Musical chairsAjay Sinha's Hasratein has become a game of musical chairs.First Shefali Chayya replaced Seema Kapur. Then, the week before last, it was announced that Noopur, who plays Sejal Shah's daughter, will be replaced by Bhairavi Raichura - Kajal bhai of Hum Paanch. Last week, again came the declaration that Aman Khanna will be replaced by Jiteen Lalwani. Producer Sangeeta Sinha defends their revolving-door policy. "Anybody could see that they could not do their jobs properly. Our serial was suffering and we were forced to replace them," she says. But isn't this a case of bolting the stable after the audience has already fled? Knot to Shahbaaz Khan of Beetal Pachisi is quite upset these days. He is flooded with calls inquiring about his secret marriage to his sweetheart Kartika Rane, after gossip rags "spilled the beans". But Shahbaaz insist that the marriage is still to happen but is on the cards. Mind you, he has been saying that for the last one year, but has never got around to actuallytying the knot. Maybe the magazines got tired and decided not to wait any longer for the shubhmuharat.False move:Dheeraj Kumar's Om Namah Shivay is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Rumours are making rounds that Samar Jaisingh, the actor who plays Shiva, has walked out of the serial. Apparently, he had a fight with Kumar over payments and has been replaced by Yashodhan. But Kumar insists that the rumours are baseless and that Samar is still part of the team. In fact, the story has reached a stage where Shiva is transformed into a young tribal, and hence Yashodhan will play the part - for the next 30 episodes, or so. Samar will return after that. Says Kumar, "People don't know the Puranas and spread rubbish stories. All I can do is smile and laugh." Knot correctWhile still on marriages, certain magazines went to town with the news that Niki Aneja has tied the knot with fiance, Vicky, and that her TV career was at the epilogue stage. A few weeks ago the same magazines had claimed that Niki hadreduced Vicky to a mere driver. Niki is really peeved and clarifies that it was her sister who got married.Real reelAnil Choudhary of Mahayagya believes in basing his serials on personal experiences. So his serial has baniyan-clad police officers playing carrom, judges running out of ink and stopping the proceedings - to ask around for a pen. These scenes come from his close encounters with the law after his previous serial Kabir had six cases of defamation against it. Chaudhary had to make the rounds of the courts and the chowki. Recently, he was shooting at Mud Island in Mumbai and had instructed his production people to construct a set of a hotel room. But such a stickler is he for realism, that when he found that the set was not good enough, he simply called off the shoot. The producer kept mum - after all, she is his wife.Changeover Parikshit Shahani has turned director with the serial Disha. And he's got the break from Cinevista, who also got Puneet Issar to do Hindustani and ArchanaPuran Singh to direct Jaane Bhi Do Paro. In addition, Shahani has conceptualised and written the serial. It is a travelogue of a man's life seeking directions. Says he,"I've been writing for a long time and enjoy it. It has always been my first love."
