Screen Presence

She is a talented,shy and behind-the-scenes fashion designer from the city. He is a free-spirited,carefree,gifted boy from the back lanes. Together,they are a team on Imagine Television’s new love story,Jamuna Paar. While Pune-based Vidhi Parekh plays the role of Vidhi Malhotra from the posh lanes of GK in New Delhi,light-eyed Ankur Verma is a Haryana lad. He is essaying the character of Bijju,a weaver from across river Jamuna.

The two were in Chandigarh on Friday to check out some fashion trends and talk about their first show on television,Jamuna Paar. “Vidhi is a talented girl but suppressed because of family pressures,and with time,she will fall in love,grow up and find her own path,” says Parekh,talking about her character,adding how she was looking forward to picking up a couple of fashion tips from girls in Chandigarh. This is Parekh’s first show. She is an engineering student,who was spotted by a television producer at a restaurant and called for auditions.

As for Verma,he’s a veteran of Punjabi music videos and has featured in songs of Punjabi singers like Nachchatar Gill and Jazzy B. Punjab for this lad from Rohtak,Haryana,is like home. “And my character,Bijju,too is a pure Punjabi — energetic and hard-working,” says Verma,who makes his debut with the show.

Quiz them on why television and not movies and they feel that television has far more reach. “The show is being telecast on prime time daily,and hence the presence is greater,people watch us more closely,” they quip. Catch them,Monday to Friday,9 pm on Imagine.