Mihir Misra is all smiles. This handsome actor who flashes one of the cutest smiles on the telly will make a comeback of sorts! Mihir who was unceremoniously dumped from Zee's <em>Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa</em> not so long ago, has bagged a lead role in a Sahara One soap. Says a delighted Mihir, "My character is something that I have not played before. It is grey as it has shades of positive and negative". The female lead has not been decided as yet, but the shoot is expected to begin by next week. The soap slotted for afternoon will go on air by June end.

This is a gimmick that has been a trademark of the Star family - cross promotion of shows aired on the same channel. Now, Zee too joins the fray. Protagonists of different serials will now play cameos on <em>Tumhari Disha</em> and the sizzle will be provided by a hot item number.

TV's glamour and sex sirens are going in for a different act. So far restricted to making Page 3 appearances, they are now set to be marked for a different cause. Two glam couples of the television world will soon come to your screens advocating safe sex with condoms. Casanova Rohit Roy and wifey Manasi 'Kusum' Joshi will be a part of a film to spread awareness and utility of condoms and accompanying them will be another hot couple - Mandira Bedi and Raj Kaushal.

Grasim Mr India 1998, Diwakar Pundir will enter the <em>Reth</em> plot from 16 May. Diwakar will play Kshom, a lawyer by profession, who will be Jia's love interest in the Zee primetime show. Kshom is this happy go lucky guy, charming, dynamic and ambitious. In pursuit of money, he wants to be successful - by hook or by crook. Though he's not a bad guy, he doesn't set a store by high ethics and he admits the fact freely as well. Kshom will play an important part in Jia's life by getting her out of several tight spots, we hear.

Kamya Punjabi (the other woman in Zee's <em>Reth</em>) is out of Sony's <em>Rihhaee</em>. The actress could not handle the two shows together, we hear. "Earlier I was told by the <em>Rihhaee</em> team that I would be required for only seven or eight days in a month. Now, they want block dates for the entire month. Since I am also doing <em>Reth</em>, which in fact, had happened to me much earlier than <em>Rihhaee</em>, I could not do what they wanted," she says ruefully.

Shrishti Arya was on cloud nine at the <em>Remix</em> party hosted at J W Marriott, Mumbai on Saturday night to celebrate the completion of 100 episodes of the youth-centric show. But there was a tinge of disappointment which we quietly noticed. On Sunday morning, our sleuths got down to work. And what did they bring to our table? <em>Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na</em> will not go beyond 19 May.

Rucha Gujarati has been finalised to play the lead in Zee's forthcoming <em>Palkhi</em>, but the dates issue with Sony's <em>Kkusum</em> continues to shackle her feet. "That is the dilemma I am in. I'll have to manage both somehow…" sighs the petite actress.

She played the passive yet strong willed mother in the Kajol starrer, <em>Dushman</em>. She played a divorced mother of youngsters in Sony’s Family No. 1 --- she plays a mother yet again in Zee’s <em>Sinndoor-Tere Naam Ka</em>. Meet Tanvi Azmi, who has made it a habit to play roles with a certain ease that comes only with experience. Yet it is strange that she does not feature in any of the publicity promos.

Do you have it in you? It seemed like another <em>Indian Idol</em>. Only this time, it was an audition for India's first musical show, Zee's <em>Sansui Antakshari</em>. Over a thousand aspiring participants turned up for the auditions on Sunday at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Mumbai. Music directors Anand Sharma and Sujit Dutt, the judges of the event, had a tough time screening the singers. They judged the participants not only for their singing talent but also their attitude or the 'A' factor as it is called. Auditions in Mumbai will follow those in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta.

Sting operations seem to be the flavour of the season! Taking off from the sting operations conducted by India TV, Zee's <em>Tumhari Disha</em> will air episodes on 4, 5 and 6 April.