A twist in the story, or a foible of the production house? A channel whim or an actor's tantrum? What is it that results in an actor being replaced by another in an ongoing show, and how do they cope with the sudden changes in their life? Vickey Lalwani probes the issue.

SWETTA KESWANI: She kicked Ekta Kapoor's 'Kahaani...' for Aroona Irani's 'Des Mein...'. But was it any use? She was asked to leave 'Des Mein...' if she wasn't ready to age. While 'Des Mein...' sucked up to Sangeeta Ghosh for a revival in its fortunes, Swetta was not given even a second look. On the other hand, Ekta's 'Kasautii...' is still rocking. Says Swetta, "I would say that television works on a day-to-day basis. If you are not happening, or the script needs
to be twisted in order to arouse the interest- you can't blame anybody. There are big stakes involved here, at times, far more than in a film. Would you want to term this as cruel? shouldn't
you rather say it's too strict and professional?"

SHWETA KAWAATRA: The lady opted out of Ekta Kapoor's 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii'. She claims she has received good offers but who knows the inside story? Recently, she nearly lambasted Balaji Telefilms in an interview to a section of the press. People said that Paravati and Pallavi were the two eyes of 'KGGK'. Did 'KGGK' go down on TRPs after Shweta's walk out? Not a bit!

ASHLESHA SAWANT: Where did this girl go after Balaji reduced her to a photograph on Sumeet Sachdeva's table in 'Kyunki...'? Some people say that she is very pally with Sandeep Baswana, while some even say that the two are living together.

PALLAVI JOSHI: Star Plus' 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Dhoom' changed tracks suddenly and in the process, Pallavi was left out of the storyline. Says she, "I was narrated an entirely different story. But the story was going in an altogether different direction when I started shooting. I was supposed to fall for a younger guy (played by Vishal Singh) but there was nothing happening on that front in any of the 18 episodes I worked. I am a senior actress who loves challenging portrayals and I had been reduced to a glorified extra." The production house didn't even bother to inform her
personally. "They just sent me a letter one fine day, that the track was changing and I wouldn't be required anymore."

Still smarting from the slight, "Creativity has been reduced to zero, television has gone completely corporate. It feels like TV has been reduced to selling shampoos."

SANDEEP BASWANA: One hears that Balaji had problems with Sandeep, because of which he was ousted from 'Kyunki...' and 'Kkoi Dil Mein Hai' almost around the same time. The inside story? The poor guy needed a break; he had reached a point where he felt that he was saturated. He asked Balaji to cut his roles for some time so that he could spend some time on a holiday. Result? Need we repeat!

MIHIR MISHRA: Dr Rahul of 'Sanjivani- A Medical Boon' may have thought that he would grow as an actor by taking up something different in Zee's 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' (Aditya Ramchandran) but
did that last long? Didn't he end up virtually saying that the show was a bane and not a boon? But who cares? Producer Shrishti Arya quickly winded up the entire Ramchandran parivaar!

SONIYA KASPOOR: Bechari Soniya got wiped out of Zee's 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' for no rhyme or reason. Just because her on-screen husband was giving trouble to the makers of the show, she was told that she was no more required. 'KHKN' is going on as if nothing ever happened. The three friends' story is being tweaked to accommodate more characters, a fresh storyline is being worked out. Says Soniya, "This is not fair. I am really disappointed that television functions like this. I didn't even realise what was happening on the Mihir front. Everything seemed so hunky dory, but the off-screen drama seems to be more intriguing!"

NAUSHEEN ALI SARDAR: A household name as long as she did the 'Kkusum' title role. After that, she's almost been left twiddling her thumbs in Star Plus' 'Kalcchakra'. People cruelly discarded her in her three portrayals in the thriller show; not even one role has really been appreciated. She has signed a couple of films. But have those projects kicked off?

GITANJALI TIKEKAR: Where did this Aparna disappear? Back to her hometown Pune? Or has she married Cezanne Khan and tucked herself safely in some corner in Mumbai as the grapevine goes? Whatever,
while Aparna committed murders, people went crazy about her character, but when she decided not to play the 18-year leap, Balaji ternminated her character without any delay. So what if the leap was delayed by few months? The dead do not come back on Indian television if they challenge the Creatives!

RAJEEV KHANDELWAL: Where was his character heading? 'Kahiin To Hoga', the show which started with him in the lead should have him in the centre at least most of the time. Why don't the same rules apply on Niki Aneja Walia, Juhi Parmar, Ronit Roy, Sakshi Tanwar and Smriti Z Iraani? They're always around. Plus some of the scenes shot on him have been pretty laughable. Remember the scene where he applies cold cream on his face and Aamna springs out of nowhere and the couple rub each other's cheeks? The way the ratings are going steady, despite Sujal (and even Kashish) hardly being there, we feel Balaji can continue the show well enough even without him. Or will it? Says Rajeev, "Agar main hokar bhi nahin hoon, to this, I think you should ask the Creatives."

AKASHDEEP SAIGAL: As long as he was Ansh, he was a rage. Some even thought that no character on Indian television had been conceived bigger than this. But once mother Tulsi Virani shot him dead, people stopped talking about him. His new role as Trishul in 'Kkusum' has failed to create even a whimper. It will not be wrong to say that he will require luck to draw eyeballs to his role in Ketan Mehta's new show on Zee TV.

MAULI GANGULY: The day she left 'Kaahin Kissii Roz', she found herself swimming against the tide. 'Saaksshi' on Sony was a major disaster but the poor girl kept her cool. Think about it, did she have a choice? Her recent return to Manish Goswami's forthcoming show ('Sarkaar' or 'Swaarth'or whatever the channel finally decides on) is no compensation for her earlier roles. Last time, she told us that she was not sure whether she'd go ahead being Rohit and Ronit Roy's sister in the same show, for she wan't happy the way her track had been worked out.

VINOD SINGH: Agreed that he behaved violently on the sets of Sony's 'Aayushman'. But if a film actor does the same (and there have been cases galore!), is he chucked out? Where is that
programme which he told us (soon after the police case in 'Aayushman') was happening for him on Star Plus?

Will Mona Singh continue to be noticed and talked about after she unveils herself eventually?

Or is it that popularity on Indian television has a short shelf life? Is this popularity just 15 seconds under the sun?