A full house

BALAJI’S BACK: As part of its new programming line-up,NDTV Imagine will debut two back-to-back new shows from Balaji Telefilms. The new time-band will kick start with ‘Bandini’ at 10 pm followed by ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai’ at 10.30 pm and will air Monday to Thursday. Breaking away from the cult of conventional soaps for the first time ever,Balaji Telefilms’ first offer is ‘Bandini’. It’s a story of a young girl who is forced into a marriage of convenience with an elderly man twice her age. The volatile story of age,class and caste divide will see debutant Aasiya Kazi as the young girl Santu alongside TV’s most popular face Ronit Roy. The serious drama is followed up by a frothy love story in ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai’. Two completely opposite individuals – Arohi and Arjun – who think and behave differently,come together in this heart-warming love saga. ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai’ will see a mix of some fresh and popular faces. Karan Kundra makes his debut on television as Arjun,while Kritika Kamra essays the character of Arohi. Announcing the two new shows,Shailja Kejriwal,EVP content,NDTV Imagine said,“Bandini and Kitani Mohabbat Hai are shows that capture every emotion,from love to hate and from joy to sadness and from aspirations to blind ambition. The backdrop and settings are distinct from each other and unique in their own right.”

LOVE,ACTUALLY: Now that the soppy saas-bahus are out from the scene,Star Plus is making the most of mush between a husband and his newly wed wife. The show is called ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ and brings forth a story of love finding its way after an arranged marriage.

According to Senior Creative Director,Vivek Bahl,“Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai seeks to build the concept of love within the traditional setting of an arranged marriage. It creates a quintessential contrast to the world around us where marriages are losing their sanctity and turning into relationships of convenience.” Playing Akshara,a girl who is yet to discover a life beyond her over-protective mother and her disciplinarian father is actor Hina Khan. The show premieres January 12 and will air Monday-Friday at 9.30 pm,on Star Plus.

FAMILY TIES: Making the most of the bond a mother shares with her children is Zee TV which has announced the launch of ‘Maa’ their new prime-time show. “We have so far made successful shows with various subjects like social issues,political stigmas,paranormal forces,mythology and comedy but a topic like this was never touched before with such depth. We thought of starting the New Year with a propitious subject,” informs Zee’s Business Head Tarun Mehra. The character of Maa is being essayed by Chitrapama who makes her comeback to the small screen after a hiatus of six years. She was earlier seen in shows like ‘Thodi Si Bewafai’,‘Kamini Damini’ and the movie ‘Deewanapan’. The show will also see Amar Upadhyay,who plays the husband,make a comeback. The show debuts on January 12 and is scheduled to air from Monday to Friday at 7 pm on Zee TV.

REALITY BYTES: Do you know that nearly 53 percent of working women in the country fear for their safety? And those facts and more shared by an Assocham survey are the basis of an all-new show on Zee TV. The ‘Monica Mogre Case Files’ is a series of short stories where Inspector Monica Mogre finds herself involved in cases of crime involving dangerous,sometimes psychopathic serial killers. “With this show it is our endeavour to make every woman aware of her susceptibility to eminent danger in the face of such evil forces. Along with that we are also suggesting some recommendations for a safe life,” briefs Mehra. While actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar will essay the negative lead in the first series,it will be followed by Jimmy Shergill in the next. The character of Monica Mogre is being portrayed by Parakh Madan. The show starts January 10 and will air every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 pm on Zee TV.

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