PLAY FAIR EVEN IN GRIEF? It’s going to be a bitter-sweet weekend for fans of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai two years ago. His breakthrough television show ‘Pavitra Rishta’ is getting its web series reboot with a new hero today. Replacing Rajput’s iconic role of Manav is actor Saheer Sheikh in ‘Pavitra Rishta 2’, while his co-star and former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande remains a constant. In the new drama series, she returns as Archana, but Rajput isn’t around to reprise his hit character. Naturally, there was backlash as many rejected the new hero Sheikh. But nobody understand the steely resistance from the fans of the original series, better than Lokhande. “Nobody can replace Sushant,” admits Lokhande in an interview with Gulf News. She also understands the pain and disillusionment faced by Rajput’s ardent fans who are desperate for closure. But displaced anger towards the new hero is unfair, believes Lokhande. We agree. Why punish a talent for playing a role that immortalised another actor? [COMMENT BY: Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Assistant Editor – Features]
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