May 13, 2010

SRK's musical yaari

Don't encourage your kids to be couch potatoes, but let them indulge in a little television on too-hot-to-play days

King Khan is back on small screen. After hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati, Shah Rukh is all set to woo kids with a new musical drama -- Ishaan.

The television production arm of Red Chillies Entertainment has been commissioned to produce the 21-episode-long weekend show, which is a musical and inspirational journey of a young boy called Ishaan. It features 11 original soundtracks, too. "I have always enjoyed watching television with my kids, and I am happy that my company is producing a show that will be part of the Disney family," says SRK.

For the young and restless
The idea is to provide relevant stories for kids, and extend those stories through universally-appealing music.
"Music has been the hallmark for Disney's popular iconic franchises, which have witnessed an unparalleled connect with viewers. Ishaan has a storyline to which kids can instantly relate to," explains Natasha Malhotra, vice president and general manager, Walt Disney Television International India.

The musical drama tells the story of Ishaan (played by Tapasvi Mehta), who finds friends and a sense of belonging through music.

Tapasvi, who has played mythological roles in the past, reveals, "It was a totally different experience to act as Ishaan, and I had to really work hard. But my director and other crew members have helped me a lot."
And the subject of the story finds its way into his real life, too. "I have been playing the guitar for one-and-a-half years. And I was really fortunate to get associated with the show," says the 17-year-old.

The story goes...
Extremely intelligent and talented, Ishaan finds his true calling and his friends through music when he joins the school band, 'Yaari'. His story showcases the triumph of friendship and passion over ambition, set in the backdrop of music.

Ishaan's band mates -- the gregarious Ron (Kishen Savjani), strong-willed Shyla (Anisa Butt) and talented Pulkit (Ayaz Ahmad) -- soon become Ishaan's source of strength and help him realise that music and Yaari is where he truly belongs. Other actors include television personalities like Shruti Ulfat, Rajinder Mehra and Rajiv Paul. The show has been directed by Iqbal Rizvi and written by Jaydeep Sarkar. Music directors Dhruv Ghanekar (of Drona fame) and R Anandh, who has garnered many laurels for his jingles in various commercials, lend it a lively score.

Ishaan
On Disney channel
Starting May 15
At 10 am