Shooting for Udaariyaan in tricity, Sargun Mehta is happy with the rise of the Punjabi industry

Sheetal

In a vibrant press conference held on Thursday at the shoot location of Colors’ show Udaariyaan, actress-producer Sargun Mehta introduced the new cast members. She roped-in the known face of television industry, talented actor Avinesh Rekhi to play Sarabjeet Singh. To support the love triangle of the story, actresses Aditi Bhagat and Shreya Jain would also be part of the fresh casting after the 15-year time leap.

Sisters in arms

Aditi Bhagat, who previously portrayed Aasmaa in Udaariyaan, expressed deep gratitude for the recent opportunity to contribute to the show’s legacy by playing the role of Haniya. Aditi said, “Aasmaa jitni confident thi, Haaniya utni hi under-confident hai.” Aditi further revealed she had a sister-like connection with her co-star Shreya Jain. Shreya, who portrays the character of Meher, is a recent addition to the Udaariyaan team. Shreya, who is shooting in Chandigarh for the first time, acknowledged the challenges, “Initially it was tough, but with time it all became easy and now I am enjoying every bit of it.” About her character, she said portraying someone slightly different from herself was fun.

Set in the heart of Punjab and filmed near Gharuan village, Udaariyaan has captivated viewers with its rich storytelling and compelling characters. Sargun, who has written the show from a scratch, said, “When I stepped into production, it was indeed a big thing for us. But gladly I had the support of my creative team and my husband, Ravi Dubey. Even though Udaariyaan has ruled the TRP charts, it has had its share of ups and downs. But we have learnt from it.”

Since I studied in

DAV College-10, that sector is my favourite. Also because it has that famous geri route. Overall, the whole experience of driving around Madhya Marg is incomparable. — Avinesh Rekhi, Actor

Time leap

For the unversed, this is the fourth time leap in the show. While Sargun always brought new cast through time leaps, she said it was not intentional. “It’s purely a chance that it has happened, before but I always go by what the story demands. This time around while writing the script, I had Avinesh’s name in my mind because he had done a show titled Choti Sarrdaarni in the past, where he played a character of a Sardar,” she said.

From producing a TV show, featuring in music videos and Punjabi films, her presence is felt in all mediums; even her character of a cop in the Hindi OTT debut film, Cuttputlli, was much appreciated, but the humble actress feels she rarely finds time to enjoy her success. “From years now it has been about what’s next because I am continuously working,” said Sargun, who is awaiting the release of her film Carry On Jattiye. As for her music video, Ve Haaniyaan, again released under her production, Dreamiyata Musiic, it is going from strength to strength. The four-month-old song has now gained up to 99 million views and features the real-life couple — Sargun and Ravi.

Homecoming

Avinesh Rekhi, who plays Sarab, shared his excitement, “Stepping into the shoes of Sarab in Udaariyaan feels like coming home to my roots. I started my journey with Colors and after the success of Choti Sarrdaarni, I’m thrilled to embark on this new chapter. Shooting in Punjab’s picturesque locations is quite a delight.”

Avinesh, who has been brought up in Chandigarh, is glad to be back home. He added, “My parents are definitely happy and so am I. Growing up you would always dream of working in the city you spent half your life in, but, thankfully, it became true because of Sargun, who thought of me.”

Avinesh said aspiring actors and directors are having more opportunities to showcase their talent these days, thanks to the multiple platforms. “It wasn’t the case back in our time,” he said. Sargun agreed, “Just in the past four years when I started shooting for Udaariyaan, there was nothing surrounding our location. But today we have coffee shops and hanging out places near our villages. So, Punjab and Punjabi cinema is taking rapid strides.

(With inputs by Bhanuni Saini)

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