No special treatment
She may be growing into a celebrity but Ulka Gupta’s ( Manu of Jhansi Ki Rani ) mother has strictly instructed her teachers and classmates to not treat her like a celebrity but like a normal child. Ulka’s soaring popularity had started worrying her mom that this might have an adverse effect on Ulka’s upbringing. “I feared that so much of fame and adulation at this age might just steer her away from being a normal girl and also from her academics. I know of many cases where young girls after having tasted fame had started throwing tantrums to the family, friends and relatives. I certainly didn’t want that to happen.” Ulka gets up early, completes her studies, attends school and gets ready all by herself thereafter and leaves for the shoot, adds the doting mother.

Something fishy
The Juhi-Sachin Shroff walkout from Imagine’s Pati Patni Aur Woh is a thing of the past. Their issues have been sorted out, and the celebs have been awarded a Diwali bonus. However, they have to work really hard to earn their bonus. Everyone was given the job of a fisherman. Husbands were given lungis as their uniform for the job. The men were fully charged and excited about their new assignment. They reached the sea through a small river and the task started. The men had a good time with the Indian style fishing - they caught fish, crabs and prawns and later they also cleaned the boats. Everyone got a chance to experience the adventures of sea and Koli (fisherfolk) life. Sachin was the most excited of the lot as he celebrated every fish he caught in his net.

Migration issues
Sanjay Wadhwa’s Shaurya Aur Suhani may have come a cropper on STAR Plus, but the producer is all set to start another show on the channel from next month. Titled Tere Mere Sapne, the show is based on the dreams of a small-town guy from the North, who comes to a city like Mumbai to make it big. It tackles the issues of living life as a migrant. Saurabh Pandey aka Shaurya plays the protagonist. Promos of the daily soap have already started airing on the channel.

Bidaai turns two
Sapna Babul Ka Bidaai produced by Rajan Shahi’s production house, Directors Kut, for Star Plus has just completed two years. The unit of the hit show celebrated the occasion with a cake-cutting. His maternal grandfather the late Jairaj’s hundredth birth anniversary was last month, so Rajan feels that his divine blessings are with him as he was close to his grandfather. Says Shahi, “Sapna Babul Ka Bidaai has given foundation to my production house Director’s Kut and has given me identity as a producer in the market. Two weeks ago, Bidaai was the top show across all channels and that gives me a high and drives me to do my best. I am sentimentally attached to the show. It’s a success story of all the actors and technicians associated with it.”