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Ankita Lokhande: I know Sushant is proud of me

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 The line between real and reel-life was often blurred between Ankita Lokhande and late Sushant Singh Rajput’s characters ‘Archana’ and ‘Manav’ when the TV series ‘Pavitra Rishta’ started airing in 2009. The show went off air in 2014 and leading man Sushant shockingly passed away last year on June 14. 

As the new season of the show ‘Pavitra Rishta 2.0’ is all set to release, Ankita, the actress, girlfriend and co-actor of Sushant, says she is trying to keep the memory of Sushant alive through the show and she believes that Sushant must be feeling proud of her.

Ankita told IANS: “What our fans saw between ‘Manav’ and ‘Archana’ was love, and love is magical. Perhaps that is why the chemistry between the two characters looked so magical. When I and Sushant started working for the show, everything was created in a very organic way, you cannot forcefully create magic that the audience saw between me and Sushant. It was love, pure love.

“When I went back to set for the shooting of the new season of the show, thousands of things crossing my mind. I have been living with ‘Pavitra Rishta’ and all its memories for the last 12 years. This time, when I went back to set, knowing Sushant is not there with me, it really is hard to explain how I felt. I doubt if anyone would understand what my state of mind is…and I will never be able to explain it in words ever.”

Ankita then broke down in tears.

She continues, “But I always think that Sushant is watching all of us, the way we are creating the show and I know Sushant is absolutely proud of me. Sushant created ‘Manav’ and I am trying to keep his legacy alive through the show. Look, nobody can replace Sushant or his presence in ‘Manav’ the way he brought life to that character.

“I am sure the chemistry I shared with Sushant, can never be shared with anyone, but we can create another ‘Manav’, right? When I and Sushant started working we did not know how our on-screen ‘jodi’ would be accepted, but it happened. I hope, the same happens in the new season because Shaheer is also a good actor and he is also putting in his hard work.”

The new season of ‘Pavitra Rishta 2.0’ will release on September 15 on ZEE5. In the new season, the character of ‘Manav’ will be played by Shaheer Sheikh.

Last year, after the sudden death of Sushant, the insensitive media coverage, media trial, constant trolling on social media and an unwanted toxic environment affected everyone associated with Sushant including Ankita as she was also trolled on social media.

Asked now when she looks back, how she explains the whole situation, Ankita replied, “When I go back to those old episodes, watch myself and Sushant together, of course I go through a lot of emotions, ups and downs, the feeling of love is still there and it will remain forever. I still break down every now and then but I know I also have to grow with the experience and thank God for at least giving me the opportunity to live the life I am living, and create memories with him.”

“You know, Sushant’s demise was almost like a personal loss for even those who never knew Sushant personally, ‘Wo tha hi itna pyaara…'(He was so sweet) now imagine how tough it is for those to accept that he is no more, who lived with him and have beautiful memories with him. It is too painful for me to talk as I cannot hold my tears anymore,” she signed off.

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Delnaaz Irani explains why audience loyalty has shifted in today’s TV landscape

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Mumbai, June 24: Actress Delnaaz Irani opened up about the evolving nature of the small screen and why audience loyalty isn’t what it used to be.

Speaking to media, she shared valuable insights into how the rise of OTT platforms, changing viewing habits, and the abundance of content have transformed the way audiences engage with television today. Irani, known for her extensive body of work on television, spoke about how the industry has evolved over the years. Addressing the common perception that TV shows no longer enjoy the long runs they once did, the actress maintained that the quality of content hasn’t necessarily declined.

She emphasized that each show has its own journey and that content creators are still putting in dedicated effort to bring meaningful stories to viewers. However, she acknowledged that the media landscape has undergone a massive transformation. Comparing it to the ‘90s and early 2000s, Delnaaz pointed out that the television industry back then operated with fewer channels and limited platforms.

“Every show has its own journey. Content creators are working hard, and good content is still being made. But the media landscape has changed drastically. Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, we didn’t have this many channels or platforms. Today, OTT has taken over in a big way. There’s so much variety that audience loyalty is scattered. The TRP game has shifted. It’s not about quality alone—luck and timing play a big role.”

Delnaaz Irani also reflected on her experience with the beloved historical comedy “Akbar Birbal.” She called it one of the most special projects of her career, having been part of the popular TV series for nearly three years. The Kal Ho Naa Ho actress expressed a deep sense of pride in revisiting the same role for the stage version, calling it a full-circle moment.

Speaking about the challenges of live comedy, Delnaaz shared that the stage has always been home for her. With her acting roots grounded in theatre, she finds performing comedy in front of a live audience not just effortless but immensely enjoyable. “Comedy has always come naturally to me. I started my journey from the stage; that’s where my acting roots are. The stage was my school, my training ground. So, for me, doing comedy on stage doesn’t feel like work—it feels like play, like I’m just having fun.”

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Pankaj Tripathi talks about how growing up in Bihar influenced his craft

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Mumbai, June 24: Acclaimed star Pankaj Tripathi has opened up about how his growing up days in Bihar influenced his craft in acting.

Talking about how growing up in Bihar has influenced his craft, Pankaj told IANS: “Of course it has. That will happen. We are nothing. We are puppets of our experience. So my experience, everyone’s experience, not mine, where I was born, where I grew up, my experience is in my work.”

Pankaj added: “Even if I was in corporate, or in any other field, I would still be there because I am in acting, I am in art, and in this, our art form, performing art, is very close to human emotion and nature.”

“If we leave singing, everyone has an instrument, if we leave singing. In the art form of acting, the instrument is your experience, your body, your emotions.Through that we create something. Yes. So the experience we have, we recall that memory and put it in scenes and films.”

The actor currently awaits the release of “Metro…In Dino,” which delves into the complex and modern relationships, the upcoming film promises an exploration of love, heartbreak, and human connection.

The film stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta. Directed by Anurag Basu, the film will be in cinemas on July 4.

The film is a spiritual sequel to the 2007 film “Life in a… Metro” directed by Basu. Partly inspired by Billy Wilder’s romantic comedy film The Apartment, it features an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Kay Kay Menon, Shiney Ahuja, Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kangana Ranaut, and Sharman Joshi in lead roles.

It narrates the lives of nine people living in Mumbai and deals with topics such as extramarital affairs, sanctity of marriage, commitment phobia, and love.

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Shekhar Kapur explores the deep connection between creativity and mental health

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Mumbai, June 23: Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur shared his thoughts on the relationship between creativity, mental health, and the nature of artistic genius.

Taking to Instagram, Kapur reflected on Vincent van Gogh’s iconic painting Starry Night, calling it “the world’s most valued painting,” and marveling at how it was created during one of the most turbulent phases in the artist’s life. In his post, he revealed that Gogh painted Starry Night while admitted to a mental asylum, a time marked by severe emotional struggles. He further reflected on the fact that while he can return to his “normal” self after storytelling, many legendary artists like Van Gogh struggled with mental illness, sometimes unable to make that switch.

Calling for a broader understanding of mental health, Shekhar Kapur challenged conventional definitions of normalcy and illness. Sharing photos of Vincent’s paintings, the Mr. India director wrote, “This is the world’s most valued painting. Starry Nights was painted by Van Gogh while he was in the mental asylum and at the height of his ‘mental illness.’ Van Gough’s bold, expressive brush created swirling patterns in the night sky. Physicians have long tried to solve the equations of fluid dynamics. Fluid dynamics represents the true nature of the universe. And according to them, apparently Van Gogh painted a true representation of fluid dynamics!” (sic)

“How does an artist reputed to be suffering from schizophrenia manage to capture the true nature of our universe?? Quite apart from examining the relationship between art and science, what I wonder about a lot is the relationship between schizophrenia and creativity. When I write a story, I am transformed into the world of my characters. To help me transport my readers/listeners to that world, I need to believe in that world myself. I need to transport myself to that world. I need to become my characters…. Am I then experiencing a schizoid state? When I am transported into different worlds, believing I am somewhere else and somebody else?”

His post further read, “Fortunately I am able to switch those characters off. And return to my normal state (whatever normal might be) … and yet artists like Van Gogh, who painted some of the greatest poets/artists in the world, have suffered from mental illness. not being able to switch back to normal (whatever normal might be)”

Shekhar Kapur ended his post adding, “In that case we need to redefine mental illnesses… we need to redefine what normal is… if all creativity happens beyond the normal… in a state that so many artists, dancers, musicians, and actors define as the ‘zone’ they tap into… Where is this zone? What do we tap into when we tell stories we believe in? When do we paint the nature of the universe as we see it? Is it a schizophrenic act? #Art #Schizophrenic #Schizophrenia.”

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