Well, two honey bee driven shows have scored a landmark recently. Ekta Kapoor?s newer Prime Time attraction Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyar has completed 150 episodes and Asit Kumarr Modi?s Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma completed seven years. Both shows have had their rounds of cake cutting and celebrations for the cast and crew. On turning 8, TMKOC dedicated an entire episode with the producer visiting religious destinations to give thanks and pray for a further successful run. The show?s eighth year and Tapu Sena?s going to college are a coincidence. The IKNMP cast was elated when they celebrated and are hoping that the show reaches the 1500 episode mark. Ekta Kapoor will ensure it will. After all, it is among Balaji?s stellar cast shows, Ronit Roy and Pallavi Kulkarni make a comeback to the daily soap genre. Both actors are seasoned enough to give depth to their roles with performances which oscillate between indifference and affection, not to mention the underlying strain of affection. However, the onus isn?t only on them. The casting value add-ons include Ashwini Kalsekar?and Sayantani Ghosh? in pivotal negative roles, as Pam and Nivedita both out to ensure that Ragini and Nachiket never reunite. Ashwini Kalsekar?s Pam is strong as nails, sometimes she can be soft a putty. Nobody should mess with her, as she wants to dominate everyone?s life. She unfortunately uses her vocal cords too much. Her best ally is clearly Sayantani Ghosh essayed?Nivedita, whose alliance with Pam will reap her a rich reward ? a berth in Nachiket?s life. Her?s is a subtle menace. However, the two menacing women have a matchless foil in Sunny Tai, Ragini?s outrageously frank and funny maid played by Jyoti Joshi; who along with Argham (Rohan Shah) will spare no pains to get the estranged couple together. Sunnytai and Argham are a unrivaled joint front against Pam and Nivedita. So long as these four actors are part of IKNMP, the show will go on. These are the characters that perk things up as soon as they enter Pallavi and Nachiket?s moments, which form a rubber band of emotions ? love and affection get taut against hostility and hate. There have been scenes where the street smart Sunnytai outwits Pam and puts her in an embarrassing spot. At the end of the day, it is always the script, direction and dialogues that spur the actors to give inspired performances. Sometimes the dialogues sparkle in themselves which must inspire the actors to do justice. Often Argham and Sunnytai have dialogues which are refreshingly witty and candid, and lend to enhancing the character. Even as it is concluding, Dil Ki Baatein Dil Hi Jaane produced a sparkling week ending episode. Mahima Makwana the serial?s young protagonist has been well matched by Shrey Pareek who plays her love interest. As he ticks off Mr Kapoor, what is commendable is that he delivers the dialogue in a well modulated voice ? otherwise, actors in such scenes are known to have gone over the top. Furthermore, I loved the way the young couple showed their affection for each other through glances and expressions. Although DKBDHJ was purported to be a Ram Kapoor show, the younger actors have shared tour-de-force moments with Ram Kapoor. All three joined later by Sai Deodhar have delivered finely nuanced performances. Repeatedly, one is reminded that content is king. A well written original concept unfailingly inspires actors to deliver performances of high standard. Direction and editing too enhance the script. So let?s hear it for good scripts, apt casting and crisp editing. Let?s raise the bar on our shows.