Siddharth Kumar Tewary's Mahakaali Anth Hi Aarambh Hai tops charts with phenomenal ratings

A perfect blend of mythology and drama, wrapped up in a compelling storyline, Siddharth Kumar Tewary's Mahakaali Anth Hi Aarambh Hai, has made its makers proud. The costume drama, which airs every Saturday-Sunday at 7.00 pm on Colors, has topped the rating charts among the fiction shows this week. 

"It's really exciting to see such numbers in today’s times and all of us are having a blast. All we wanted is to give our best and that people should like our work. The response that we received has humbled us and we are even more charged up to deliver our best. Goddess Mahakaali has a deep purpose, she didn’t take form just to annihilate the demons, there was a message to the story and I believe that message has worked for us. The show is based on the thought that every woman has the power to fight her own battles. She can be Parvati, who is known to be a giver of life and can even become Kaali if situations force her. She has the power to end evil and make a new beginning," says Siddharth. 

Talking about the compliments he has got for the show, Siddharth adds that the high relevance of the show is the biggest one."I have received a lot of compliments for the show since the beginning. People have loved actors Pooja and Saurabh. Both of them are my friends and I really love them. Some have told me they got goose bumps when they saw the transformation of Parvati to Kaali. But for me, the best so far, has been when a person told me that the show is so relevant. Actually that’s the core reason behind all mythological stories, whether it’s the Mahabharat or Ramayan or Shani, every story was written for a purpose and had a deeper meaning behind it," he says. 

Lead actor Pooja, who also played Drupadi in Mahabharat and is now playing Parvati and Mahakaali, is thrilled with the phenomenal response. "Mahakaali humare saath Hai. This show is our labour of love. And I am happy and thrilled that the show is resonating with the audiences," she says.

Bharti Singh and Anu Mallik come face to face as judges, with their battalion of comedians, to make people laugh

Life is better when you’re laughing. And you will experience this with &TV’s new weekend comedy series titled Comedy Dangal, which will see the two genres of comedy, Skit and Stand-up, battle it out to make people laugh! With Bharti Singh and Anu Mallik as judges, they have carefully hand-picked their teams and are preparing them for the biggest dangal on television. This battle of comedy will not just explore various themes but also present distinct performances by well-known artists from the entertainment industry. Produced by Optimystix, Comedy Dangal premieres on August 12, and will air every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 PM only on &TV.

The producers of Jamai Raja are still to pay me: Sara Arfeen Khan

It all started when actor Sara Arfeen Khan did not get paid for her stint in the show Jamai Raja. The actor says that once the show ended, the producer also disappeared. "I worked for 3 months in Jamai Raja last year. I was part of the show in October, November and December and my first cheque was due in January. The show got shut down and since then we have had problems connecting to the office and Meenakshi," says Sara. 

When they got no response, the former cast decided to approach Cine and TV artists association (CINTAA). "After 5 months of no one responding to our calls and messages, we actors formed a group and decided to go to CINTAA. CINTAA organised a meeting  with Meenakshi, who promised us that the cheques would be cleared in a few weeks. She even mailed us the same. After that we waited for another two months, but nothing happened," she says. 

Sara adds, "Finally after dropping messages and warning her a couple of times about going to the media, her office staff released two post dated cheques for one month's payment. But the first cheque bounced! I informed the office and got really mad at them and they promised me that they will issue another cheque and that the 2nd one will not bounce." 

However, the second cheque also bounced, which was when Sara decided to  take legal action. "After waiting for another 10 days, my office deposited the cheque which also bounced. Then I told my coordinator that this is a criminal offence and that I need to talk to my lawyer. After that I got a a message from Meenakshi promising me that she will do a RTG transfer within 5 days. After 5 days, I messaged her again and reminded her of her promise. She did an RTG transfer of only 50,000, which was nothing compared to the amount due. Several messages were sent to her and my coordinator and there was no response. Then I contacted my lawyer and he sent her the first notice," she says. 

Although some money was returned, Sara says that a lot is still balance. "After the notice, she transferred the balance amount of one month's payment. By then my lawyer had already stated in the notice that according to section 138, she has to pay 18 percent of the bounced cheques. After that no money has been transferred and there is no response from Meenakshi regarding our payments. It's been 7 months and our payments have not been cleared. I am left with no chance but to seek the help of media," says Sara. 

A helpless Sara states that she feels hurt at being betrayed in this way. "I feel very cheated as I used to work religiously and would travel for 3 hours daily to Naigaon for the show. Most of the time I even put in extra hours, which clearly has not been appreciated " she says.

Actress Asawari Joshi makes a comeback to comedy with Sony SAB’s Shankar Jai Kishan - 3 in 1

Sony SAB’s upcoming show Shankar Jai Kishan - 3 in 1 has lined up interesting star cast to play pivotal roles. The latest to join the bandwagon is Veteran actress Asawari Joshi who will be playing the mother of the triplets, Shankar Jai and Kishan (Ketan Singh).Asawari Joshi who has acted in a dozens of shows and movies, will essay the character of Savitri, a doting Punjabi mother in the show. Her character is that of a drama queen yet a very emotional person at heart. She is sensible and sarcastic yet has a melodramatic approach for everything as she is handicapped due to some accident in the past. Asawari was previously associated with Sony SAB for an iconic show ‘Office Office’. Commenting on her role, Asawari Joshi who plays Savitri said, “I feel really happy to be back on SAB. Savitri is very interesting character. She is extremely possessive about her children like any other mother. Though she is unaware that her son Kishan is the one who is disguised as her other two sons. Every woman can relate to this character.” 

Shankar Jai Kishan-3 in 1 will air from August 8th, Monday- Friday at 10 pm only on Sony SAB!!

Babbu Maan the winner of four World Music Awards is back with another hit

Well known for his distinctive lyrics, live poetry and electric performances the prominent singer Babbu Maan is back. His latest song “Baarish Ke Bahane” seems like a perfect pick for all in this monsoon. The song is the outcome of the collaboration of Babbu Maan, Dj Sheizwood and Shweta Khanduri who are totally rocking in it.

The song that was launched a couple of weeks ago on YouTube and other music platforms has become a massive rage and is being heard on loop among the youth. The song has already created a buzz out there.

The only music producer and DJ of India who has produced and remixed more than 101 rocking music albums in just 7 years have made a comeback through this song. The specialized DJ who introduced house music in India on being asked about to comment on actors who sing said, "People should do the job that they are meant to do. They should not do other's job." When asked about the experience while working with Shweta he said, "We extremely loved working with her and looking forward to working with her more in near future."

The actress Shweta Khanduri who is prominent in this latest hit on being asked about her future collaborations said, "You'll next see me in a comedy film soon but I can't reveal the name for now."

The song “Baarish Ke Bahane” can be clearly seen adding to that glory and fun of monsoon as people are loving it. Watch the song to feel the spirit of rain and add to the excitement of this rainy season.