Sangeeta on Small screen!

Making her debut as a director on the mini-screen is our very own Bollywood powerhouse, no-nonsense actor-turned-director, Sangeeta. And it would seem she is taking out an old trump card from her arsenal, one that has the potential of becoming a sure shot winner.

Madame Sangeeta is taking her critically-acclaimed big screen caper, Mutthi Bhar Chawal, based on a classic novel by Rajinder Singh Bedi, Aik Chaadar Maili Si, and turning it into a 26-episode drama serial. Being produced by Seema Tahir and written by Iqbal Rizvi, it stars Resham and Ahsan Khan in the lead roles. Other cast members include Baber Ali, Rashid Mehmood, Freeha Jabeen, Mohsin Ali, Ayesha Haq, Mehr and Hannan.

Interestingly, Aik Chaadar Maili Si, after being adapted for the big screen in Pakistan by Sangeeta, was also captured on celluloid in India under the original title. But the Pakistani version directed by Sangeeta won public and critical accolades and also bagged many awards. The role of Rano which was also played by Sangeeta, and Hema Malini in the Indian version, is now being played by the talented Resham. Ahsan Khan is emoting the role of Mangal Singh played by Nadeem and Rishi Kapoor in the earlier versions. Babar Ali plays Tiloka earlier played by Ghulam Mohyuddin and Kulboshan Karbindra.

Revolving around a Sikh family, shot on original locations, Sangeeta has chosen this story as it is her favorite script and in the 26-episode drama she is hoping to portray the novel in detail. Ahsan Khan opines that his role in the project is by the far the most challenging he has been offered in his career so far. He has really toiled hard over his appearance, body language, mannerism, his diction and accent, to do justice to his Sikh character. Resham also admits that this is the first role of its kind that she has portrayed in her career so far. Hence she did a lot of background research for it and being the prodigious actor that she is, it can be predicted that this role would be a land mark in her career.

So watch out for this project which is sure to account for some gripping viewing on the small screen in these days of sudsy, soppy and even sloppy soap operas