Kanika adds personal touch to ‘Diya Aur…’ sequel

Mumbai, March 22 (IANS) Popular for playing Meenakshi in "Diya Aur Baati Hum", actress Kanika Maheshwari says she has added a personal touch to the role in the upcoming sequel of the television show.

Kanika will be seen in "Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji".

"Meenakshi became a popular character from 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' and fans now recognise me with that character. For the sequel, 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji', I have planned to add my own flavour and dialogues for my character which will make it even more engaging and interesting for the viewers," Kanika said in a statement.

As "Diya Aur Baati Hum" ended with the death of its lead pair Sooraj and Sandhya Rathi (played by actors Anas Rashid and Deepika Singh), "Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji" will focus on the journey of their children Ved, Vansh and Kanak Rathi.

Kanika, who is returning as Sandhya's sister-in-law, shared that in the upcoming show her character will mainly remain the same.

"Meenakshi has just aged on screen, but her 'dialogue-baazi', 'nok-jhok' with Bhabho (Neelu Vaghela) and jealousy over her sister-in-law's children remain the same."

"To portray the same, I have added my own one-liners in between the scenes to make it look more interesting and make audiences feel that their Meenakshi has not changed at all," Kanika said.

"M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story" fame actress Rhea Sharma will be seen as Kanak while actors Mayank Arora and Kabeer Kumar will play the roles of Ved and Vansh.

"Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piyaji" will start from April 3 and will be aired on Star Plus.

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Akshay Mhatre looses eight kg for TV show

For his role of Naren, a rich boy who is lost on a spiritual trail in TV show "Piyaa Albela", actor Akshay Mhatre has lost eight kg weight to look like a man into yoga.

Not only that, Akshay has also stopped partying or going out with friends.

"Naren's character is a product of Sooraj (Barjatya) sir's vision. He was very clear about the way he wanted Naren to look and behave. Appearance-wise, he is a lean guy rather than a gym-chiselled muscular hunk," Akshay said in a statement.

"It has been eight months of working on my look, mannerisms and body language to play this character. I am also learning yoga from my mother. I have lost 8 kg weight after staying on a strictly monitored diet, mainly comprising salads and soups."

"Along with it, I also learnt how to ride a bike which Naren is seen riding. Also, my character Naren is an animal lover while in real life, I was always scared of them. So, I gradually developed a soft corner for them," he added.

"Piyaa Albela", aired on Zee TV, is a modern-day interpretation of the Vishwamitra-Menaka love story.

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Sneha Wagh visits Golden Temple to seek blessings for TV show

Actress Sneha Wagh visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar to seek blessings for her new historical TV show "Sher-E-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh".

Sneha, who plays the role of Raj Kaur -- mother of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the Life OK show -- visited the Golden Temple on Monday.

"I feel blessed after visiting the Golden Temple as when I reached, 'sukhaasan' ceremony (closing of the Guru Granth Sahib), was going on and I got to stay there till it got over. I got the 'prasad' immediately after the ceremony and left the temple with a smile, feeling blessed," Sneha said in a statement.

"I consider it my good luck to be able to visit the Golden Temple on the day of our launch," she added.

The show tells the inspirational journey of Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh -- founder of the Sikh empire.

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Jhinal Belani injured on sets

Actress Jhinal Belani, who is seen as Sonu in TV show "Har Mard ka Dard", got injured after she fell from the stairs. The incident halted the show's shoot for some time.

While shooting for a sequence for the Life OK show on Wednesday, Jhinal slipped and got injured. She was given immediate medical aid.

"We were shooting for a sequence around the stairs and accidentally my leg slipped and I fell off the stairs," Jhinal said in a statement.

"I didn't know the impact was so bad that my doctor told me I need to be on complete bed rest for a couple of days. My knees are bruised and I'm not allowed to do any kind of physical movement for three to four days," she added.

On seeing her condition, the production team decided to shoot without her and told her to resume once she is fine.

"It was very sweet of the team to allow me complete rest as I am in no condition to move. Thankfully, it's nothing major and I will continue to shoot in a couple of days," she added.