New Delhi: Ekta Kapoor really has a lot to thank her numerologist for. The Empress of the Indian small screen, who prefers to name all her projects with the letter 'K', recently added yet another feather to her cap. Kumkum Bhagya by Balaji Telefilms has completed 1000 episodes on December 21, 2017, making it one of the longest running soap operas on the small screen.
Ekta Kapoor recently threw a bash for the star cast and friends in Mumbai, which was graced by a variety of celebs, not the least of whom the serial’s lead actors, the handsome Shabbir Ahluwalia and the beautiful Sriti Jha.
The mind-blowing on-screen chemistry between Shabbir and Sriti has been instrumental in making the show a huge success.
Taking a cue from its popularity, Balaji Telefilms also launched Kundali Bhagya, a spin-off tale of the original series. Both serials focus on the role of fate in love and relationships, and as customary for all Ekta Kapoor ventures, they also feature some very strong female characters.
Kumkum Bhagya: A passionate drama of love and hate
The story revolves around two pivotal characters, Abhi (Shabbir Ahluwalia) and Pragya (Sriti Jha), and their love-hate relationship. Abhi and Pragya are forced to get married due to unexpected circumstances. While both do not approve of each other, fate has different plans in store for them. They ultimately fall in love, amidst many hurdles and challenges, only to be separated soon after. They seem to meet to part and part to meet, frequently, keeping the viewers on tenterhooks each time they fight or get together.
Shabbir Ahluwalia plays the role of dashing Rockstar, Abhi, to perfection, with an unabashed attitude, while Sriti Jha brings the role of Pragya to life, with an unusual maturity and composure. Pragya’s beautiful relationship with her mother, Sarla, and sister, Bulbul, is also an important aspect of the show. The show, which first aired in 2014, on primetime television, continues to dominate the BARC ratings for Hindi GEC, in the 49th week of 2017.
Kundali Bhagya: The newest entry on the block
So, it seems that Pragya has two sisters, Preeta and Shristi, that she doesn’t know about. The serial traces the lives of these two sisters, as they try to reunite with their mother, Sarla, and their dynamics with the Luthra family.
Incidentally, the elder scion of the Luthra family, Rishabh Luthra, has a celebrity management firm, which looks after Abhi’s music career. On the other hand, the younger sibling, Karan Luthra, is not only a star cricketer but an effortless casanova. Sparks definitely fly when the paths of these young characters cross each other, which is basically the essence of the show.
Shraddha Arya, Dheeraj Dhoopar, Manit Joura and Anjum Fakih portray the lead roles in this series. Their appeal, coupled with fabulous acting prowess, has made this show a favourite among the young and old alike. Strong characterisation and an engaging screenplay manage to keep the audience hooked, until the end of every episode. The show is doing really well and has
grossed the high TRP ratings, securing the second position on BARC India’s TRP ratings for Week 49 of 2017.
Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms has collaborated with Zee TV in the past to give some hugely popular shows, including Pavitra Rishta, which introduced us to Sushant Singh Rajput. The association, which has continued over the last two decades, has created some great content and interesting shows. Kundali Bhagya shows all possibility of surpassing Kumkum Bhagya in terms of popularity, giving Ekta Kapoor yet another reason to smile. In fact, it has already done so for a short while, as seen in the Week 38 ratings by BARC.
