Pallavi Joshi dumped from 'K3D'

BY TRUPTI GHAG & VICKEY LALWANI
(4 October 2004)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Dhoom has changed tracks suddenly and in the process, Pallavi Joshi has been left out of the storyline

Ace actress Pallavi Joshi is out of Star Plus' Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Dhoom (K3D), a story that revolved around seven adopted children. Produced by Smita Thackeray's Rahul Productions, the show had replaced 'Karishma Kaa Karishma' (the Indian version of Small Wonder).

When contacted, Joshi said that she was pretty annoyed with the way that the show had progressed. "I was narrated an entirely different story. But the story was going in an altogether different direction when I started shooting. I was supposed to fall for a younger guy (played by Vishal Singh) but there was nothing happening on that front in any of the 18 episodes I worked. I am a senior actress who loves challenging portrayals and I had been reduced to a glorified extra."

The production house didn't even bother to inform her personally. "They just sent me a letter one fine day, that the track was changing and I wouldn't be required anymore."

That must have really bugged her! "Not really. In fact, it was a blessing in disguise. Anyway, I was intending to leave the serial any moment. Standing in the backdrop like a buffoon while the kids hogged the limelight had become exasperating," she explained.

K3D was the story of seven orphans and the pranks they play on Poster, the servant who looks after them played by Ali Asgar, aunty Savitri (played by Pallavi Joshi) and the visitors who drop in occasionally. Savitri resides in a huge bungalow along with the kids adopted by her late husband.

The new track, which is already being aired but has not caught the attention of anybody except us as yet (clearly that says a lot about the TRPs it has generated) has seen the exit of not only Pallavi Joshi but even Vishal Singh and Dilip Joshi. An alien attack took them away along with two kids!

Writer Raghuveer defends, "We have not registered promising TRPs but are getting good feedback from children who are watching it. Watch out for even more interesting twists."

Pray, what are those? "An alien girl has landed on the earth and changed herself to a beautiful girl. She has a romantic relationship with a human (played by new entrant Krishna Soni, last seen in Bhagyashree's Kaagaz Ki Kashti)." Phew!

The main supporting cast had originally comprised Vishal Singh as Anuj (the trustee's son who lands up as a cook in the bungalow because he wants to maintain peace and harmony) and Dilip Joshi as Taneja (the builder who has an eye on Savitri's property) along with the kids Abhishek Sharma, Anuj Pandit, Lavina Tandon, Shivani Joshi, Arun Dev Sharma, Samarth and Akshita.

Smita Thackeray had said that she would have loved to see the show being aired on Sunday mornings, but Star's senior VP, programming, Deepak Segal had opined at the launch, "We have done fairly well with other children's shows like Sonpari on Wednesdays and Shakalaka Boom Boom on Fridays, hence not having it on Sundays won't make a difference."

But, apparently it has. If wishes were horses...