Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala


Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala is an Indian musical drama television series which aired from 19 March 2018 to 7 February 2020 on Star Plus. Produced by Gul Khan, Karishma Jain and Nilanjana Purkayasstha, it was directed by Pradeep Yadav and written by Sahana and Faizal Akhtar. It starred Aakriti Sharma, Mohit Malik, Anjali Dinesh Anand and Myra Singh.
The soundtrack is composed by Sargam Jassu and Nakash Aziz, with lyrics written by Shashank Kunwar, Divyanidhi Sharma, and edited Satya Sharma. It is a remake of the Bengali television series Potol Kumar Gaanwala.
It has also been remade in Sinhala as Sakuge Kathawa on the local channel Swarnavahini. And dubbed in Sinhala as Mini Pahana Obai on the local channel TV Derana.

Plot

In past, budding singer Sikandar Singh Gill fell in love with Nimrat Kaur, a village simpleton and they got secretly married. He was forced to choose Nimrat or his career. Sikandar accepted the latter and left Nimrat. He married the rich Loveleen "Lovely" Chaddha but was unaware that Nimrat is pregnant.
Later, Lovely delivered a daughter Amyra Singh Gill and spoiled her. Elsewhere, Nimrat's daughter Kullfi Kumarr Kaura who is unaware about Sikandar, aspires to be a singer just like him. Nimrat resides in her village Pathankot with Kullfi, her brother Sattu and sister-in-law Nihalo who hates Kullfi and Nimrat but wants to cash in on Kullfi's talent.
Nimrat is affected by cancer. One day while looking for Kullfi, she is hit by Lovely's car and dies. As Nihalo plans to sell Kullfi off for her talent, Sattu helps her to escape. Disguised as a boy, Kullfi arrives in Mumbai and accidentally reaches Sikandar's house. Lovely keeps her deciding to use her voice, to make Amyra successfully singer.
Later, Sikandar discovers that Lovely has made Amyra lip-sync to Kullfi's voice. During a fight, Lovely accidentally discloses that Nimrat bore Sikandar a daughter but gets him to promise that he won't go looking out for her. Sikandar's brother Mahinder decides to help him out. Sikandar decides to teach music to Amyra and Kullfi.
Mahinder finds out that Kullfi is Sikander's daughter but is forced by their mother Sushila to keep the secret. Enters Tevar Singh, a successful singer and Lovely's ex-boyfriend. It is revealed that Amyra is Lovely and Tevar's daughter through their past affair.
Kullfi meets with an accident and is taken to the hospital where Sikandar comes to know that she is a girl. Lovely discovers Kullfi's truth and threatens Mahinder that she will kill herself and Amyra if he reveals the truth about Kullfi's parentage to Sikander.
Lovely misleads Tevar into believing that Kullfi is their child and Nimrat had adopted her. Emotional with the knowledge that Kullfi is his daughter, Tevar decides to formally adopt her. Lovely's plan works and Kullfi leaves to live with Tevar. Mahinder's wife Gunjan eavesdrops on Lovely's conversation and learns the truth.
Loveleen tries to stop Gunjan from revealing the truth. In a rush, Gunjan falls and is paralyzed. Sikander infers that Amyra is his step-daughter. Lovely implores Sikander to not reveal anything to Amyra and accept her. Seeing Tevar's genuine fondness for Kullfi, Sikander keeps the truth about her to himself.
Sattu tells Kullfi that Sikander is her father. Insecure, Lovely poisons Amyra and manipulates everyone into agreeing to send Kullfi to boarding school. Nimrat's spirit leads Sikander to her real diary. Sikander realises Kullfi is his daughter. Frantically, he tries to locate Kullfi who was sent off to a juvenile remand home by Lovely.
Kullfi is being mistreated by supervisor Ammaji. She meets five children Rocket, Zinda, Chittu, Bansi and Saraswati. Gradually, they become friends and struggle to escape from the juvenile home. They succeed through Ammaji's helper'd help and go to Kullfi's home. Sikander refuses to accept Kullfi because of his promise to Amyra.
Shocked, Kullfi runs away with her friends. Mahinder decides to adopt Kulfi legally. Sikandar is ashamed of his doings and tries his best to win back After running away from her home Kulfi participates in a singing contest named Little superstar. In which Amyra also participates. Amyra and Kulfi become the finalists of the contest and Kulfi wins the contest. Sikander loses his memory in an accident and due to some misunderstandings Chandan Chor takes the place of Sikander.Sikander lives with a divorcee Dr.Anjali finds Sikander at the accident spot and takes him to the hospital but she was unable to cure him. Now Sikander lives with Dr.Anjali and her daughter Pihu.Dr.Anjali names him Bhola as he doesn't knows anything about himself.As Nandini is a divorcee she says Pihu that Bhola is her father. Sikander regains his memory when Kulfi tries to make him memorise about his past in a singing class by singing about his past.Chandan kidnaps Amyra but Sikander finds her and the family reunite.During a concert, Sikandar confesses to the world that Kulfi is his daughter. Amyra is happy to have Kulfi in her life forever.
Just after that, Lovely is somehow proved guilty for killing Nimrat by Sikandar and Gunjan due to which she is prisoned for the next 8 years. Jimmy is introduced. He causes chaos in Sikandar, Kullfi and Amyra's lives, getting them evicted out their home and Amyra kidnapped.
Kullfi and Sikander save Amyra with Lovely's help who fled from jail to help them. Sikandar learns his health is decreasing and he will die soon so he tries to make things better for Kullfi and Amyra as Kullfi learns the truth and get him treated. Later, they get their home back from Jimmy with Lovely returning back who wants get rid of Kullfi once again.
Lovely and her mother Cutie turn Amyra against Kullfi. They blame her for Sikandar's decreasing health. Lovely herself is the culprit. Meanwhile, Kullfi meets Chalu who aids her in exposing Lovely, reuniting with Amyra and treating Sikandar.
In a last attempt to kill Sikandar, Jimmy tries to shoot him. Realising her mistakes, Lovely comes in between and dies. The show ends with Sikandar happily singing with Kullfi and Amyra as they stare up to the star where Kulfi says their mothers are among stars now.

Cast

Main

Development

Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala is an adaptation of the Bengali show, Potol Kumar Gaanwala. The production company, 4 Lions Films deals with Shree Venkatesh Films to remake the show in Hindi under the distributor of Star India. Hotstar streaming services distributor is under of Novi Digital Entertainment. The show is directed by Pradeep Yadava and Yashraj Shukla. The show's production staff were able to generate an episode in about three weeks. The director of photography are Sandeep and Yadav Mohseen Swan, who provided cinematography for every episodes. The crew used 5 small, special cameras for Visual Effects and the Multiple-camera setup was installed in 180 degrees. Currently, this show set in Mumbai and Pathankot. Actor Mohit Mallik said about Gul Khan's production, "I have worked with Gul Khan before on Suvreen Guggal. We have wanted to work together for a long time. She is a creative person and just a call away."
In January 2020, a leap in storyline was decided while Mohit Mallik decided to quit. But soon it was cancelled and he did not quit. The report stated, "Star Plus auditioned several girls to play Kullfi and Amyra and also men for Sikandar’s role. However, they couldn’t zero down suitable actors to play the lead roles in the show. As of now, ‘Kulfi Kumar Bajewala’ won’t take a leap."

Casting

The show's main characters, Kullfi and Sikandar Singh Gill, were the core of the concept for Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala. These characters are taken from original television series Potol Kumar Gaanwala's Poteshwari and Sujon Kumar Malik. Kullfi's child character role is played by Aakriti Sharma. She was selected for her acting talent. Producer Nilanjana Purkayasstha said, "Aakriti is a very enthusiastic and fearless child." Otherside, Amyra character's role was decided to play by Spandan Chaturvedi but due to date issues, she was replaced by Myra Singh. Myra said, "It's my first time on television and I'm really excited to play this role." Actor Mohit Malik said about his role, "I have the signature rockstar look in Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala." Dhhai Kilo Prem's actress, Anjali Anand is playing Lovely Kaur character, who is Amyra's mother. She said, "Character matters the most to me and this character is extremely challenging and fun at the same time." Aakriti's brother, Hardik Sharma was going to join this show, debut as Kullfi's friend but later it delayed for script. Barun Sobti, who recently played on Gul Khan's Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 3, decided to play on this show debut as a Rockstar, Sikandar's competitor and Amyra's music teacher role. According to source, "Gul wanted to Barun in a significant role for this show. The makers are in talks to get Barun on board." Barun said, "It is exhausting. I am back in the grind. So we are in that zone where we are putting in everything that we have and hoping that people will like it." Later, due to issues, Barun was replaced by Vishal Aditya Singh, as Tevar Singh. Vishal said, "I am really excited to be a part of the show which is already being loved by the audience." Rajeev Bhardwaj, who had performed on Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, has done major role for this show. He said, "Doing a cameo is like batting in a T20 match where you have to put in more effort and do more homework." Gul roped Priyamvada Kant for a significant role. Kant statement, "My previous show was historical and I wanted a major shift for my next role."

Music

Sargam Jassu and Nakash Aziz is the music composer of this show. The soundtrack album was produced by Gul Khan and Nilanjana, written by Shashank Kunwar, Shaheen Iqbal and Satya Sharma. This album released several songs, which are featured by Rashi Salil Harmalkar, Bhaven Dhanak and Nakash. Song Dama Dam Mast Qalandar was remade for this show. The remade version also featured by Rashi Salil, which promo was released on 8 March 2018 via YouTube. The promo video has over 10 million views on YouTube. In addition to singing in an effort to explain something to the viewers. "Asha Ka Pathaasha" male version song originally featured by Bhaven Dhanak. Music director Nakash said in a statement, "I am very excited and looking forward to the episode. We have created some lovely tracks and I enjoyed shooting them."

Release

Marketing

On 14 February 2018, the first promo of the show was released, with the title song. On 28 February 2018, the second promo of the show was released which is based on Kullfi, wished Happy Holi. Soon after, the promo began trending on Twitter with the hashtag #Kullfi. On 24 February 2018, child artiste Aakriti Sharma and actress Shruti Sharma welcomed the production team, media and public with colours of Holi, location at Lucknow. On 10 March 2018, a musical concert was organized by Gul Khan at Chandigarh, Punjab. The musical concert was performed by child artiste Aakriti Sharma, Punjabi singer and songwriter, Gurdas Maan, the Nooran Sisters and Rajasthani young maestros, the Langa Kids.

Premiere

The show replaced the prime time slot of Ikyawann, but Panorama Entertainment's production producer Suzana Ghai confirmed that Ikyawann was not going to air off, it replaced the time slot of Meri Durga, which was aired off. On 19 March 2018, The show first released on the Hotstar streaming service, for the premium viewers of India. Later, this show broadcast on the Star Plus. In countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and United Kingdom broadcast on the original release date. On 20 March 2018, the show was released in United States.
Owing to its declining trp ratings, it was shifted to the evening time slot 6:30pm from its prime time slot 8:30 pm and was replaced by Yehh Jadu Hai Jinn Ka! on 14 October 2019 produced by the same production house. On 23 December 2019, it was shifted to 7:00pm replacing Namah.

Episodes

Linguistic versions

Reception

Critical reception

The show has got many positive reviews from critics. Bollywood Life's Urmimala Banerjee praised about the show, "Kullfi Kumar Bajewala seems to be a refreshing story centered around a child protagonist. The village set up looks very realistic and makes for a pleasant watch." News Nation wrote: "Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala has done wonders since the time it was released." Ye Hai Mohabbatein's actress Santoshi aka Shahnaz Rizwan said, "The girl’s acting is very good. She is too talented. The direction of the show is very good and realistic." Sreejeeta Sen of Bollywood Life wrote: "While the show failed to create an impact with its launch, but now the show seems like a dark horse of the race." She also added, "The top four shows stay constant like the last week while Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala has beaten Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and grabbed the fifth position." Star India's staff said, "Kullfi is one of the most vibrant characters on the channel and is followed by audiences from all age groups."

Ratings

In its first week, the show was ranked in the top sixteen in India. The show has received a number of Target rating point, 4323 impressions, which means more than 4.3 million viewers watched this show in its first week. This show was ranked in the top one in the United Kingdom. More than 98,000 viewers watched this show in the UK. Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala had taken Yeh Hai Mohabbatein position, which was previously the premier Hindi show in the UK. During the third week, this show catapulted to eighth position,with 4.8 million impressions in India. During the sixth week, this show climbed up to sixth place in India. During the ninth week, this show has reached at the top fifth position with 4500 impressions. During thirtieth week, the show received 6731 impressions with fourth position.
In the tables below, the represent the lowest ratings or ranks and the represent the highest ratings or ranks.
Week no.EpisodesBARC's rankPublished dateTarget rating point
11–54.3
311–1584.8
626–306
941–4554.5
1046–5045.2
1361–6556.0
1676–8065.9
2096–10076.3
28136–14046.4
30146–15046.7
34166–17046.3
38191–195

Awards and nominations

Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala and its cast and crew have been nominated for Gold Awards 2018 and Indian Television Academy Awards. Child actress Aakriti has received her first award for this show as the Best Child Actor. Otherside, Mohit Malik has won the Stellar Performer of the Year award for his exhibiting role.
YearAwardCategoryRecipientResultReference
2018Gold AwardsBest Child ActorAakriti Sharmarowspan="2"
2018Gold AwardsStellar Performer Of The YearMohit Malik-
2018Zee Rishtey AwardsBest ShowGul Khan
2018Indian Television Academy AwardsBest Actor Mohit Malik
2018Indian Television Academy AwardsBest Child ActorAakriti Sharmarowspan=2
2018Indian Television Academy AwardsBest Show Gul Khan-
2018Indian Television Academy AwardsBest Director Pradeep Yadavrowspan=2
2018Indian Television Academy AwardsBest Actress In A Negative RoleAnjali Anand-
2018Indian Television Academy AwardsBest Lyricsrowspan=2
2018Indian Television Academy AwardsBest Dialogues-
2019Lions Gold AwardsBest Child ActorAakriti Sharma
2019Lions Gold AwardsBest Actor Mohit Malik
2019Lions Gold AwardsBest Actor Mohit Malik
2019Lions Gold AwardsBest ShowGul Khan