Super Dancer Chapter 2
Anurag Basu turns photographer on Super Dancer Chapter 2
Super Dancer Chapter 2 is back with a bang on Sony Entertainment Television. During the recent audition phase, Anurag Basu found a perfect way to spend his free time in between breaks.

After seeing some superb performances, everyone settled for a break and instead of going to the vanity van, Anurag preferred hanging out on the set and capturing everyone on camera.

The director/producer borrowed the onset cameraperson’s lenses and started clicking everything and everyone that he could capture in his camera. He was seen enjoying the same and the ones present on set definitely didn’t mind getting clicked by him

Super Dancer Chapter 2 kick starts on 30 September, 8:00PM
Zee TV's Dil Dhoondhta Hai

Mumbai, Sep 16: A new Hindi television show set in Mumbai's 'chawl' attempts to question the pros and cons of community living.

The Zee TV show, titled Dil Dhoondta Hai, aims to highlight the struggles of the Indian middle class whose dreams surpass the boundaries of the small houses they reside in.
Producer Nitin Vaidya of Dashami Creations, said in a statement: "Dil Dhoondta Hai ventures deep into the heart of Mumbai's chawl-life set-up, and focuses on the very real struggles of space and privacy that the middle class faces while also touching upon the warmth and togetherness that comes along with this lifestyle."

The story is about Raavi (Shivya Pathania), whose house in Punjab was a standalone accomodation with seperate rooms for each family member, and Vishy (Stavan Shinde) who has a Maharashtrian family that stays in a small room in a Mumbai chawl.
While Raavi gets used to it, claustrophobia gradually begins to set in for the couple as they crave for privacy and space.

"Their life reflects the ever-increasing dilemma of choosing between community living and a more nuclear set-up," Vaidya said.

Deepak Rajadhyaksha, Deputy Business Head at Ze TV, said: "The show depicts how modern India, despite being upwardly mobile, continues to be deeply attached to its core culture of family togetherness."

Dil Dhoondta Hai, which also features actors Ashish Dixit, Pratiksha Jha, Rajan Bhise, Purnima Talvalkar, Varsha Dandle and Hunza Sabir in pivotal roles, will go on air from 21 September.
Zee TV’s Aisi Deewangi

2017 Kaun Banega Crorepati

Sony TV’s Ek Deewana

Sony TV’s Vighnaharta Ganesh

The gorgeous Akanksha Puri is getting rave reviews for her portrayal of Devi Parvati in Sony TV’s Vighnaharta Ganesh. That’s not the only thing that keeps Puri excited about the show.
Well something really funny transpired with the damsel on the sets yesterday (13 September).
It so happened, Akanksha’s makeup guy took away her makeup room’s keys and left. When the lady found her room locked she tried calling the person, only to find his number to be switched off. Puri got furious and called for production guys to unlock the room but there were no alternate keys to the room.
The furious Akanksha was on the verge of losing her temper as she waited outside her room. To rescue her, the whole unit came running and what happened next left the lady chortling.
Akanksha revealed, “The production couldn’t find another key but soon my anger changed into laughter. When all production people including my DOP, hair dresser, creatives and costume designers picked up one astra (weapon) in their hand and came running.”
Some used trishul, while some used their daggers while other drew their sword. Every unit member had a weapon used by the Lords in the mythological drama. However, all their efforts were in vain.
“Everyone failed and finally my director, Neeraj Pandey came with a wooden stick and broke the locks in just one go,” Puri quipped.
So what did the Akanksha learn from the incident? The actress has a witty revert. She replied, “After this incident, I know who all are quite experienced in breaking locks and whom to call when I’m in trouble next time.”
Well, TellyChakkar.com can now humbly accept director Neeraj Pandey's adeptness in breaking locks.
Star Bharat’s Nimki Mukhiyaa

Star Bharat 'Saam Daam Dand Bhed'

Life OK has now rechristened itself to a new channel called Star Bharat and this meant the introduction of a new lot of shows which come with the promise of freshness and novelty.

And amidst this lot, one of the most talked about and awaited shows has been the political drama, Saam Daam Dand Bhed. With an alluring starcast and a fresh concept, the show was launched with a bang and a few episodes down, I analyse the show's performance and how will it hold in future.

The Story So Far


Set in the backdrop of a village called Kaushalpur, we are introduced to a brothel, where a drunk policeman wants to have sex with a young girl, just because she is the daughter of a prostitute. The mother pleads and begs, only to fail at the same. This act is followed by plotting the policeman into a trap where the inspector would assume that he will have his moment with the girl only to be fooled completely.


There couldn't have been a better way to introduce the one and only Vijay Namdhari (Bhanu Uday), as the man is shown giving a piece of him to the characterless Inspector, as he beats the hell out of him. A montage explains us how Vijay, inspite of being an educated individual is unemployed which is also courtesy, the corruption in the system. Now, he is an outlaw who steals from the rich, but is a savior to the victimized common people.


Then there is a different side to the man, when he is at home and is loved by his nephew, niece, sister and sister-in-law. The only person Vijay is petrified of, is his elder brother, Prabhath (Akshay Anand) as the latter considers him to be a careless man who doesn't take his responsibilities seriously.


After a lot of complicated situations, Vijay comes in contact with Mandira (Sonal Vengurlekar) in the most unanticipated ways, where he learns that she is not the quintessential docile girl who would bend down to patriarchy or injustice. She has the answers to all the questions and tricks Vijay not only once, but twice. Evidently, Vijay is now in love with her.


These romantic and comical moments are nothing but fillers to the convoluted saga of plotting, betrayal and dirty politics that the show has to offer. The same is clarified when the Chief Minister of the state is shown to be a corrupt, tyrannical and ruthless individual who asks his cousin, Pankaj (Gireesh Sahdev) to kill Govind Babu, as he is the biggest barrier to their schemes and rule in Kaushalpur. 

A good man who is living for the people, Govind isn't aware that he is being plotted against by the 'bad men.'


Govind is finally killed with none other than the help of Vijay (who is unknown to this whole plot and gets tricked by Pankaj, as he works for him). This leaves Prabhat devastated owing to his friendship with Govind and his concern for people's welfare.


The game of politics gets bigger as after Govind's death, Vijay is manipulated by Pankaj to make him help the latter in the upcoming elections which has gotten Vijay to be ecstatic; while on the other hand, a Guruji at an ashram asks Prabhat to contest for the elections as he is now their only hope.


The news about Vijay being Prabhat's brother finally reaches Pankaj which makes him more anxious than ever, followed by Vijay's 'accident' on his bike. 

Will the loving brothers be unknowingly up against each other? How will Vijay end up being a candidate himself? Only time will tell.

What's Good?


The Story. Yes! This is my umpteenth review and an array of good and bad shows have come and gone. However, none of them has managed to have a clear and crisp storyline in recent times, except Beyhadh (which also had its loopholes). With Saam Daam Dand Bhed, the story is what makes the show a must watch. As intricate as the plot of the show is, the execution of the same is brilliantly done. It was touted to be a political drama and it absolutely lives up to that tag. Thank You Star Bharat for giving an aptly woven political drama, which Indian television hasn't seen for ages.


Again. We come across every other show boasting of showcasing family values and to an extent, it does too. However, things get cliched and over the top after a point of time making the show a disappointment. With Saam Daam.., that is not the case. Even though it presents family values and bonds, the treatment is extremely subtle and a part of that credit goes to the performers too.


The cinematography is yet another positive, as albeit there is a commercial touch with the slow-motion shots; they don't look forced and annoying. Also, there is a chase sequence in the show, which is shot in low light. But, even in the dark tones and shadows, the visuals don't become unpleasant.


The background score is spot on and caters to the different situations in the show. And a special and deserved mention goes out to the title track of the show as there is so much power and adrenaline rush in the track which gets you pumped already (I am finding that song to be on my playlist).

What's Not-So-Good?


This is not entirely a negative point, but considering the show will cater to Indian audiences, it comes to play. The ruthlessness, plotting and cunning characters may become 'too much' for the viewers to handle. So, this is more like a remark that needs to be noted (but not changed). 


The love angle between Vijay and Mandira is as filmy as it gets. Fortunately, they have sketched Mandira's character to be an unconventional girl, which makes it a good watch. However, the stalking, the typical 'nok-jhok' moments make the angle a boring visual after a point of time.

The Performances


We not only lack, but absolutely miss actors like Bhanu Uday on Indian television. The man who has barely done 4-5 shows in the span of 12 years couldn't have chosen a better show for a comeback of sorts. The natural and free-flowing performance of the actor as Vijay is absolutely splendid and he lifts up the character to newer heights playing the protagonist. Not many know and wouldn't even guess it that Bhanu is over 36 years old in real life, but his portrayal of 'young guy' in the show makes you forget that completely. We couldn't have been happier with the choice of Bhanu being Vijay Namdhari.


Sonal Vengurlekar as Mandira is impressive and even though her face and body language comes across as a sweet and tamed girl, her character is not that. What makes her character even better is the mystery angle to it, where her roommate tells that 'it is better to stay off Vijay and not fall for him. Because, if that happens, he would be dead.'


Akshay Anand as Prabhat acts the perfect relief and calming figure amidst all this chaos. The show has several loud and negative characters in its essence, but Akshay as Prabhat is not only a delight but his ability of underplaying the character is phenomenal.


It's about time that an actor like Gireesh Sahdev got to portray something that lives up to his potential. Playing the leading bad man in this show, Gireesh is effortlessly ruthless, cunning and even stylish as Pankaj Chaudhari, where he absolutely owns his character.


It's been a while that I have said this, but the supporting cast is equally as good as the main cast; and at times, even better. The actor playing the Chief Minister and his assistant, or the actress playing Vijay's sister-in-law and Prabhat's wife deserve special mentions for fantastic portrayal of their characters.

The Verdict


I was enlightened with the fact how this show is loosely inspired from the Netflix mega show, House Of Cards and just like anyone, I had my doubts immediately. But, when it comes to showcasing the cold-blooded nature of politics, in a mere five episodes, the show has lived up to that convincingly. It's a delight to see an Indian television show display such crisp writing and power-packed performances.

Saam Daam Dand Bhed is a neatly woven, mysterious, callous and convoluted saga of the dirty game of politics with the backdrop of an unconventional and unlikely leader who will change the face of the system. The show is not only a definite watch, but it also has several factors that other TV writers could take lessons for, especially the union of commercialism and content driven presentation. Kudos!
Sony TV Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai

Zee Bangla's Mahalaya

Sony TV Mere Sai
Nagesh Kukunoor's web series "The Test Case"

Jagat Janani Maa Sarada

A lot of things are going to happen in the coming episodes of Aakash Aath’s Jagat Janani Maa Sarada which will keep the viewers hooked to the series!
We hear from our source that the preparation for staging ‘Chaitanyalila’ will progress fast and Deben Majumder (Arnab Banerjee), one of the associates of Girish Ghosh (Sanjib Sarkar), will propose to invite Thakur (Suman Kundu) along with other important guests for the first day first show.
Any guesses how Girish will respond to the idea?

Well, he will disagree with Deben and say that one has to pay and appreciate art.
On the other hand, Aghormoni (Suchismita) will develop a strong bonding with Thakur and Sarada (Arpita Mondol) and finally find her ‘baal gopal’ in Thakur.


There is more on the platter, readers…
Thakur will take a sudden decision and command Rakhal (Krishanu Chatterjee) to go back home in order to lead a family life. He will throw away his beloved Rakhal out of Dakshineshwar as the latter will refuse to obey his command.
What will happen now? Will Rakhal eventually obey Thakur? And will Thakur be ready to pay in order to watch the stage show? To know all this, keep your eyes on the tale or better read
&TV’s popular fiction show, Agnifera

Vikram Bhatt's web series

Colors' Bigg Boss 2017 (Season 11)

A lot has been happening on the Colors' show Bigg Boss.  

TellyChakkar.com had informed its readers about the other contestants who have been roped in for the reality TV show produced by Endemol Shine India.
Now we have learnt about another famous celebrity who might be part of the reality TV series. It is none other than Lost Boy Productions' head,  Vikas Gupta.

Vikas had earlier produced Channel V's Gumrah which focussed on teenage issues. Gupta was also in the limelight because of the controversies with his Kaisi Hai Yaariyan's star Parth Samthaan.  Vikas is said to be finalised to be a part of Bigg Boss season 11.

Now it would be interesting to see his chemistry with Splitsvilla fame Gauri Chopra who is also a part of the show. Gauri had earlier hurled viscious allegations of harassment against Vikas.

When we got in touch with Vikas, he said, "I'm neither offered nor doing the show. I'm launching two big shows very soon. You really think I'll leave my shows and get in that house? Out of the two, one show is for Viacom only."
However, our sources maintain that he is in talks to get locked in the controversial house. 
Keep a tab on this space for more updates!
Star Bharat’s new show.

The revamped Star Bharat has already started working on strengthening their viewership. With an interesting lineup of shows, the channel is all set to give a tough competition to other GEC’s.
TellyChakkar.com has some exclusive scoop on Star Bharat’s new show. We have learnt that Fireworks Productions is soon coming up with a new program for the channel.
According to a reliable source, the upcoming show will be yet another cop drama after the very famous CID, that is still aired on Sony TV. The production house which earlier made a supernatural crime series Shapath for Star Bharat’s old edition Life OK is all set to come up with an all new police TV drama, tentatively titled Chase for the same channel.
The makers of the project have roped in TV actor Fahad Ali as the male lead. This will be the Balika Vadhu actor’s comeback on the small screen. Fahad is best known for his character in Channel V’s The Buddy Project and has been off-screen since quite some time now.
Apart from Fahad, Splitsvilla’s alleged winner Divya Agarwal has also signed the dotted line to be a part of the show. If this series comes to pass, it would mark her debut in a fiction show. Soon, she will also be seen in an item song along with Kunal Roy Kapoor in his next film.
Apparently the cast would start shooting for the pilot on 28 September.
We contacted Fahad to confirm his presence in the show. He replied, “Nothing is concrete as of now. I’m indeed in talks with the makers but it has not been finalised.”
It is said that the show has postponed since quite a long time and it will only be shown the green signal once the channel heads approve the pilot.