K-serial women popular among TV viewers: Hansa Research

Despite being off-screen for a while, Shekhar Suman and Pallavi Joshi are surprisingly popular

It's not a surprise that Smriti Irani, the central character in the long-playing serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thifame, has emerged as the most popular actor on Indian television. What is surprising, however, is that Shekhar Suman is more popular than her.

The study on the most popular tele-stars conducted by market research agency, Hansa Research, throws up a few surprises amidst predictable findings. Covering over 2,000 respondents in 50 cities, the study ranks TV actors on their recognisability and likeability.

Commenting on the objective of the study, Vineet Sodhani, head, customer & client services, Hansa Research said "The study will not only be useful for advertisers but also television serial makers when it comes to casting the right person for a particular role."

Predictably, the study found that the most popular female tele-stars are the ones riding the K-bandwagon. The big surprise, however, was Pallavi Joshi who was voted to the number two slot.

The former Antakshari anchor has been missing from the small screen for some time. Last heard she had started a school for the underprivileged along with another film star.

Back to the K-brigade: Smriti Irani (Tulsi of Kyunki Saas Bhi...), Sakshi Tanwar (Parvati of Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki), Urvashi Dholakia (Komolika of Kasautii Zindagi Kay) and Nausheen Sardar Ali (the first one to play Kkusum) are among the most recognised and liked television stars.

Bad girls of Hindi TV also figure among the most popular list. Komolika of Kasautii Zindagi Kay is more popular than the heroine Prerna (Shweta Tiwari) while dancer-actor Sudha Chandran, is remembered for her role in Kahin Kisi Roz. The serial has been off air for some time now.

Comedy seems to be the flavour when it comes to the male television stars. Talk show host and India's own Jay Leno, Shekhar Suman, emerges more popular than Tulsi. Satish Shah has won the audience's approval on small screen after doing well in movies. Javed Jaffrey also boogies (and woogies) his way into the list.

Like Prerna, Anurag (the lead protagonist of Kasautii Zindagi Ki, played by Cezanne Khan) does not make it to the top ten. Ronit Roy, who plays Mr Bajaj in Kasautii... and Mihir in Kyunki..., is the fifth most popular male TV star. Apoorva Agnihotri (Armaan in Jassi Jaisi...) is loved by the audiences too.