UPCOMING primetime drama ‘Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se’

‘Adjustments in a marriage’ is a universal topic as all around us we see couples striving hard to have a harmonious relationship with their spouses. Adjustment in the relationship occurs between an individual and the environment that he/she lives in. Couples face difficulties when they have to share their lives with a partner who was raised with different values, morals and rules. Whether united by love or an arranged marriage, the adjustment period of a marriage is the crucial litmus test of a relationship.

Premiering on 12 August 2013 at 8:30 PM, Zee TV’s upcoming primetime drama ‘Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se’ lends to this thought beautifully and delves a little deeper into the heart of one such woman who marries a man who is unequal to her in every respect. The story unfolds in Jodhpur where Shivani and Raghu share a master – servant equation respectively. Hailing from two very different strata’s of society, Shivani is a privileged girl who lives a luxurious life with her grandfather Balwant Chauhan. He is an overprotective guardian who has an aide in the house named Raghu.  Circumstances conjure up a situation where Shivani, the girl born to riches is married to an underprivileged Raghu. Like the old saying, life happens to you while you were busy making other plans, the story traces the journey of Shivani…her adjustment with a man who she always thought of as her grandfather’s right hand man and now she has to accept him as her life partner. It’s her struggle to adapt in a household and a lifestyle that is diametrically opposite from what she is used to!

Ajay Bhalwankar, Content Head, Hindi GEC’s ZEEL, said, “The beauty of ‘Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se’ is its simplicity. The protagonists from two different backgrounds had different dreams while destiny etched out quite another plan for them.  The story outlines the lives of Raghu and Shivani who are suddenly bound together by the design of destiny. It’s a wonderful and poignant story that showcases Raghu and Shivani’s journey from resistance to acceptance and embracing their destinies.”

Producer Kalyan Guha and his wife Rupali of Film Farm Productions has signed on an impressive cast for the show. Said Rupali on the occasion, “It’s with Zee TV that we began our television journey with a series called ‘Chausat Panne’ followed by ‘Tumhari Disha’ & ‘Rakhi’. It’s an honor to produce our next show ‘Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori’ for Zee TV. This story narrates the life of a rich girl who gets married to her grandfather’s employee and enters a meager household and learns to adjust to lower middle class life. It’s a situation where she does not wish to belong to. How she begins to overcome the difficulties and build bridges with her husband and his family forms the crux of the story.”

Arhaan Behl will enact the role of Raghu and Mansi Shrivastav will play the female lead, Shivani. Shivani’s grandfather will be enacted by veteran actor, Alok Nath as Balwant Rana. Rucha Gujarati and Vikas Sethi will be seen as Mahima and Jaswant Rana (Shivani’s bhabhi and bhaiyya) respectively. Newcomer Akshat Gupta will be seen as Shivani’s fiancé, Abhimanyu Sanghi. Arhaan Behl said, “I was only being offered roles which were similar to my earlier work. I didn’t want to repeat myself. What attracted me to this show was Raghus’s simplicity.  He is an average guy and doesn’t possess any hero like qualities. I play a simple, lower middle-class boy who is loyal and hard working. He is very down to earth and that is what makes him special.” Mansi Shrivastav who plays Shivani adds, “An opportunity to work with the very popular and talented Arhaan Behl and a veteran like Alok Nath is a huge opportunity for me. Shivani is like a princess in a fairytale who is pampered silly by her grandfather. She has grown in the lap of luxury and has always been protected by her grandfather from the grim realities of life. However, one day, her life changes forever!”

The launch campaign of the show will include the use of audio visual mediums such as TV, DTH and Cable in the Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM). Differentiated properties will be used in DTH such as Shifting LCN, whereby a new channel will be created between any two existing channels where the show related content will be telecast, and Live Streaming where as soon as one switches on their set top box, they will be diverted to ZEE TV. This phenomenon will be on Dish TV and Airtel on the launch day of the show. Marketing initiatives have also been aligned around upcoming movies like Chennai Express. The sustenance campaign will highlight how destiny plays a catalyst in bringing two people together through both on-air as well as off-air mediums.

Synonymous with being a father figure in umpteen serials and films, veteran actor, Alok Nath will now be seen playing a rich grandfather (Balwant Rana) to Mansi Shrivastav. The actor said, “This is my next show on Zee TV after ‘Yahaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli’ where I play a doting grandfather to my grand-daughter, Shivani who has lost her parents. And like every guardian, Balwant Rana’s only dream is to find an ideal groom for her…one who will always keep her happy. It’s a beautiful story that will surely pull at your heartstrings. I hope like ‘Yahaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli’, this show will also appreciated by the audiences!”

Will Shivani find her soul mate in Raghu? How will Raghu accommodate a princess in his middle class household? Join Raghu and Shivani’s journey of coming of age and discovering love  through this bitter sweet drama ‘Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se’, to premiere on Zee TV on 12th August, every Monday to Friday @ 8:30 PM.

DO DIL BANDHE EK DORI SE – Character Sketches

Raghu Saharaiya (Arhaan Behl):  30 year old Raghu was born to lower-middle-class parents in Jaipur. Though he lost his mother at the age of 6, Raghu’s father blames him for her death. Though his father has moved on and remarried, Raghu continues to live with a sense of self inflicted guilt. Despite this, Raghu has o relentlessly strives to ensure the wellbeing of his family.

For several years, Raghu has worked for Ranaji and greatly respects him, often doing more than what Ranaji expects of him. In return, Ranaji also gives him a lot of importance in his everyday dealings, often entrusting him with expensive and important things, documents etc.

Everything changes for Raghu when he’s trapped in a marriage with Shivani – an arrangement that was intended to be a temporary one owing to a certain plan, but ends up being permanent owing to unavoidable circumstances.

Shivani Rana (Mansi Shrivastav): Born and raised in Jaipur, Shivani Rana was born into a family on the fringes of Rajasthani royalty. 20 year old Shivani has been brought up by her paternal grandfather ‘Daaju’ after she lost her parents in a plane crash. Owing to an overtly-protected upbringing Shivani has been totally unaware of the harsh realities of the world outside like human greed & connivance, abject poverty, hard labour, etc.

On turning 18, Shivani was betrothed to her childhood best friend Abhimanyu. With starts in her eyes, she looks forward to a grand wedding and a dream marriage with him. However, when Abhimanyu’s selfish, conniving side is exposed, Shivani is emotionally traumatized – as she had never before witnessed such deviousness and greed in people.

After her marriage to Raghu, a lower-middle-class employee of her grandfather, will Shivani be able to adjust to the relatively deprived lifestyle in his house and surroundings?

Balwant Rana (Alok Nath):Balwant Rana is 70 years old and hails from an extremely rich family on the fringes of Rajasthani royalty. Having lost his only son and bahu in a plane crash, he has brought up his grandchildren Jaswant and Shivani with utmost love and care. He is so obsessively protective of Shivani, that she has never got a sense of the harsh realities that existoutside the comforts of her own family and the elite social circle. He has so many plans for his beloved granddaughter that he has planned out her life in extreme detail – whom she’ll marry, where she’ll settle, and even as to when she is to have kids!

Mahima Jaswant Rana (Rucha Guajrati)

23-year old Mahima is Jaswant’s wife. Learning from the ups and downs of life through her father’s business has made her a very shrewd young woman. She is a woman who is extremely driven to get what she wants. It does not matter to her whether the means are ethical or otherwise, as long as her goals are achieved. More street smart than her husband she is the dominant force in his life. However, she is more of a greedy opportunist than a conniving and backstabbing person. Though she hates that Shivani has a huge share in the family wealth, she greets Shivani with a lot of love and affection whenever she sees her.