Expresso TV and OTT Shows News Update at 6:30 pm on 19 October 2023

Let's begin with our top story. Bigg Boss 17 contestant Vicky Jain, before entering the show, spoke to indianexpress.com sharing how he convinced Ankita to join too and that the trolling they faced made them stronger, adding, ‘What has happened is way in the past. I think people have also gotten bored of it. But even if we come to face any new challenge, we will face it head-on.” Vicky also talked about putting his relationship on a public platform. He sounded excited and eager to play the game. While Ankita has been keeping her cards close to her chest, Vicky has gone all out to show his fun side, even indulging in pranks with other contestants.

Next up. Rupali Ganguly, in a chat with Pinkvilla, said her life was more ‘hectic, stressful’ when she was ‘just a homemaker’ for six and a half years. Before taking up the Star Plus show Anupamaa, Rupali shared she would wake up before everyone else because that is what women are conditioned to do. The Sarabhai vs Sarabhai actor said planning the entire day’s meals that could be enjoyed by each member of the family, taking care of the house and the chores would take up her entire day and it was a tiring job overall. She added that as an actor, she just has to get ready and act, which comes naturally to her.

In more on the Pinkvilla interview with Rupali Ganguly: She said she faced the casting couch when she was trying to make it in films: and decided to not make that choice, adding it was a common practice at that time. She has been working in the television industry since the early 2000s but it wasn’t until Star Plus’ Anupamaa that she became a household name. Rupali, the daughter of yesteryear filmmaker Anil Ganguly, when asked about the discrimination between film and television actors and if she ever faced it, shared, " I did feel small but today I feel very proud. My Anupamaa has given me that stature and position that I always dreamt of and hoped for.”

Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11 confirmed the list of contestants including Urvashi Dholakia, Tanishaa Mukherjee, Shoaib Ibrahim, and Anjali Anand. After Bigg Boss 17, fans are now awaiting the launch of the show. Farah Khan and Malaika Arora have been confirmed as judges and will be joined by actor-dancer Arshad Warsi on the panel. The Sony TV show will be hosted by Rithvik Dhanjani and Gauahar Khan. Khatron Ke Khiladi 13 reality show star Shiv Thakare has been confirmed too, along with Aamir Ali, Sangeeta Phogat, Rajiv Thakur, Adrija Sinha, Karuna Pandey, and Sreerama Chandra. The show will launch in November on Sony TV.

Moving on, Rochelle Rao and Keith Sequeira shared a video of special moments with their newborn daughter, adding, "Never knew we could love this little being so much." showcasing how their life has changed. They welcomed their first child on October 1. The video shows the couple meeting the baby for the first time and the first night together as a family. It also shows how Rochelle and the baby were welcomed home and the challenges the new parents faced together. They also wrote a long caption and towards the end expressed gratitude to the medical and personal staff that helped them during this time.

Popular Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly is set for his OTT debut with the Disney+ Hotstar series "Pharma" by director PR Arun, the streaming service announced on Wednesday, Oct 18th. Nivin said in a statement, “Really excited to be a part of Pharma and with the universe it creates. I think it’s a story that must be told and shared.” PR Arun said, “Inspired by hundreds of true stories, ‘Pharma’ is a story close to my life and heart.” “Pharma” also stars popular Hindi cinema actor Rajit Kapur in a pivotal role. He is making his return to the Malayalam industry after a decade.

Meanwhile, the second volume of Scam 2003: The Telgi Story will start streaming on SonyLIV on November 3, the platform announced Wednesday, Oct 18th. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, it stars Gagan Dev Riar in the title role of the infamous counterfeiter Abdul Karim Telgi. Hansal Mehta serves as the showrunner on the series. SonyLIV shared the details on its official X page. According to the makers, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story captures the life of Telgi, a fruit seller born in Khanapur, Karnataka, and “his journey to becoming the mastermind behind one of India’s most ingenious scams” and is based on Sanjay Singh’s book Ek Reporter Ki Diary, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story.

Lastly, on the Shaandar Somvaar episode of KBC15, Shefali Shah said she wanted a daughter when she was expecting for the second time, and had asked the doctor to check again when he said she had given birth to a son. She appeared on the show to talk about the girl child along with activist Hare Ram Pandey, and was in conversation with Amitabh Bachchan when she shared this story from her personal life. Highlighting on the love families are willing to give their girl-child, she said, “There are so many people, who want a girl. Even in this day and age in some places, babies are abandoned and especially if it’s a girl.”

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