KDM Articles Corner: No Comments - Page 2

Harshad Chopra joins Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil

Thursday, March 13 2008  
Alert: Enter U Me Aur Hum contest & win free goodies

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080315/ttlife1.htm

Parbina Rashid

Yet another fresh-faced couple from Ekta's telly brigade breezes through town

He is enjoying playing Prem for Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil. Guess why? Because he is a die-hard Salmaan Khan fan and Prem is now almost his hero's pet name. Of course, how lucky can anyone get? Yes, we are talking about Harshad Chopra — Ali of Left Right Left. If that still does not ring a bell, then he is Akshad of Amber Dhara, who did a disappearing act in the middle of the serial. We catch him along with his co-star for Kis Desh …Aditi Gupta at The Taj –17. The duo has come to town for promoting the serial (what else?). Harshad is the talkative one between the two and as he grabs the mike, we come to know about this small town guy who landed up in the televille via Grasim Mr India contest. Yes, he won the Best Smile contest, way back in 2006-07, but could not clinch the title. Well, that did not stop our guy who was studying in Pune at that time to audition for Mamta. And he managed to get the role of Karan. "Before Mamta happened, I was trying out everywhere. This serial gave me a proper platform and also the power to chose the characters I play now." But playing Ali in Left Right… was the most exhilarating experience for this actor. "I am a small town guy myself and playing that simpleton character came naturally because Ali was someone I could relate to." The character he is playing in Kis Desh Mein…is close to his heart too. "It is character which is passion, rawness, young and so many different shades to it." How does he go about selecting his roles? "I don't go with a pre-conceived notion. If the character appeals to me, I take it." Given a chance, Harshad would like to play some strong character. Aditi's story is of a simple college girl who never dreamt of becoming an actor. This is her first serial and she plays the role of Heer Maan. Heer is a lawyer by profession, not a rebellious character but fights for the cause she believes in. "I was doing a fashion designing course from Pune when I was almost forced to take an audition for Kis Desh Mein…" What attracted her was of course the role she was offered. And what attracted the Balaji to select her as Heer, we ask. "My innocent face," comes the reply.

Of course, we may like to watch Pamela Anderson types doing heroic stuns at the beach, but when it comes to our desi love stories, we still fall for the innocent faces. And at that we leave the on-screen love-birds do some more crooning about what Ekta Kapoor describes as an 'ethereal story from the heart'.

Edited by delo - 16 years ago

Shivani Bhakoo
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 2
She is all set to hit the small screen from tomorrow at Star Plus. A resident of Ludhiana, Jannatpreet Kaur has played the role of a child artiste in Balaji Telefilm's new soap-opera "Kis desh mein hai mera dil". The serial, directed by Ekta Kapoor, revolves around a Punjabi family in which the hazel-eyed Jannatpreet will surprize the audience with her acting skills and charm.

A fourth standard student of Sargodha National Public Senior Secondary School, Field Ganj, here Jannatpreet said she felt great while acting with experienced actors and directors from Balaji productions. The shooting of six episodes of this serial has already been completed at a haveli in Bhanjoli village near Kharar where shooting of Namaste London also took place. Some of the scenes have been shot at Bija and Chahal villages.

"Dorris, one of the assistants of Ekta Kapoor, was so impressed by me that she shot an entire dance sequence on me. I consider myself lucky for being selected for the role. As many as 1,500 child artistes from all parts of Punjab had come for auditions at Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Amritsar for this particular role", said Jannatpreet, adding that she was acting for the past four years. Besides, she will be seen in Punjabi movie "Hashar" with Babbu Maan, which is scheduled to be released in April-May.

Granddaughter of a veteran city journalist Karam Singh Musafir, Jannatpreet said she took keen interest in her studies as well. "I am doing good at school. My parents and the tuition teacher helps me a lot", she added.

Malkiat Singh, her father, said her only aim was to achieve greater heights like Aishwarya Rai. "She tries to copy the glamorous actress. She is inspired by her beauty and brains", said he, adding that the next month, she will be going to Chandigarh for shooting with Abhey Deol in the movie "Modern Devdas".

He also said Jannatpreet had performed in 14 shows with leading theatre artiste Nirmal Rishi at several places in UP, Delhi, Hapur, Ludhiana, etc. Her performance in "Dukhde Kalire" (on female foeticide) has been appreciated by people from all walks of life.

"I want to be a good actor. People should appreciate my acting skills. For that, I have to work very hard", said Jannatpreet in a confident manner.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080303/ldh1.htm

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/890448

Edited by angelic eyes - 16 years ago

Harshad Chopra bags an iconic role in Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil

---

Harshad Chopra who came to the limelight for his negative portrayal in Mamta, later marched into the hearts of viewers as a cadet in Left Right Left. This was soon followed by his cool dude image in Amber Dhara. Now the actor will be seen portraying a very strong character, of Prem Juneja in Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil.

Elaborating on his character, Harshad says, "It's a very strong character and I am happy to have such kind of a role in my wallet". He adds on to say, "I have done three serials so far and every serial was women centric only. My only concern is my character. Whatever serial I do, I make sure that my role is good and has been beautifully sketched. Role should excite me and only then I do take it up".

Well, are we going to see Prem Juneja reach the heights of a Mihir Virani or Jai Walia?

Full Article: Harshad Chopra bags an iconic role in Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil - Indian Television and Bollywood Entertainment News

http://www.apnicommunity.com/kis-desh-mein-hai-meraa-dil/408 16-harshad-chopra-bags-iconic-role-kis-desh-mein-hai-meraa-d il.html

Edited by delo - 16 years ago

After Kasauti Another Endless Saga By Ekta- Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil

Edited by delo - 16 years ago

Cold call
Shameem Khan
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 23:59 IST      



Balaji incurred huge losses during the shoot of Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil in Chandigarh

The cast and crew members of Balaji's new show Kis Desh mein hai mera dil had certainly not anticipated the extreme weather conditions they would face during their shoot in Chandigarh recently.

The weather conditions were extremely severe as temperatures dropped to as low as one degree. Besides the cough and cold bouts, the fog was making it impossible to shoot any sequence.

Aditi, the main lead of the show remembered, "We had to shoot the lush green fields to capture the essence of Punjab. But we could only shoot the exteriors. We just could not shoot the twilight because of severe fog. Also a few indoor scenes remained which were shot in Mumbai. Our eight day schedule got extended to 18 days and yet we couldn't complete our work because of the weather."

She remembered how they had to shoot despite the biting cold, "The scenes had us in our normal costumes without sweaters. As soon as the shot was over, we would rush back to our cars which had the heaters on at full blast. Even the unit hands were ready with shawls and sweaters for us at all times."

For her debut show, it's quite a memorable experience "Oh yes. But I was touched how we all faced the calamity like a family. All the co-stars from Virendra Saxenda, Sadhana Singh and Tasneem Sheikh bonded very well and took care of each other including me."

Tasneem Sheikh who plays the interesting part of Baljeet (she is known as Punjabi tadka in the show) says "In Mumbai, it was eight degrees , so you can imagine how cold it was there. As Mumbaities we are not used to such extreme weather. Add to it, I was down with Malaria and hence was shivering badly. But I credit the production people who provided us all with the necessary thermals and took good care of us. Thankfully, my hubby Sameer was with me because he wanted to see Chandigarh. We took the opportunity to gorge on the delicious North Indian food — parathas and lassi — and I shopped for lovely woolen jackets and sweaters."

Monetarily, it was a burden on the production because of the delayed shoot. But as one production manager put it "We did shoot what was essential but could not complete the shoot. But such ups and downs happen while shooting. And most importantly, you can't fight nature."

News from DNA...19th March

TELLY TALKS : Right, all the way


---------------------------------------
Harshad Chopra tells Sonal D'Silva that his dream of being in the limelight has come true
---------------------------------------
It's a small town-boy-comes-to-big-city story. He came in search of fame and found it as well! Actor Harshad Chopra is definitely a face to reckon with on the small screen. After starring in soaps like Mamta, Left Right Left and Amber Dhara, Chopra gets ready to star in the new Star Plus show Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil. The spotlight is on him, once more.

- Tell us what your new character Prem is all about.
It is quite exciting and challenging to play him because I think he really is like the ideal human being. He is a pillar of strength, he loves his family, takes care of everyone and tries to keep everyone happy. He truly has a different way of showing his love.

I know that there are so many characters on air, and no one can be 100 per cent realistic. So as far as characters on TV go, you have to realise that they are a mixture — some of it comes from reality, some of it from imagination.

- Tell us about your journey into acting.
I always wanted to be an actor. Like everyone else I also wanted to be a star. Laughs But being from a small town I didn't think my dream could come true. I came to Pune to study and then came to Mumbai and started to work on it. I thought I would do modelling for some time but that never worked out. Finally I realised it was about surviving; to keep my dream alive, I took up serials. The day I decided I wanted to do serials, things started to fall in place. I went for the Mamta audition and got finalised. The kind of effort I can put into acting… I cannot do anything else with such determination.

- You lived in Pune for a while — what are your favourite memories of that time?
Pune is absolutely my favourite city. I can say it is one city I can never forget because it transformed me. I was a very different person before and Pune changed me and taught me so many things. When I shifted to Pune — my family is originally from MP — I didn't know anyone but I lived there for nearly five years and I made good friends, met people who have always guided me. I can't put it in words... I am dying to go back there again.

- And how has being an actor on TV been for you?
I know now that it is very tough and not everyone can do it. The way it looks — you think it must be really easy laughs — but it is not that easy at all. As far as the industry goes, I think a change is coming. We are becoming a bit experimental in terms of content on shows but every change takes time. People are always scared of going out of their comfort zone. We are comfortable making a certain kind of daily soaps but people are trying different things. I'm sure we will see more variety in the near future.

- Any interesting fan stories?
Laughs You know, for a while I had no idea if I even had a fan following. I got good feedback about my work from people at the channel and that was it. But after a year of doing Left Right Left, I started to meet people who appreciated my work. I began to get emails and initially it was strange to find out that they knew so much about me. Laughs Last year about 20 fans came to my sets to celebrate my birthday — and they even came one day in advance because they were not sure I would come to work on my birthday. Laughs So fans have these gestures, which make you feel so special. It's great!

- What's next for you?
I cannot share my goals really, because I am kind of superstitious about it. Laughs I prefer to be quiet and work towards my goals instead of talking about them. So let's see, I'll take it one day at a time…

http://www.sakalherald.com/SakalHerald/04042008/NT004197BE.h tm

Harshad is cheerful!
22 Apr 2008, 0000 hrs IST,TNN

doweshowbellyad=0; Harshad Chopda (TOI photo) He has charmed audiences with varied roles in telly soaps. Right from playing a negative character in Mamta, to becoming popular as a cadet in Left Right Left, from being the lover boy in Amber-Dhara to the strong character in Kis Desh Mein Hain Meraa Dil, Harshad Chopda has done it all. "I think it's a good time for television. We have a great mix of everything comedy, romance, action. I feel we are making some sort of mini movies," he says. An engineer from Pune, who hails from a small town near Nagpur, Harshad doesn't believe in having an alternative career. "I am very focussed and don't believe in having a back up. I don't just like to act but like to live a character." And he looks up to Salman Khan for some reasons. "Since I was a kid, my favourite actor has been Salman Khan. I believe he is a very good human being." So far, we have mostly seen him in women-centric serials. "I don't know why people call them women-centric because we also work and get an equal piece of cake. When it comes to serials, it is the universal rule of men being incomplete without women and vice versa." Does this young actor identify with all the roles he has played? "With time, I start associating with the roles I play. Out of the offers I get, I take up those which touch my heart. And there is something strong about playing Prem in Kis Desh Mein... It's a hatke role and I am sure it will take me somewhere in life. For me, the serial and role should have a sustaining power," he says. So does Harshad have the same attitude towards love and romance in real life too? "I have no school of thought when it comes to romance," he clarifies. Any special someone? "Right now, I am eating, sleeping and living work. And that's the only special thing happening to me at the moment," he signs off with a smile that got him the best smile title at a pageant.