THE most successful Indian TV serial of all time ran into trouble after an incredible run of more than 4,300 episodes.
When it was launched in 2009, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai became a firm fan favourite with Hina Khan and Karan Mehra in the lead roles. Then, further generation leaps with headline stars Shivangi Joshi and Mohsin Khan, and then Pranali Rathod and Harshad Chopda, carried on that incredible momentum. After a further generation leap, producer Rajan Shahi fired lead star Shehzada Dhami, after just four months, for unprofessional behaviour on set.
A statement from Shahi’s production house, Director’s Kut, said, “Shehzada had disregarded work ethics from day one. He constantly threw tantrums and mistreated the crew. While the team tried to address the issue, his behaviour continued, disrupting the harmony on set.”
His co-star, Pratiksha Honmukhe, was also ousted from the high-profile serial because she was not able to live up to her character’s expectations. She was also accused of unprofessionalism by insiders on the show.
Rajan Shahi
Shahi added in an interview, “I am the only producer who goes overboard in appreciating talent, but if an actor is misbehaving or troubling me, I will not tolerate it.”
Instead of being a star-making opportunity as it had been for previous cast members like Hina Khan, Mohsin Khan, Shivangi Joshi and Pranali Rathod, getting fired from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai in such a public manner will likely damage the careers of Dhami and Honmukhe. Other producers of high-profile shows are unlikely to hire the pair after all the negative stories about them that have emerged.
Their respective characters won’t be written out of the show and both have very quickly been replaced by other actors.
Rohit Purohit, who has previously starred in the serials Dhadkan Zindaggi Kii, Udaariyaan and Gauna: Ek Pratha, will take over Dhami’s role of Armaan.
Shehzada Dhami andPratiksha Honmukhe in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai
Garvita Sadhwani, who made a name for herself as Mrunal in Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si, will step into Honmukhe’s coveted role of Roohi. With a heavy demand for episodes on the daily serial, both quickly started shooting for the show soon after the previous stars were sacked and were welcomed by cast members.
After what has happened, the two replacements will likely be on their best behaviour, hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous leads who have used the show as a launching pad towards stardom.
Meanwhile, Dhami and Honmukhe have gone from getting a certain life-changing break to an epic career crisis, as they try to find employment after such a public firing by one of Indian television’s most successful ever producers.
The changeover of actors playing the same character won’t bother audiences too much as it occurs regularly. But it has never happened on such a big show in such an incendiary way before.
Industry professionals have said it will be an important life lesson for newcomers and established stars who work on TV shows. Only time will tell if the two new leads will be able to carry on the success of a show that has lasted for 15 years. But one thing is for certain: it has given a show that was losing viewers some much-needed attention.
Alia Bhatt at the Red Sea Film Festival where she spoke about the scale of Alpha Getty Images 
