Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Male actors sweat it out for Ekta's 'Mahabharat'

The actors in Ekta Kapoor's epic soap 'Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki' say they had to hit the gym regularly and work out hard to suit their macho roles in the period drama.

Actor Ronit Roy, who plays Bhishma Pitamah in the new, technologically enhanced version of Hindu epic 'Mahabharat' claims no actor has been working harder than him to get into shape.

'I started with training for three hours a day and now I work out for about two hours every day,' Ronit told IANS over phone from Mumbai. 'I have worked extremely hard on my physique, in fact no body has worked harder than me.'

Chetan Hansraj, known for his well-toned, tall and broad body frame, plays the role of Bheem, considered the most powerful of the Pandavas. Even he vouches that Ronit worked really hard on his body.

Chetan also followed a strict training and diet regime.

'It took me almost four months of training and nutritional control to get into shape for the role.

'I have also been on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. I had to stop my intake of cheese and rice and my diet mainly constituted of chicken with other supplements.'

Although he isn't much of a workout person, Chetan, who played the negative role of Sasha in 'Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki', had to drag himself to the gym.

'It has been very difficult for me because basically I'm a very lazy person,' he confessed.

Compared to other members of the team, model-turned-actor Aryan Vaid, who essays the role of Duryodhan, says he didn't have to work too hard.

'I haven't put in any special efforts in terms of physique, neither did I change my diet. I think I was already in good shape and I guess that's the reason why the producers cast me,' he said.

Aryan stressed that working out has become a daily habit for him now.

'I generally work out for one-and-a-half hours a day and I have been working out for the past 16 years. I really haven't done anything for 'Mahabharat',' he said.

Actor Harshad Chopra, who is also a fitness freak like Aryan, plays Arjun in the mega serial.

'I have always been a fitness freak. I work out regularly so my workouts have been more or less the same,' he maintained. Harshad said bagging the role of Arjun just motivated him to continue his workouts.

'This is like a new motivation for me to keep fit. I knew that I would have to appear semi-nude on screen for the role so I had to look good,' he said.

'Kahaani Hamaare Mahaabhaarat Ki' is one of Ekta's most expensive and lavishly produced shows on television with spectacular sets and designer costumes. It has an array of popular TV stars including actresses Sakshi Tanwar and Anita Hanssanandani.

29 July 2008 Watch Online / Download links

Monday, July 28, 2008

Ekta's Dushasan is called Eijaz

Eijaz Khan is playing Dushasan in Ekta's Kahaani Hamaaray Mahabhaarat Ki. Despite being a Muslim, Eijaz has no qualms about doing the role and says he is preparing very hard for the role.



An excited Eijaz says, "I am an actor so religion does not come in between. I have seen DVD's of the original Mahabharat and I know Vinod Kapoor who played Dushasan in it. The language has a Sanskrit touch so I have practiced hard for it. I also read Mahabharat after signing this show. It took only 8 days for me. As far as training is concerned I am already a black belt holder and have done martial arts too. I am very particular about my body."

The actor, who has worked with Balaji in Kya Hoga Nimmo Ka says he always wanted to portray a negative character. He adds, "The other reason for doing this show was it is a huge show and I wanted to become famous. Manish Malhotra has given us a nice look and Aleem good hair styles so what more I can ask for. We all knew that it is a grand show. My character of Dushasan is very powerful; his power was often compared to 100 elephants. Even Bheem was tired of him after fighting with him for 18 days in the Kurukshtra war. Finally, Lord Krishna had to help him out. Shakuni too chose Dushasan to get Draupadi because he was very powerful."



Sharing his working experience, he says, "It was mind-blowing. Once we were shooting for the cheerharan scene. Anita, who is playing Draupadi is very sweet. She told me to be careful while pulling her saree but I was so embarrassed and scared that I was not ready for it. I did the scene and everyone was laughing at my initial nervousness. But the scene came out really well in the end."

Eijaz will soon be seen in the film EK-The Power Of One where he is again playing a negative.

His new show Tera Ashirwad starts on July 27 in which he is playing the lead role.

A leap from medicine to acting for Uma Shankar...



Uma Shankar, who plays Yudhisthir in Ekta's Kahaani Humaarey Mahaabhaarat Ki has left his practice of clinical psychology to play this coveted role... Here is the doctor turned actor in a candid talk..


Ekta Kapoor seems to be leaving no stone unturned to get the cast and crew for her Kahaani Hamaarey Mahaabhaarat Ki on 9X. First it was the talent hunt for Krishna in which babies born on Janmasthami were allowed to participate. And now it is the screen tests she conducted for a number of actors to select the right ones for the serial. And she does have an army of actors from different professions for her serial. Case in point is Yudhisthir (played by Uma Shankar) who left a flourishing practice in psychology to act in the serial.

Believe it or not, that is what the clinical psychologist (who is also an NSD pass out) did. “Actually, I was always interested in acting. I hail from Uttarakhand and came to Mumbai in 2001 to make a career in acting, after passing out from National School of Drama. But nothing clicked for me in Bollywood and I had to be content with commercials”, says the actor whose Kelvinator, Centurion Bank and Kinetic bike commercials became popular. Later, the lad opened a chamber in the plush suburbs of Bandra in Mumbai and resumed his medical practice.

When he read about Ekta Kapoor doing a Mahabharata, he promptly went to the Balaji office and wanted to participate in the auditions. Thankfully, the staff allowed him and he got selected. “I was initially offered the role of Chitrangad and then Parashuram. But since I was looking for something bigger, I declined both. Then few days later, I got a call from Balaji informing me that I had been selected for the role of Yudhisthir. Needless to say, I was thrilled!”, recollects Uma.

The actor is all praise for the look that Manish Malhotra has designed for the cast. “It changes the perception of Indian mythological looks completely and is extremely smart. I think this is one of the main differentiating factors of this serial. I also had to undergo a change in look and had to grow a beard for the serial! For me, working with the entire cast and crew of this show has been a great experience. The way Ekta has been guiding me or Mr Shantaram (the director) has been leading us is amazing”.

Uma has just come back from a shoot in Jaipur for the serial and hopes this will become one of the path breaking serials in the Indian television industry.

FILMY KHABAAR