MUMBAI: The television show Tenali Rama has made an audience for itself. The show is enjoyed by its viewers for its narrative. Now, the series is set to take a 20-year time leap and thus a shuffle in the cast is in the offing.

Krishna Bharadwaj, who plays the title character, will also be seen essaying the role of his grown-up son, Bhaskar. Now, according to a report in Times of India, Manav Gohil, who plays King Krishnadevaraya, will not be a part of the show anymore. Shakti Anand will step in as the new king, Balakumaran, which will be a different character.

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Manav told the daily, “Yes, I am exiting the show for the time being. But I guess my character will have to come back, as we can’t twist history, and Tenali can’t continue or culminate without Krishnadevaraya. I believe the leap is being introduced at a right time, as the show was getting to a point of stagnation. We needed to shock the audience; we just don’t know the duration of this jhatka.”

Speaking about entering the show, Shakti said, “I am excited about playing this character, as I will be exploring the comedy genre for the first time. I have always been cast as the righteous guy, but in this show, my character will have flaws. He is short-tempered and gullible. My look, too, will be different from what I have attempted in my career so far.”