Prembabu Sharma
Guess what’s brewing on your favorite dinnertime soapPavitra Rishta! The iconic show that captured the imagination of the great Indian middle class for 3 years with its realism and simplicity is about to see a generation leap. ProducerEkta Kapoor has taken the remote control out of your hands and pressed the ‘fast forward’ button, taking the touching story of India’s most beloved star-crossed lovers Manav and Archana ahead by a whopping 20 years! But alas, all isn’t well in paradise as the two love-birds will no longer be together!
Yes, starting Monday, December 12, you will be transported to a time when Manav is in Canada and Archana lives right here in Mumbai. They will be seen to have separated as a result of their growing differences many years ago. Clearly, all hadn’t been well between the two ever since Archana filed a court case against Manav over the demolition of their chawl and matters only got worse when their own son Soham went missing in a nasty accident right after Archana’s sister Varsha kidnapped him. Manav had held Archana solely responsible for the loss of their son as he had warned her about Varsha’s dubious motives but she hadn’t paid heed. Before the 20 year leap takes place, Archana will deliver two beautiful twins Oviand Tejaswini. Claiming his paternal rights, Manav will take them along as he relocates to Canada. So, 20 years down the line, you will see Manav in Canada staying with mother Savita Tai. His children Sachin, Ovi & Tejaswini are in their early twenties. He is still close to his boss DK whose dashing son Arjun is romantically involved with Ovi. Deprived of her children, Archana, will be seen to have adopted an orphan girl Poorvi. Poorvi works in the same office as Archana and is fiercely protective of her and grandparents Sulochana andManohar. With 20 years of separation between them, Manav and Archana prefer not to even bring up each others’ names in any discussions with their respective family members. Poorvi is the ray of hope for the viewers who will feel strongly about reuniting the two. The plot post leap will see interesting intersections between all the fresh faces who have joined the cast as Manav Archana’s children. However, only time will tell whether the separated lovers will reconcile their differences and reunite!
Speaking of the generation leap, Ekta Kapoor said, “Pavitra Rishta is about to shift to the next gear. The story zooms ahead by 20 years and the viewers should prepare themselves for some very exciting developments. While I don’t wish to reveal too much about the upcoming plot, I must say we have roped in some extremely promising actors to play the parts of Manav and Archana’s children who are now young adults. The interesting manner in which their paths are about to intersect and the ripple effects of the same on Manav-Archana’s relationship will make for extremely compelling viewing for every Pavitra Rishta fan.”
Prominent amongst the new faces that will be seen essaying the roles of the new generation on Pavitra Rishta are model-turned-actor Rithvik Dhanjani playing Arjun, veteran actress Vibha Chibber’s son Puru Chibber as Sachin, Shruti Kanwar as Ovi and Miss India finalist-turned-actor Mrinalini Tyagi as Tejaswini.
Hiten Tejwani, who has recently begun essaying the role of Manav said, “Manav will now be seen as an NRI based out of Canada staying away from the love of his life. The happiness of his children and his business form the crux of his existence. So, a lot has changed for Manav. His journey from being a chawl-dwelling mechanic to a Canada-based businessman is quite an interesting graph. But the soul of Manav has stayed intact and I look forward to the challenge of portraying that effectively!”
Ankita Lokhande, who has won millions of heart as Archana, said, “Twenty years down the line, viewers will be delighted to see that Archana hasn’t changed one bit. She’s still every bit the ideal mother, daughter and sister. What’s more, she’s aged rather gracefully with hardly any greys yet! What has gone missing from her life is the role of a wife. On some level, she deeply misses Manav. Yet, she keeps up a brave front and an image of composure as if she’s moved on in life. Her adopted daughter Poorvi and mother Sulochana mean everything to her. It will be very interesting to see what lies in store for her!”
Speaking of the core emotions that lie at the heart of the post-leap plot, Sukesh Motwani,Head- Fiction Programming, Zee TV said, “Manav and Archana have been an inspiration for millions of lovers across India. The strength of their bond has survived several trials by fire. However, this time around, viewers will, for the first time, see the two of them unable to resolve bitter differences and leading their lives separately out of their own choice. They are now in their mid-forties, have adult children and are somewhat hardened by the harsh circumstances life has presented them with. After all, could it possibly be easy on Archana to lead a life deprived of her children by her own husband? All said and done, it now remains to be seen if Manav and Archana can truly ever move on with their lives or do they still care for each other on some level!”
Stay tuned to Pavitra Rishta as it leaps forth by 20 years on Monday, December 12 at 9 PM, only on Zee TV.
