Juhi Parmar and Hussain Kuwajerwala’s TV show Kumkum – Ek Pyaara Sa Bandhan (2002-2009) recently completed 21 years and the duo posted a reel to celebrate the occasion. Netizens commented on their crackling chemistry, which seemed intact even after many years.

Talking about their equation, Juhi says, “Hussain and I shared great chemistry on screen because we hit it off well from day one. Everyone on the set used to call us Tom and Jerry, but till date we don’t know who was Tom and who was Jerry. People probably thought I bullied him, but it was the other way around (laughs). We used to have a lot of fun on the set.”

Hussain says, “Juhi and I have remained friends over the years and we had a lot of fun making the reel recently. The credit for that goes entirely to her.”

Juhi adds, “I know he is always there for me. We may not meet so often but that’s because we all tend to get busy with our lives.”

The two recall how they are still identified as Sumeet and Kumkum. Juhi shares, “A few days ago, a guy came up to me and said how he kept the title song of Kumkum as his ringtone for the longest time.”

She added, "Kumkum created that impact because that was the era when we started having daily soaps and people enjoyed shows in the afternoon slots."

Hussain recalls how the show had a progressive concept, "In Kumkum, a devar marries his bhabhi. It used to happen in villages traditionally if the husband dies. But to portray it on television was challenging. Somehow, Juhi and I looked like devar-bhabhi and at the same time also had great chemistry on screen."

Recalling the time when the two were finalized for the show, Juhi says, “They had auditioned around 150 girls and conducted auditions in different cities. I was doing a weekly show at that time and wasn’t sure if I wanted to give time to a daily show, but finally when I was selected, I took it up.” Hussain adds, “When I was offered the show, I readily took it up because the concept was progressive.”

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 10, 2020)

“There’s a huge hue and cry about the dearth of sanitisers in the market and the increase in the number of duplicate ones being sold at shops. We’re paying five times the normal price but we’re being cheated,” says Juhi Parmar who decided to make sanitisers and soaps at home due to Coronavirus outbreak. However, this isn’t the first time that she has tried her hands at home made products.

She shares, “There are so many people who can’t afford to pay ₹600 for a bottle of sanitiser. I’m not saying that my alcohol-free sanitisers are the ultimate weapons against the virus but I’m a big fan of homemade products. I love experimenting and coming up with different products. I make my own cosmetics. I can trust them completely because they are chemical-free.”

She says that she’s keeping herself busy with her tarot reading sessions. “It makes me happy that I’m being able to help people during this time. In the process, I try to tell people about the need to develop the power to control their thoughts. Sitting at home and worrying isn’t going to help. Rather than reacting, we need to positively respond to the situation we’re in,” she says.

The Kumkum - Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan actor actor, who has also taken to cooking, says that she’s “focusing on creating kids-friendly dishes”. She shares, “Every day, I look forward to experimenting new recipes. I’ve started sharing quick recipes on my digital channel. My daughter isn’t able to go out. So, I try to create interesting dishes for her.”

Stressing on the importance of a healthy eating habit during these tough times, she elaborates, “We need to keep a greater check on our eating habits right now. The more you eat right, the stronger will your immunity system be which will act as a protective shield. Kids have a fragile immunity system. Hence, I’ve always been inclined towards creating recipes that are healthy for my daughter and I’m doing so all the more now.”

Sonil Dedhia (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 10, 2020)

“My shoulders are strong enough to be a single parent,” says Juhi Parmar, 39, who has been staying with daughter Samairra, after the actor’s separation from Sachin Shroff two years back.

“I think the biggest challenge of being a single parent is dealing with the guilt of not being able to be with your child as much as you would want to. Maintaining the work-life balance gets difficult but I am grateful to my parents who have been there and taken care of my daughter when I am not around,” says the actor of Kumkum: Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan fame.

Just like most of us, the lockdown has allowed the actor to spend quality time with her kid. “We try and engage in a lot of activities. For instance, I have never baked a cake in my life but since the Coronavirus lockdown, I have done it thrice as Samairra loves cake. I also came up with a makeshift salon where I gave my dad a haircut and did the eyebrows for my mother,” says Parmar, adding that her daughter has been her biggest source of inspiration.

“My daughter is the reason I’m able to look forward to life every day. I want to set an example for her so that when she grows up, she can confidently say that she is proud of her mother. Sachin and I have moved on, believing not to carry any grudges or have any animosity. We are all in a happy space where our daughter doesn’t feel any vacuum,” the actor signs off.

Reza Noorani (BOMBAY TIMES; July 18, 2018)

A veteran in films and television, actress Rita Bhaduri passed away on Tuesday morning. Last seen on the TV show, Nimki Mukhiya, as the heroine’s grandmother, she is remembered by her co-actors as a positive force on the set and someone who inspired them to work hard. Bhumika Gurung, who plays the protagonist on the show Nimki Mukhiya, recalls, “Since she played a grandmother on the set, all of us started calling her daadi in real life, too. She was like family to us. I recall she would constantly fuss over about my sleeping habits.”

Bhaduri was on a dialysis since a while, yet she reported on the set until her last moment. “We all knew that she was unwell, but she never let it reflect in her performance. When I last spoke to her, I told her that I wanted to visit her, but she insisted that I focus on my shoot. She said, ‘I will meet you on the set and we will shoot together’,” she adds.

Veteran actor Arun Bali, who worked with Rita for seven years on the show, Kumkum, recalls her as someone who was a joy to work with. He says, “Rita ji was a person of the highest calibre. She was such an innocent human being. We worked together and she was such a terrific performer.” Bali also recalls that Rita had hit a rough patch in her life and was helped by CINTAA (Cine & TV Artists Association), however, as soon as she bounced back, she refused to take any further help from the body. In tears, he recalls, “She never accepted any unnecessary obligations from anyone. The world has lost a terrific human being today.”

Actor Sooraj Thapar, who worked with her on Ekk Nayi Pehchaan, says, “She was a one-take artiste. She was very strong and even at her age, she was driven to perform. Besides being a great co-actor, I remember the tasty meals she would cook for all of us and bring it on set. And not just one dabba; she would cook an entire pot-full of food and share it with everyone. It is indeed a sad day for the movie and TV industry.”
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Actors Jitendra Trehan, Neelu Kohli, Shishir Sharma with a friend, Satish Shah, Abhay Bhargav and Jaya Bhattacharya at the funeral, which was held at 12 pm in Andheri

January 11, 1951—July 17, 2018

Rita Bhaduri’s friends recount stories of her talent, kindness and rare professionalism in the wake of her demise at age 67 in Mumbai
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 18, 2018) 

Veteran actress Rita Bhaduri, who suffered from prolonged renal illnesses, passed away at 67 on Tuesday in Mumbai. “Her health started deteriorating two weeks ago and she succumbed to cardiac arrest,” her niece, Mini, told Mirror.

Anil Kapoor, who worked with the late actress in films like Beta, Ghar Ho Toh Aisa and Virasat, decribed her as “one of the finest talents to come out of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)”. Shabana Azmi, the actress’s 1973 FTII batchmate, who kept in touch with her through their WhatsApp Group chats, informed that Rita had injured her spine during a shoot a month ago and subsequently contracted an infection for which she had to undergo surgery.

“She was in excruciating pain as she couldn’t be administered strong painkillers due to ongoing dialysis,” said Shabana, adding that their friends called her Tanuja because of her effervescence. “There was something cute and impish about her. She was a good student and had the prettiest face in the class. She was extremely photogenic, but I felt that she didn’t take her talent seriously. As a student, she was happy to be one of the yaars, chewing Paan Bahar and not caring about appearances. Her mother Chandrima Bhaduri, a veteran actress, was ambitious for her but Rita was content with what she had,” she added.

Zarina Wahab, another FTII batchmate and her co-star in the Rajshri film Saawan Ko Aane Do, couldn’t make it to the funeral, which took place at noon on Tuesday, due to work commitments, but promised to attend the chautha. “I had met her last a year ago,” she informed. Meanwhile Poonam Dhillon, who acted with her in the daily soap Ekk Nayi Pehchaan in 2013, recalled how once, Rita wasn’t feeling well but no one knew about it till she fainted. “Later, she admited she didn’t tell anyone as she didn’t want to disrupt the shoot.”

Anant Mahadevan, who worked with the late actress in the 1992 film Kamsin and many TV shows, remembered her as affable and lively yet a thorough professional. “We were frequent co-stars during the golden years of Indian television, our first interaction during a press preview of Phoolan in which she played the lead,” he reminisced.

One of Rita’s more recent colleagues, Juhi Parmar of the 2012 TV show Kumkum — Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan, has fond memories of her Rita maa. “She was such a zindadil, strong woman who brought food for me to take home for months when I didn’t have a cook. Spending time with her at her Lonavla home was one of my best New Year’s Eve memories for me,” she stated.

Rita’s daughter from the show Sunday Ke Sunday, Sadiya Siddiqui, recalls her as a voracious reader. “Her niece and I learnt kathak from the same guru, so I’m close to her family and was very possessive of her,” Sadiya smiled, while Kabir Sadanand, who’d first met Rita while auditioning for the show Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zarurat Hai, described their first meeting as his best day in the industry. “Despite years of theatre experience, I was scared. I reported at work at 7 am with an empty-stomach. She cooked eggs and offered them to me. When I politely refused, she said she was nervous on her first day too and I should toughen up,” he flashbacked.

Sanjay Kapoor shared screen space with Rita in his debut film, Raja, and swore by her screen presence. “The scene where her character has an outburst and she yells at her husband, ‘Kaat Mahindra Pratap kaat’... still gives me goosebumps,” he asserted while Indra Kumar, who directed her in Beta and Raja, remembered her as a “remarkable actor and a great human being”. Her Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa co-star Suchitra Krishnamoorthy described her “as a fine actor and a kind soul”.

Deven Bhojani, who directed her in the hit show Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, was all praise for her portrayal of Ila bua. “She was fluent in various languages, disciplined and a zero tantrum actress.” Aatish Kapadia, the show’s writer and co-director, informed that she’d played the lead in the first serial he wrote, the 1987 Gujarati show Aagan Tuk. “When we offered her Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, she came on board without enquiring about the role,” he marvelled while J D Majethia admitted that her character didn’t become as popular as the others but for her work was important. “She was the superstar of several Gujarati hits yet one of the easiest people to work with and a top choices in her age group for all production houses,” he stated. Aatish and Rita reunited for another show. “She’d hang around after packup to chat with me,” he smiled at the memory.

Rubina Dilaik was heart-broken she couldn’t meet the lady who’d feed the Chhoti Bahu unit dhoklas every month one last time. “We were planning to but couldn’t due to our schedule,”she rued.

Gulshan Grover, who studied alongside Anil Kapoor at Roshan Taneja’s acting school, recounted a lesser known facet from his senior. “She touched my heart with one of her improvisations in class, playing a Gujarati girl who would stop at a Malabari shop every day for bread and eggs. Salim Ghouse played the Malabari man and their romance was beautiful and tender, so unlike the usual hero-heroine love story,” he sighed.

Zama Habib, producer of Rita’s last show, Nimki Mukhiya, informed that she had not been shooting since the last 20 days due to the health issues. “She requested that we replace her but I refused to comply. I didn’t know she would never come back,” the maker signed off emotionally.


Reeta Bhaduri’s alma mater FTII paid tribute with a screening of the student film Safar, in which she featured with Tom Alter. “Students, staff and teachers stood in silence in her memory... It was the last film for both. Rita Bhaduri acted in over 70 films and around 30 TV serials,” it shared on Twitter

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; January 3, 2018)

The year that went by witnessed several celebrity break-ups. One marriage that fell apart was that of television actors Juhi Parmar and Sachin Shroff, who tied the knot in 2009. After living separately for about a year, the estranged couple filed for divorce on December 20.

Talking exclusively to BT, Juhi says, “We have sought divorce by mutual consent and our daughter Samairra’s custody is going to be with me. I was very clear right from the start that I will be her sole custodian. Our marriage didn’t work from the beginning. Incompatibility drew us apart; we could never be on the same page. Our backgrounds, mindsets, outlook and expectations from life were completely different. We tried our best, but our differences were irrevocable.”

She adds, “I have not asked for any alimony because I am capable of taking care of myself. I just told Sachin to contribute towards child support so that we can secure Samairra’s future; as parents, it’s our collective responsibility."

Juhi says that she didn’t want her five-year-old daughter Samairra to get affected by her parents’ troubled marriage. “We decided that it was best to part ways, because a harmonious atmosphere is a must for a child. She is too young to understand what’s happening in our lives. However, Sachin’s absence isn’t a new thing for Samairra as we have been separated many times. There have been times when Sachin has not been home and she is used to not seeing him around. However, she does ask about him at times,” she says.

The actress is upset about the rumours doing the rounds that the marriage reached its nadir because of her foul temper. She says, “I do not have a foul temper. I’m just a transparent person who calls a spade a spade and I’m proud of being an honest and fearless person in today’s times. People are writing loosely, assuming that it’s the reason for our divorce. It is my request to all of them to stop judging. What happens between two people, only they will know. A marriage — successful or failed — involves two people and not one. It is easy to blame it on one person based on hearsay and jump to conclusions. I don’t want people to write baseless rumours because when my daughter grows up and reads these stories, she will be hurt. I also read somewhere that the reason for this marriage falling through is distance, as I started living in Umergaon for the shoot of my show. Isn’t that a trivial reason for a marriage to end? We started living separately even before I shifted to Umergaon. I stepped out of my house to work because I have to run my home and take care of my daughter.”

It was work that kept Juhi going during the trying times. The actress, who is currently seen on Karmphal Data Shani, says, “The show has given me the strength to cope with this phase. It kept me busy and gave me a break from the atmosphere at home. My career is my focus today; I am working for my daughter and not for name or fame. I am trying to strike a balance between working and spending quality time with her. My parents have been a great support. They moved to Mumbai from Jaipur for me.”

With one failed marriage, is she averse to love and tying the knot again? “I am a hopeless romantic and I trust people very easily, which has never worked in my favour. I am hopeful that only good things will come my way from now on, and that includes love, too. When you get married, you never expect it to fall apart. I have grown up seeing the beautiful relationship my parents share and I have always believed that marriages happen only once. But all my beliefs shattered during the course of my own marriage. My experience has taught me a lot. Now, I don’t have any expectations; I take each day as it comes,” she signs off.

Despite repeated attempts, Sachin remained unavailable for comment.

As makers prepare to bring together ex-winners in the next season of Bigg Boss, here is what the champs have been doing since
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 5, 2015)

Bigg Boss Season 8 winner, Gautam Gulati, is still celebrating after picking up the trophy on Saturday. But the title and the pay cheque is not all that attracts 'almost famous' names to the reality show. The promise of national fame is a bigger pull and with dedicated fan clubs like 'Gauti Rulez' and 'We love Gautam', it looks like the TV actor is on the right track. And the Diya Aur Baati Hum star who doesn't want to do TV anymore, may be back in the house next season. The channel is planning to bring back all the previous winners for an all-stars version in Season 9.

Most of these faces will reappear on TV after a long absence because while Bigg Boss does promise instant fame, it is often short-lived. A good example is Bigg Boss Season 2 winner Ashutosh Kaushik who seems to have vanished from B-town. His former spokesperson says, "He's nowhere to be found." The 35-year-old actor who was last seen in bit parts in Zila Ghaziabad and Shortcut Romeo in 2013 has since gone MIA. Will he reappear for the Bigg Boss reunion later this year? Only time will tell. But here's what the other contestants who took home the trophy have to say about returning to the house.

GAUAHAR KHAN
Season 7: 'There Is No Novelty Left'
Days in the house: 104
Prize: Rs 50 lakh
Status: Awaiting release of Fever oposite Rajeev Khandelwal

I would be lying if I said that the show did not give me love, fame and make me seem like a 'bahut accha insaan'. It also got me a film offer. But I went on to do more television shows like India's Raw Stars on my own merit. And I am not going back to the house because there is no novelty left in it for me anymore.

VINDOO DARA SINGH
Season 3: 'I'll be back for the all-star season'
Days in the house: 84
Prize: Rs 1 crore, a Chevrolet Cruze
Status: No acting gigs but has admitted to betting on IPL matches and is throwing a Bigg Boss get-together tomorrow

I am addicted to the show. But I hated the Halla Bol format which allowed former contestants to come back into the house. I would never go back as a participant. I am already a winner. But I'll be back for the season of all the winners, next year. I have given my thumbs up to it because having all the winners in the house will be exciting. We'll break the TRPs.

RAHUL ROY
Season 1: 'The host has to be a superstar like Salman Khan'
Days in the house: 90
Prize: Rs 1 crore
Status: Awaiting the release of 2B Or Not 2B and filming 100 Crores

I will go back to the house for the ninth season only if the makers agree to not make the show so predictable. I knew Gautam would win two weeks before he did. Also, people watch the show for the host, who should be a superstar like Salman Khan.None of the contestants can entertain viewers for three straight months. I was the first to survive the house and it felt like a battle won; now it's too trite.

URVASHI DHOLAKIA
Season 6: 'The show was my last on-screen appearance'
Days in the house: 104
Prize: Rs 50 lakh
Status: Owns media company in Dubai

I refused Halla Bol because I thought it was unfair to the other participants. But I'll be back next season. I had turned down the show for four years before I finally gave in. I wasn't disappointed that the prize money was reduced by half. I didn't care. Before I entered the house, I was shooting round-theclock. Being in the house made me feel like I was back to boarding school. After coming out, I didn't want to work and quit the industry.

SHWETA TIWARI
Season 4: 'Bigg Boss is celebrity rehab'
Days in the house: 100
Prize: Rs. 1 crore
Status: Moved to Delhi

I was always popular. The show made me famous but it didn't do anything for my career. My remuneration didn't go down but my weight did. It is like vipasana or celebrity rehab.

There's no liquor, no chicken, no fattening food in the house and you learn to save water. It's a priceless experience!

JUHI PARMAR
Season 5: 'My career ended after I left the house'
Days in the house: 99
Prize: Rs 1 crore
Status: Being mummy

I was signed in July and the show began in October. But in those three months, I turned down lots of TV shows with feeble excuses. Three months after wining Bigg Boss, I got married. Now my three-year old daughter is my life. I haven't been approached for the all-winners season. But even if I were I wouldn't leave my baby.