Kasautii Zindagii Kay, a cult show that topped the TRP for seven years with characters like Prerna, Anurag, Mr Bajaj and Komolika, is now back with a fresh storyline and a new starcast. Sangeeta Yadav talks to the original Kasautii starcast on Season 2 of the show
With an old title song playing in the background and actors romancing as the red dupatta flows in the background, the new teaser of Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2 has caught the attention of the viewers who once followed the original show religiously. The excitement to watch Season 2 is high but with a new starcast and twist to the storyline, one wonders if it will be able to create the same magic as the original one did.
Be it the passionate love triangle between Anurag (Cezzaine Khan), Prerna (Shweta Tiwari), and Mr Bajaj (Ronit Roy) or the evil act of fashionista-cum-TV vamp Komolika (Urvashi Dholakia), the show still holds great nostalgic value for many. Even though the show is making a comeback after 10 years, Season 2 will reboot Kasautii and take you down the memory lane with a fresh storyline and new a cast including Erica Fernandes as Prerna, Parth Samthaan as Mr Bajaj and Heena Khan as Komolika.
Recalling the times of early 2000, when TV was expanding its entertainment segment through daily soaps, Kasautii... became a rage among viewers, especially women who would put the household work on hold and sit in front of the TV.
The edgy twists at the end of the episode gave many sleepless nights and was a hot topic of discussion at parties. Many bachelorettes wished to have a husband like Anurag Basu or Mr Bajaj. Even the fashion statement of Komolika became a fad and shops were buzzing with Komolika sarees and bindis.
Director Ravindra Gautam, who made his debut as a creative producer and co-director of Kasautii gives credit to Ekta’s vision for its success. “The magic that Kasautii had created was all because of Ekta Kapoor’s vision and her passion to give quality work. She gave importance to every small detailing. We were always awed with the way the story was shaping up.
“Daily soaps were new so everyone was very excited. All the actors and directors were a lot of young enthusiastic people who were willing to deliver what Ekta wanted. Nobody used to be in a rush to go home. Apart from the writers, director and producer, the actors had equal opportunity to build up that character by giving their input. The show used to be four days a week from Monday to Thursday and everybody used to get time for other things,” Gautam says, adding that he is not in Season 2 due to his commitment with films and other TV projects.
Gautam points out that it was the chemistry between actors that made a connect with the viewers. “Anurag and Prerna’s chemistry was perfect. Even Bajaj, a rich heartless person who was negative to the core, his love for Prerna was exemplary. He never looked at another woman. The fans used to say that their life partner should be as passionate as Mr Bajaj. Even Komolika’s character was coming-of-age of the vamps. The actors became so big that it was difficult for us to shoot on the road. That kind of stardom is missing today,” Gautam says.
However, Kapoor is trying to retain the flavour of Kasautii... 2 by having the same people work behind the scenes — be it singers Priya Bhattacharya, Babul Supriyo and music composer lalit Sen who have revamped the title track or Kapoor’s man of crisis director Anil V Kumar.
Talking about whether the show will create the same magic or not, Gautam says: “It was Ekta’s magic and she will definitely recreate it again. Expectations will be higher, especially to see the old starcast, but to shoot with them is not possible as they all have aged. Even if it is called by the same name and title track, the show needed a fresh face as the makers are trying to make it grand with contemporary modern-day set-up and a nice romantic drama to connect with the millennial.”