New Delhi: Renowned television producer Rajan Shahi has sacked two actors from his popular show ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’. The actors in question are Shehzada Dhami, who portrayed the character of Armaan, and Pratiksha Honmukhe, known for her role as Roohi. Shahi cited specific reasons for their termination, citing Shehzada’s alleged misbehavior with the crew and Pratiksha’s inability to meet the expected standards of performance.
A statement issued by the team of Shahi’s production house Director’s Kut Production explained the circumstances leading to this decision. It asserted that Shehzada Dhami exhibited a pattern of unprofessional conduct from the onset of his tenure, reportedly displaying a lack of adherence to work ethics, frequently causing disruptions on set with his tantrums and mistreatment of the crew. Despite attempts to address the issue, his behaviour persisted, prompting the production to take decisive action. Conversely, Pratiksha Honmukhe’s departure stemmed from her failure to fulfill the requirements of her character. As a newcomer, she was under the tutelage of the production house but failed to meet the expected standards.
In an earlier interview with Indianexpress.com, Rajan Shahi had addressed the prevalent issue of poor work ethics among actors. He emphasised the importance of professionalism on set, stressing that no individual, not even the producer, is exempt from adhering to it. Shahi lamented the misconceptions surrounding the demands of television production, asserting that while long hours may occasionally be necessary, it is not the norm.
“I have had a lot of controversies with actors, but I feel nobody is above the show, not even the producer. I always appreciate my actors. However, there is a wrong perception that a lot of actors claim they shoot for 18 hours. It does happen sometimes, but not always. Some fans and even actors create a very wrong perception of the producers being bullies but I have always been very blunt about it. I am the only producer who goes overboard in appreciating the talent, but if an actor is misbehaving or troubling me, I will not take the nonsense,” he was quoted as saying by Indianexpress.com
Moving forward, the production team assured fans that replacements for the dismissed actors would be announced shortly.