Is Sunny Leone the next Katrina Kaif?

A lot has been said about Katrina Kaif and Nargis Fakhri taking Hindi lessons on the sets of their Bollywood capers. Following their footsteps is none other than the Indo-Canadian hottie Sunny Leone. Shooting for a special episode of Zee TV’s Fear Files, Sunny was seen perfecting her dialogues by learning every bit of Hindi that she could while on the sets of the show. Taking help from the producer of the show and her team, Sunny ended up spending a whole hour after reaching the sets on time since she wanted to get her diction and accent right!

Looking stunning as ever in an LBD (Little black dress), Sunny was a through professional. Insisting that she wouldn’t let the makers of the show dub her dialogues, she stayed on for longer and gave re-takes till the time she was happy with her dialogue delivery. Watching every scene on the monitor after a take, Sunny was so conscious about her Hindi that she insisted on having some time alone in her vanity van to rehearse her lines in front of a mirror before she could face the camera. Her dedication towards her work and that too, for a brief promotional appearance for her film ‘Ragini MMS’ surprised the cast and crew of Fear Files!

Before Sunny, Katrina Kaif and Nargis Fakhri have managed to carve a niche for themselves in Bollywood only after hours and hours with their language coach and Hindi diction classes. It sure looks like Sunny is following suit and getting her act together for a serious shot at acting. Has the sensuous diva just about managed or done extraordinarily well with her Hindi prowess? You’ll have to watch the episode of ‘Fear Files’ to find out!
 
For more, watch the Sunny Leone special Fear Files on 16th March at 10:30 PM, Only on Zee TV!

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Sunny Leone’s Baby Doll goes Desi for Pavitra Rishta

You’ve seen her in the sexiest, most glamorous western outfits … for the first time, catch hottie Sunny Leone in a desi avatar … Yes, for her appearance on Zee TV’s popular primetime drama, Pavitra Rishta, where she landed up to promote her upcoming flick ‘Ragini MMS 2’, Sunny wore a shimmery beige saree with a black bustiere.

Dancing away with abandon to her catchy ditty ‘Baby doll’, Sunny Leone had heads turning and jaws dropping on the set of Pavitra Rishta with this desi look.

Pavitra Rishta’s in-house beauty Ankita Lokhande went out of her way and personally purchased a gorgeous white Manish Malhotra saree for her joint performance with Sunny.

Together, the duo were red hot and smashing on the dance floor, keeping the show’s hero Naren (played by Karan Mehra) on his toes.

This sequence happens Naren surprises Ankita by taking her to a restaurant where Sunny Leone is performing … viewers of Pavitra Rishta can look forward to this evening of dance and entertainment on Wednesday, 12th March at 9 PM, only on Zee TV.

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Thank God Mohit is nothing like Samrat:Addite

He sends most women with a reasonable sense of self-respect fuming and gritting their teeth with his flawless portrayal of the egoistic, male chauvinist Samrat in Doli Armaanon Ki. The manner in which he approaches screen wife Urmi (played by Neha Marda) – often berating her for no fault of her’s, coming down heavily on her for standing up for a woman whose modesty has been compromised by local ruffians, blaming her for another man taking undue interest in her, Samrat is the anti-hero women are bound to hate.

But, actor Mohit Mallik, if his wife Addite’s testimonial is anything to go by, is a far cry from this insensitive brute he plays in the show. Speaking of his role, Mohit said, “I completely understand that my character of Samrat in Doli Armaanon Ki is a pet-hate amongst women.

He is the kind of husband no woman would ever want for herself. I feel my character is teaching girls across the country about the kind of man not to marry. However, ever since I have taken on this role, I have received a lot of hate mails for the way I treat Urmi but I consider that a mark of my success as an actor.

If the profile of the character I play entails male chauvinism, having outdated sexist views, double standards for men and women, hypocrisy, I must embody these traits and display them convincingly. If the kind of strong negative backlash I am currently receiving is anything to go by, I am doing a pretty decent job with the role. ”

So, when we asked Mohit’s wife Addite what he is really like in person, she said, “He is deeply respectful towards women unlike Samrat. He definitely does not subscribe to dated, age-old views on gender roles.

He is quite a romantic at heart, a very loving, understanding, supportive partner … he and I barely have any issues. I’m truly blessed! So, touch wood, Mohit is nothing like Samrat … if he ever dared to exhibit any of those chauvinistic traits, he has me back at home to deal with (laughs)”

His co-star Neha Marda adds, “Mohit is a genuinely good soul and a warm friendly co-star in stark contrast to his on screen image. Wherever we go, fans flock to me and are genuinely jittery and wary of him thanks to his on-screen persona. But within minutes, his infectious smile and charming ways make them warm up to him.

He is particularly fond of kids, his current craze is the latest entrant on our sets – the child actor who plays Diwakar’s daughter Mandira. Between takes, he’s constantly playing around with her, pulling pranks on those around. He’s a sweetheart!”

With both your on screen and off-screen leading ladies vouching for you, we trust Mohit to be a good guy after all!

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Grand Wedding on Zee TV’s AurPyaar Ho Gaya!

Lavish wedding costumes and heavy ornaments are not restricted only to the Rajshri movies...Our telly tube weddings celebrations are no less in matching up to the perfection & grandeur of big screen. They go to great lengths to make the bride and groom’s wedding look exclusive for the viewers… Marriages in India are marked by a lot of customs and traditions that are religiously followed to this day and in scripting these for television, there’s an opportunity to make it a visual delight for audiences and set new fashion trends. In the ongoing track of the wedding sequence of Zee TV’s AurPyaar Ho Gaya, Akshat (WaseemMushtaq) &Arpita (Niketa Agrawal), some of the fabrics used for Arpita’s elaborate lehenga have been brought directly from Jodhpur and other cities known for its handiwork that has lent it an authenticity. The costumes for the entire wedding track has been designed by renowned television stylist, Nikhat Mariyam Neerusha.

The purse strings were let loose. The intricately designed lehnga made for the Khandelwal family's daughter-in-law Arpitacosts approx. Rs.5 lakhsand the entire outfit weighs 25 kgs. The lehenga is the highlight of all the outfits created for the wedding sequence as it was crafted by the expert jodhpuri workersand it took almost a month to make the bride’s costume. Keeping in mind the Marwari culture, original gottapatti, zardozi and kashab work has been used on the lehenga making it as exquisite as possible! The lehenga looks resplendent and the intricate embroidery, stone work, heavy embellishments, heavy border and the falling dupatta makes Arpita look like a royal princess, oozing out panache and poise.

Neerusha says, “My philosophy is very simple – it has to be impressive and stylish. I love the Indian craftsmanship and prefer working with it anyday. After doing a lot of research, I finally designed Arpita’s bridal wear with a variety of fabrics to give it a rich & elegant look. Right from the colours, fabric to the embroidery, care has been taken to keep the authenticity of the Marwari culture. A lot of handiwork from Jaipur, Lucknow, Kashmir and Kolkata have gone into the ensemble and it’s taken over a month to get ready…The colours are ivory, pale jade, bright pink, mustard, red and gold to muted browns, sapphire, beige and the likes. The lehengastudded with crystals and hand madegotawill make a lot of heads turn.The rich quality of these costumes have never been seen before on Indian television screens and it will be remembered for a long time."

She adds, “Indian weddings are very bright events, filled with ritual and celebration, and unvaryingly checked with amazing ceremonies and spectacle, which is the reason they are the most watched on television across the world. An Indian wedding is an infusion of cultures, a celebration of family and friends, and a natural setting that can take anyone’s breath away, especially the gorgeous Indian wedding dresses that add to the style of the whole function. It’s a designers dream to put together such a collection like we’ve done for Arpita’s wedding and I for one enjoyed it thoroughly.”

Actress Niketa Agrawal (Arpita) says “This is definitely a dream wedding for me as personally red is my favorite color and it is just a sheer coincidence that without knowing my favorite color, Neerusha designed a splendid red outfit for me. I always wanted my wedding outfit to be in this color. I feel like a princess!"Actor WaseemMushtaq (Akshat) echoed a similar sentiment. "All I can say is that this is going to be the visual spectacle for the audience”.

                                  AurPyaar Ho Gaya airs Mon–Fri at 10PM only on Zee TV

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I am so glad Urmi’s turning more assertive now:Neha Marda

Actress Neha Marda speaks about how her character in Doli Armaanon Ki is all set to stand up for herself and set an example for women trapped in troubled marriages across India

In an exciting new twist on Zee TV’s popular primetime drama ‘Doli Armaanon Ki’, the lead protagonist Urmi (played by Neha Marda) will soon find out that her neighbor Chhavi’s husband is cheating on her with another woman. While a women’s group attacks the other woman in question, Urmi raises some extremely pertinent questions – As women, instead of attacking the ‘other’ woman, does it not occur to you to question Chhavi’s husband on why HE chose not to respect the vows of his marriage? Why always only blame the other woman? Is a man less accountable for his actions? Is it not Chhavi’s husband’s responsibility to preserve the sanctity of his marriage and stay faithful to his wife?

Without a doubt, Urmi’s rational, progressive take on the issue is bound to create a stir with her male chauvinistic, sexist husband Samrat (Played by Mohit Mallik). He will slam her down for having unduly interfered in a matter that was not her business to begin with. He will firmly oppose her views resulting in a showdown that will see Urmi pack her bags and walk out of her sasuraal.

Speaking of the transition in her character Urmi’s graph, Neha said, “I am extremely glad Urmi is now beginning to assert herself as a woman in the upcoming track of the show. So far, as a new bride, her journey with Samrat post-marriage has been one of disillusionment, disappointment and letdowns, wherein she has had to constantly adjust and come to terms with several aspects of Samrat’s personality that jar with her sensibilities. Many of her hopes and dreams of finding a loving, sensitive and supportive life partner have been crushed with Samrat’s outdated, sexist and typically chauvinistic views on the man-woman relationship. In the coming days, viewers will be happy to see her refusing to bow down to his whims and fancies. She isn’t about to be pushed around. She has a mind of her own and will assert her own views, even if this means ticking her husband off.”

She adds, “There are millions of women across our country who enter marriage with hopes and dreams about an ideal life partner, only to realize that the reality they are dealt with, is a far cry from all they had hoped and prayed for. But with the pressure on them to make their marriages work, they begin to over-compromise on practically every front. While a healthy amount of compromise and adjustments are a part and parcel of any partnership, being made to compromise on one’s basic rights as a woman, is a sign of being trapped in a troubled marriage. I am extremely glad that the subject of Doli Armaanon Ki delves into the issue of – how much and on what fronts should a woman be open to compromise in a marriage and what subjects should constitute a deal-breaker where she stands up and says – Sorry! I refuse to put up with this! If the show awakens even a fraction of the women trapped in troubled marriages in our country and helps them find their voice, I will feel all our efforts have been worth it!”

Stay tuned to ‘Doli Armaanon Ki’ every Monday-Friday at 10:30 PM, only on Zee TV.

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DID L'il Masters audition in Delhi: Boy Interrupted!

While auditioning for DID L’il Masters Season 3 in Delhi, Geeta Kapoor & Ahmad Khan mistook a boy for a girl…

The auditions of DID L’il Masters Season 3 had loads of shocking moments for judges Geeta Kapoor, Ahmad Khan and Mudassar Khan. While the kids surprised the judges with their dancing prowess, their back-stories were nothing short of being extraordinary.

One such talent that left the judges speechless was little wonder – Nishkarsh Dixit from Delhi. All of 7 years of age, Nishkarsh entered the audition hall holding his mother’s hand. With utmost innocence and a sincerity on his face, Nishkarsh gave his hundred percent. Dancing with all his might, the judges mistook Nishkarsh’s perfection, grace and style and thought that it was a girl performing! Shocked after discovering that he is actually a boy, the judges asked him if he has been trained professionally to be dancing with so much grace! To which little Nishkarsh said, “I am a huge Madhuri Dixit fan and want to grow up and match steps with her. I love dressing up like a girl and have learnt laavani and know contemporary and Bollywood dance styles as well. My mother supports me in all that I do, but it is just my father who does not approve of my passion for dance.” Listening to Nishkarsh’s story, the judges were all glad to learn that Nishkarsh has full support of his mother and hence got a chance to audition on this coveted platform.

With dreams in his little eyes, Nishkarsh hopes to share the stage with Madhuri someday. However, as he enters the competition, only time will tell if this boy who is misunderstood to be a girl will end up being a part of the Top 18 finalists in this season of DID L’il Masters.

DID L’il Masters Season 3, starts March 1st on Saturday and Sunday at 9 PM, Only on Zee TV!

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