News Broadcasting
Ketaki Dave is ‘Kyunki’s’ third anniversary surprise
MUMBAI: After a fracas with Balaji Telefilms creative head Ektaa Kapoor two years ago, Ketaki Dave made a dramatic exit from Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu. Now get set for a not-quite-so-dramatic re-entry.
Owing to writer Rajesh Joshi’s efforts (and slipping TRPs?) the “misunderstandings” have been sorted out. So Ketaki Dave, the ‘a ra ra ra’ fame Daksha chachi, will be rejoining the Kyunkii… team on 3 July, coinciding with the daily soap’s third anniversary celebrations.
Prior to the 20-year fast forward revamp of television’s reigning soap, Dave had made a hasty exit. While her character was the only comic relief in the emotion heavy storyine, all attempts made thereafter to introduce a comedy track did not go down too well with audiences. The return of Dave could well be just what the TRP doctor ordered for the Hindi entertainment television’s former No. 1 soap.
Says Joshi about dave’s imminent return: “She is a brilliant performer and after her superb Daksha act audiences just refused to lap up anything that fell short of the standards she had set.”
And why has he been playing the peacemaker? “I had to solve the problem, Ketaki is a very good friend and so are Kapoors. While I had been speaking to both for some time, both Ektaa and Ketaki reconciled three months back,” he said. When asked why was it kept hidden from the press, he said: “If we were getting back it had to be in a big way. Since she was coming to India after a shooting schedule abroad only on 28 Jun, we planned her entry into the show on 3 July coinciding with the third anniversary date of Kyunki…” Joshi, however, remained tight lipped when asked how he plans to re-introduce Dave’s character ‘Daksha chachi’.
Anuj Saxena
Meanwhile, another actor to make a re-entry in a Balaji soap is Anuj Saxena aka Abhay in Sony’s Kkusum. Saxena had left the show earlier this year to pursue his movie career. The production house therefore roped in Rohit Roy to play Abhay. Just as luck would have it, Saxena returned to Mumbai after wrapping up a film shoot just around the time that Rohit went abroad to shoot for his own Bollywood project.
Rohit Roy
Says Ektaa Kapoor: “We had an important schedule coming up but Rohit had to go abroad owing to a previous movie commitment. So I had no option but to call in somebody else to fill in his shoes, luckily for me Anuj was in town. He is a dear friend so he agreed to join back the cast.” Putting at rest any talk of ego problems or some such, Kapoor asserted, “Rohit is a wonderful guy and good actor, I wouldn’t have replaced him hadn’t it been for his previous commitments.”
While Kyunki… was Star Plus’ top show till very recently, Kkusum is SET’s top soap. With both the shows reinstating pivotal characters, all eyes (the more the better) will be on whether the two make a difference to their respective shows’ fortunes.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
