. The show is still relatable the way it was then. It is about how a common man suffers when he needs to get something important done amidst the offices of corrupt people.## "In the period of lockdown, when the whole world is going through tension, pain, and sadness, the re-run of 'Office Office' will divert their minds and bring smiles to their faces. I myself am looking forward to such a show," Bhojani said.## "Office Office" will re-run on Sony SAB from April 13.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) "Aladdin Naam Toh Suna Hoga" actress Avneet Kaur is enjoying a new kind of busy schedule at home during the nationwide lockdown.## "I am making the best use of this time away from the shoot and spending most of it with my family as I do not get enough time with them. I'm trying out new things as I am completely free with no stress of studies as well. Recently, we celebrated my brother's birthday and I baked a cake for him and it was one of the highlights during this stay at home period," said Avneet.## She is also utilizing this time to re-arrange her room, wardrobe, and make-up.## "I am creating fun content for my social media handles. This time has also brought me much closer to my family and we are watching movies and shows together as a family. I'm closest to my mother. She is like my best friend. So, we both spend a lot of time together doing mother-daughter things," she said.## She also took a moment to thank her fans.## "Another happiest moment that my entire family celebrated recently was when I touched the 10 million marks on Instagram. I'm extremely grateful to my fans, followers and the viewers of 'Aladdin: Naam Toh Suna Hoga', for all the love and support they have showered me with," said Avneet, who plays Yasmine in the Sony SAB show.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 9 (IANS) Actress Rakhi Vijan is thrilled about her iconic series "Hum Paanch" coming back on the small screen after more than 15 years.## "Hum Paanch" will be back on April 13.## A story of an ordinary yet amusing middle-class family, "Hum Paanch" revolved around Anand Mathur, his second wife - Bina Mathur and his five daughters, who are constantly plotting plans to turn his world upside down. Adding more chaos and confusion to his life is the photo frame of his late wife, who occasionally talks to him and nags him on certain decisions.## "I am very excited about the return of 'Hum Paanch' on Zee TV, not just because the show is finally coming back, but also because it's coming back at a time when everyone is locked down at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it is also coming back due to public demand, which is like a cherry on the cake. I remember very clearly, we entertained the audience for nine long years and with every episode, the TRP's went higher. We used to make people laugh and enjoy, so I feel this is an apt time to come back and entertain everyone. For the amount of time, they will watch the show, people will surely forget their miseries," said Rakhi.## She has many memories associated with the show in which she had played Sweety Mathur.## "I would like to take this opportunity and give a tribute to (producer) Ekta Kapoor. I don't think many people know, but she started her career when she was just 16 years old and she created history by sitting on the boss' chair at such a young age. The best part was that even though she was the boss, she used to come and give us the character brief and script brief personally. In fact, at times, she would even act it out for us, which was really fantastic," said Rakhi.## "To be honest, 'Hum Paanch' was her concept, she did the casting and every episode was also approved by her. Her passion really inspired us. I'd also like to add that the show holds a very special place in my heart because we all (the cast) started off with this show together at a really young age and none of the girls had any traits of competitiveness or jealousy. In fact, we were just like a family. There was always positive energy on the set that actually made 9 years fly by easily," she added.## The decade-long show, which had concluded in 2006, also starred Ashok Saraf, Shoma Anand, Vandana Pathak, Vidya Balan, Bhairavi Raichura and Priyanka Mehra.## For more and latest news about TV, stay tuned with us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 8 (IANS) Actress Urvashi Dholakia has launched her digital chat show called "Trending Now".## In these times of lockdown and home quarantine, Urvashi hopes to make good use of the digital platform by creating personalized content that is informative as well as light and fun.## Through the course of the show, Urvashi will be seen chatting up with personalities from diverse fields.## She has interviewed celebrities like Tony Kakkar, Sriti Jha, and Sumona Chakravarti.## Speaking about "Trending Now", Urvashi said: "Digital media has taken over every possible medium at this moment, and it is the one thing that is successfully moving forward on a high."## "So I too thought of making good use of this space, especially during this home quarantine phase where people are only resorting to what's happening in the digital space. The idea of a candid, fun and light chat show was something that instantly crossed my mind because I am someone who loves to talk and connect with people, and get the best out of them with my humorous and witty side!" she added.## Through "Trending Now", she will be revealing a different side of each guest, bringing out what people don't really know about them.## "All my conversations will be fun, witty, quirky and informative of course, which is what we all need at the moment. But the main aim through them is to lighten the worrisome atmosphere we are living in right now, with a great mind diverter which 'Trending Now' will definitely offer," she said.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 8 (IANS) Actress Karishma Tanna says the lockdown has made her totally filmi.## Karishma shared a TikTok video of herself on Instagram. In the monochrome video, the actress is seen mouthing the lines of the old classic "Kora kagaz tha yeh man mera" from the film "Aradhana". The track is originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar.## "#corona #coronaeffect I have become totally filmy . Hey bhagwaan bachalo (please god save me) ... #tiktok #oldisgold #quarantine," she captioned the video, which currently has over 228K likes.## On the work front, Karishma is currently the part of the action reality show "Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 10" (KKK 10).## The new season is shot in Bulgarian landscapes with actors Ada Khan, Amruta Khanvilkar Karan Patel, Shivin Narang, Tejashwi Prakash, Amruta Khanvilkar and Rani Chatterjee, along with comedian Balraj Syal, RJ Malishka and choreographer Dharmesh Yelande.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, April 8 (IANS) Actor Vivek Dahiya, who met his wife Divyanka Tripathi for the first time on the sets of the TV show "Yeh Hai Mohabbatein", says he would love to work with her again.## "I know our fans are waiting for long to see Divyanka and me together on the screen... I also want to work with her again... It's just that I am waiting for some right project to come our way. If the project is right and script looks interesting, we would definitely give a heads-up," Vivek told IANS.## After dating each other for several months, the two got married in 2016.## Speaking of Vivek's acting projects, he recently wowed the audience with his role in the web series "State Of Siege: 26/11", which is based on the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.## On playing the role of Captain Rohit Bagga on the show, Vivek said: "It was quite challenging for me to do this show as it is based on a true event. I got goosebumps when I wore the uniform for the first time...It was an incredible feeling. I felt more responsible and tried my best to give my 100 percent."## Vivek's character captain Rohit Bagga was away on leave when the terror siege in Mumbai took place and the NSG Commandos were called upon. As soon as he learned of the development, the brave commando immediately called his senior and reported on duty. His senior tried to reason, telling him he was on personal leave and could avoid reporting to work, but Captain Rohit Bagga had insisted that he wanted to be a part of the operation.## Stay tuned...