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MUMBAI: The verdict is out! Pratyusha Banerjee was chosen as the ‘Nayi Anandi‘ from amongst the three young girls who were poised to take over Avika Gor‘s role as the little child bride in COLORS‘ flagship show Balika Vadhu. The face of the Nayi Anandi was revealed in the episode that was aired on Thursday 22nd July 2010. After various speculations, viewers chose Pratyusha Banerjee from Jamshedpur as the ?Nayi Anandi? in a unique SMS campaign.
As Avika Gor bid good bye to her audience in the sand dunes of Rajasthan, a coy Pratyusha managed to capture hearts with a sparkle in her eye. Balika Vadhu, the show that redefined Indian television, took a five year age leap and held a unique nationwide campaign for the viewers in to pick their ?Nayi Anandi?. COLORS? had shortlisted 3 girls; Jamshedpur?s Pratyusha Banerjee, Lucknow?s Nivedita Tiwari and Mumbai‘s Ketaki Chitale for Anandi?s role.
Speaking about Pratyusha chosen as the ?Nayi Anandi?, Head of Programming, COLORS, Ashvini Yardi said, ?Balika Vadhu is a show that enjoys viewership around the world and has loyal followers across demographics. Balika Vadhu is a simple story of Anandi a childbride?s journey into womanhood. As Avika Gor connected well with the audience we wanted our viewers be involved in deciding who they want to see as their ?grown-up? Anandi. The response that we received in the form of votes was an overwhelming testimony of the love our viewers feel for the characters of this show. I am positive that Pratyusha will take the role of Anandi to newer heights in her grown-up avatar.?
Describing the concept of the age leap, Sunjoy Waddhwa of Sphere Origins said, ?Age leaps let us experiment further with the storyline. Balika Vadhu has created a benchmark in the fiction genre and has always garnered high TRPs. The five year leap is a natural progression. We wanted to bring in a refreshing change to the show and characters? new look, new situations with new twist and turns?.
Pratyusha, a chirpy, nineteen year old pretty girl from Jamshedpur expresses her happiness at being chosen as the Nayi Anandi, ?Anandi has become a household name and is one of the most loved characters on Indian television. I consider myself privileged to have the opportunity of a lifetime to play this coveted role. I am sure the viewers will be excited to see how Anandi matures from a young chirpy girl to a poised mature woman. Avika essayed the role of Anandi beautifully, adding to a superbly written character sketch. I will try my best to live up to everyone?s expectations by getting into the skin of the character.?
