Mumbai: TV actor Urvashi Dholakia escaped unhurt after a school bus brushed off her car on the highway at Kashimira on Saturday morning. Kashimira police said 43-year-old actor was heading to a studio in Vasai when the driver of a mini school bus brushed past her car. The bus was on its way to pick up students.

Dholakia did not register a police complaint. A diary entry was made by the cops.

Dholakia, well known for her role as 'Komolika' in TV serial 'Kasauti Zindagi Kay' was also the winner of 'Bigg Boss 6'.

On January 20, Shiv Sena leader and former state health minister Dr Deepak Sawant was injured when his car was hit by a dumping truck on western express highway at Kashimira. He had sustained neck and back injuries and was admitted to a hospital in Andheri.

Actor Urvashi Dholakia may be back on TV after a hiatus, but she doesn’t hide her aversion for the term ‘comeback’. She explains, “I didn’t go anywhere. I choose to work in the right projects, do roles that work for me.”

While her peers have been taking the digital route, the actor laments the lack of offers. For her, the comparison between OTT and television content is “wrong”. She remarks that both the mediums cater to different kinds of viewers. “Sure, there is a mix, too, but a majority of people watch either this or that. Like my 80-year-old mother loves TV dramas, but would cringe at the abuses in OTT shows. TV caters to a family audience, which is a huge market,” says Dholakia.

Ask her about veering towards web shows and she points out, “I would love to do OTT shows, but I have to be offered one. There is a big barrier when it comes to casting actors from TV for web projects. Most people taking the call of casting actors for OTT have a TV background, but they are hesitant to cast actors from TV, saying we are too exposed.”

The actor hopes that the “sad situation” changes soon. “It is an awful discrimination. Actors who do TV shows are always categorised as ‘TV actors’. The label of a TV actor hurts. People should stop it. Why can’t we just be called actors? Why am I called ‘TV actor Urvashi Dholakia’, why not just ‘actor Urvashi Dholakia’? I have done films as a kid, and I also did theatre. But no one says, ‘Child actor-turned-ad actor-turned-theatre actor-turned serial actor! Then why say TV actor? All of us are actors performing on different mediums,” she laments.

Proud of her body of work, Dholakia, 42, bats for the small screen, as she feels “TV is big and thriving” and it has opened its doors for artistes from all mediums. “People who haven’t done well in films are doing well on TV. Eventually, everyone needs TV at the end of the day, as promotion of every kind of content happens on TV,” she ends.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 7, 2020)

During the Coronavirus lockdown, while celebrities were hitting headlines for all sorts of reasons, actor Urvashi Dholakia made news for an unexpected reason. A number of memes about Komolika, an iconic character played by her, flooded the internet and went viral. She was surprised to see the memes and felt “a moment of pride”, and thought maybe she had done something right in her career. She says, “Back then, when I played Komolika, it was popular without social media and today, I can only express my gratitude that people still remember the character and me. Initially, there were a few but soon there were a number of memes. I am thankful for all the love. I remember, when the TV show aired, there were people who loved the look and many felt it was over-the-top and garish. Today, it is a fashion statement. I have even seen three layered eyeliners on the ramp in international shows.”

Having worked in the industry for over 25 years, Dholakia has seen a number of ups and downs. She admits that every industry has all kinds of people and one should remain strong and keep working. “Main haar ke baaithne walaon mein se nahi hoon. I remember, after my father passed away, it took me five years to come back to being me. Certain incidents in life change you and your perspective. I was not myself for a long time and even refused a lot of work. I didn’t realise what was happening to me and to adapt to things in my life. I had to work on myself,” she says, adding, “I believe that life is a circle and we all have ups and downs. It is an ongoing process and one has to focus on what is important. I always have gratitude for all the love from my fans. I am a blessed soul and things have always worked out for me.”

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 29, 2020)

A while back, Urvashi Dholakia had revealed that she slipped under depression after sending her sons, Sagar and Kshitij, off to boarding school. She now says that she’s happy to be spending ample time with them during the Coronavirus lockdown. The trio had taken to TikTok to share videos. “It’s one of the ways that I bond with my sons. Everyone in the house enjoys watching our madness. It’s a good stress buster,” she says.

The video streaming platform recently faced a lot of flak for churning out videos that promote rape, acid attack and violence. The actor believes that there are some people with a warped mindset and blaming the platform isn’t a solution. She elaborates, “Any person misusing a platform should be punished. There’s no point blaming a platform because they come with a set of community guidelines and they shouldn’t be misused. However, some people choose to use it negatively.” Talking about how she chooses to use the platform for plain fun, she says, “I don’t relate to their mindset. I use it to create fun videos because that’s what people need now.”

Recently, broadcasters and television producers engaged in a virtual meeting with CM Uddhav Thackeray to resume shoots in a limited scale. Dholakia feels that it’s “a good call” since many actors are facing financial difficulties. She says, “Artistes are at home without work, struggling to makes ends meet. We’ve to feed our families.

The sagas that had redefined Indian TV, now hope to win audiences all over again
Sangeeta Yadav (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 14, 2020)

Agreat strategy or crisis management — reruns of phenomenally popular mythological shows Mahabharat and Ramayan or sitcoms Dekh Bhai Dekh and Shrimaan Shrimati during the Coronavirus lockdown are proving to be quite the game-changer on TV. Now, with Balika Vadhu the latest to return, many feel getting back iconic saas bahu sagas such as Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagi Kay and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, among others, will boost TRPs.

Producer Rajan Shahi feels good shows will resonate whenever they air. “If we bring back saas-bahu shows which started a new phase on Indian TV, broadcasters can cash in on the popularity again,” he says.

Avika Gor, aka the young Anandi of Balika Vadhu, is overwhelmed as her show returns. “It was a one-of-its kind show, and each episode had a message that made a difference,” she says.

Actors who became a household name with these shows also feel it’s a great idea to bring them back.

Urvashi Dholakia aka Komolika of Kasautii... feels people will love to go down memory lane. Other than her show, she says, “I’d also like to see Kahaani... because I love Sakshi Tanwar’s acting and the whole cast was perfect. Even Ghar Ek Mandir and Mehndi Tere Naam Ki were very relatable and the characters beautifully etched.” Echoing the sentiment, Hiten Tejwani of Kyunki... says, “All these shows hold a great recall value and will definitely get a good audience. Even the current generation will be able to connect.”

Though the popular sitcoms are doing well on screen, getting daily soaps back “involves calculative risk”, points out scriptwriter Gajra Kottary. “Most of these are long-running shows and once the lockdown is over, the new shows would be back. Balika Vadhu for instance, went on for eight years, so it will club two episodes and air for an hour daily. So, some broadcasters are playing it safe by going for shows with shorter episodes,” Kottary adds.

The actress is returning to the small screen after six years
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; September 26, 2019)

Guess who is playing the new Komolika in Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2 after Hina Khan’s exit? It’s Aamna Shariff! The actress, who is still remembered as Kashish from Kahiin Toh Hoga (2003-2007) and was last seen in the TV show, Ek Thhi Naayika (2013), is all set to make a comeback on TV. Post her last stint on the small screen, Aamna featured in the film Ek Villain (2014), in which she played Riteish Deshmukh’s wife.

Talking about the hiatus and turning negative on the small screen for the first time, Aamna says, “The reason for the break was the need to reinvent my personal life. It would have been easy to stay in my comfort zone and come back with a love story, but that wouldn’t have satiated me as an actor. It’s always a different kind of rush to surprise your audience. So, when I was offered the role of Komolika, I instinctively knew that this is what will challenge me the most as an actor.”

She adds, “I feel there are no black or white characters anymore. They are all grey in their own ways and with so many platforms to explore, the stories have become more about ensembles than about leads. If it’s an interesting character and adds value to the story in a large way, no one thinks on those grounds anymore. A Devdas for me is as much about Chandramukhi as it is about Paro, and a Padmaavat is as much about Khilji as it’s about Padmavati herself.”

Ask her if she is apprehensive about comparisons that would be drawn with Hina Khan and she replies, “I haven’t seen the show, but I have heard that Hina was doing a commendable job. Urvashi Dholakia had played the character many years ago in Kasautii Zindagii Kay in such a powerful way that Komolika became a cult figure.”

Vinay VR Mishra (DNA; August 24, 2019)

Recently, TV actress Urvashi Dholakia blasted the makers of the dance reality show Nach Baliye 9 for being unfair and partial towards other participants after she and her ex-boyfriend Anuj Sachdeva were eliminated. While speaking to a daily, the actress also took digs at fellow participants Madhurima Tuli and Vishal Aditya Singh for surviving in the show only on the basis of their drama and being favoured by the makers.  Now, Madhurima is ‘shocked’ at Urvashi’s lambast. “I wouldn’t comment on what she said as it’s her point of view. (But) There is absolutely no partiality as such. Everyone is treated equally.”

Madhurima feels Urvashi is unable to accept her defeat and that is why she has come out attacking. “Honestly, it’s a competition and somebody has to win and somebody has to lose. I think you take the judges’ decision respectfully and not dig out these things or make an issue out of it. If we would have lost, I don’t think we would have ever done anything like this and would have respected the decision,” she says adding that Urvashi is overreacting. “She is a competitor, she has seen life, she has fought life! I respect her completely. It’s just that I feel she is sad right now and overreacting a bit to a few things. She should take it positively and move on.”

Urvashi, Vishal and Madhurima were co-stars in a supernatural show. Talking about her relationship with the actress, Madhurima said, “I didn’t know that she had issues with me. We had cordial relations.” For the uninitiated, Vishal and Urvashi are close friends. “I don’t know if they are real friends or for the sake of it. I think she has an issue with me rather than Vishal. I never fought on stage, it’s Vishal who always does, and it’s he who created a controversy. So, I should not be the one to be blamed at all.”

Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; August 22, 2019)

Urvashi Dholakia, popular as television’s original Komolika, is known to call a spade a spade. The actress, who is currently seen on Nach Baliye with her ex, actor Anuj Sachdeva, will be eliminated on the show this weekend. Urvashi is upset with the elimination and believes that the entire process was unfair. In an exclusive interview with Bombay Times, the actress speaks about why she believes that she deserved better and how reality shows need to focus more on talent rather than drama. Excerpts from the interview:

Every week a couple gets eliminated on the dance reality show. This week it’s you. Why do you feel your elimination is unfair?
Well, if a couple has been scoring good marks, which is only increasing every week and there’s a certain vote bank that I know we have, then it’s difficult for me to believe that we were not able to win the love of our viewers. How can a couple be consistently moving up the scoreboard and yet be at the bottom four times in a row? Is this a dance show or a popularity contest? And if we are being judged on popularity, then I am not ready to believe that 35 years of work leads to a low fan base. Where’s the score board to show where each of us stands when it comes to audience's votes plus judges’ scores? If the show was all about young couples, then why bring us in? If you have brought us on the show, then why the partiality? This is not just a misuse of my image, but total disrespect to the hard-earned place that I’ve made for myself in the industry.

Anuj and I can’t fight and bicker on screen. We agreed to do the show thinking it’s a dance show and not a bloody fighting ring! There were couples who were allowed to re-shoot their acts when there were goof-ups on stage; they were told by our judges that the mistake would be edited. Why was that allowed? If we cannot pre-shoot an act, how can a reshoot be allowed, especially when it’s a live performance? In a reality show, you get one chance — you give it your best and you are judged on that. I thought I was signing up for a non-fiction show and not a fictional one. This is not the first time that I have done a reality show, but yes, it’s the first time that I have seen this kind of biased judgement. After getting a standing ovation from almost 300 people on the set for a performance, which I know was way better than the marks we received, we get eliminated. Why did the judges need almost a halfhour break to think about the score this time? They never did it in the last five weeks. I’m someone who has survived in this industry through hard work. I cannot and will not stop myself from speaking against unfair behaviour. The actor, entertainer, and the artiste in me says that we deserved better. We deserved to be treated fairly.

Reality shows tend to have a lot of drama because the makers believe that’s what sells. Even on Nach Baliye, there are plenty of fights happening between exes (Madhurima Tuli and Vishal Aditya Singh)…
It’s not that we haven’t given content, but we are two mature individuals and you can’t expect us to fight like teenagers. For me, Nach Baliye was a dance show that I signed up for. I wasn’t there to play the victim or the sympathy card, or to fight and create drama with my ex. If washing dirty linen in public is the idea, then there are other shows that one can be a part of. Why take up a dance show? If that’s the benchmark, then it’s sad as the audience is not stupid. Viewers are very intelligent and you cannot fool them. I wanted the world to see the independent woman that I am — mother of two and a mature individual — who has the ability to show the world that you can have a cordial relationship with your ex and even work with him. But on Nach..., it clearly seems like if there’s no drama, then there’s no prize. It’s not a dance competition, but a drama competition!

Have you spoken to the producer of the show, Salman Khan, about this?
No, I haven’t spoken to him and I don’t think it would be fair to involve him as he isn’t the one deciding who is treated how and when they will be eliminated from the show.

Do you regret being a part of the show?
I have loved performing on that stage. I have learnt a lot and I’m happy to have stretched myself beyond my own boundaries to perform. I didn’t know that I was capable of pulling off what I did each week, and that too performing with your ex, which has complexities of its own. I don’t regret being a part of the show, but what's deplorable is the way the show has been formatted, without any clarity in voting, with partiality towards certain couples and without giving everyone a fair stage.

What does Anuj have to say about this?
He’s also disheartened as we worked really hard, and everyone from the production team to the contestants felt that the elimination was completely unfair.

Urvashi Dholakia on why she signed up to unite with a former flame for Salman Khan’s upcoming dance reality show
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 17, 2019)

Urvashi Dholakia, still synonymous with her character Komolika in the original Kasautii Zindagi Kay, has come on-board as a contestant on Salman Khan’s upcoming TV production, Nach Baliye 9. And while it has been widely reported that she will be appearing in the dance-based reality show with ex-boyfriend Anuj Sachdeva, the actress refuses to divulge details. “The show’s creative team is still in talks to figure out who would be the best match for me. It will be interesting. As far as chemistry goes, we will just have to wait and see how everything else works out,” she says.

Speaking about her decision to do the show, she reveals, “I took it up as I’ve always loved dancing and through this platform I could learn so much more. For me, it’s like acting. I’ve always wanted to be on TV and not watch it from the outside, the same goes for dance! I recently shot a promo in a grand setup.”

She goes on to add that she is a trained dancer. “That was many years ago, but it comes naturally to me. As far as prep for the show goes, we begin workshops shortly,” she says, adding that she is also looking forward to working with Salman. “I want to build a good rapport with him as long as I’m on the show.” 

Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; June 23, 2017)

Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; November 18, 2015)

Salman Khan is known to be large-hearted, but when it comes to old rival Vivek Oberoi, he does not believe in the ‘forgive and forget’ theory. At least that is what we heard from those present at Bandra’s Mehboob Studios on Monday evening.

Sources say Salman was in studio no 5 for a press conference while director Indra Kumar was shooting for his next, Great Grand Masti with Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh and Aftab Shivdasani in the vicinity. “Post the media interaction, Salman caught up with Kumar, who took him to the vanity van where all the lead actors of his film were present. He walked in, saw Vivek and immediately exited the van,” an onlooker says.

Kumar then apparently followed Salman out along with Riteish, Aftab and lead actress Urvashi Rautela. “The four of them exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a brief while even as Vivek stayed put in the van. Clearly, there’s no love lost between them,” adds the source.

While Salman and Vivek remained unavailable for comment, a source close to the Bajrangi Bhaijaan star confirms that he met Kumar and says, “But it is not compulsory for all actors to meet each other when they are shooting in the same location; everyone was there for work.”

Salman and Vivek’s rivalry is over a decade old. It started after the latter called for a press conference at his residence against the former. In the last couple of years, Vivek has tried apologising to Salman on a few occasions, but has always been snubbed.

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.