Rishikesh turns backdrop for TV show 'Yeh Rishta…'

Rishikesh: From the popular ghats of holy Ganga river to the famous Lakshman Jhula, Pashulok Barrage and river rafting -- the new twist in the storyline of popular TV show "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" will showcase all this from this famous Uttarakhand town. Aired on Star Plus, the story of "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai", which has been on air for the past seven years, took a five-year leap on Monday. A new track around Rishikesh has now been introduced. To give an authentic look to the scenes, the makers of the show decided to shoot in real locations in Rishikesh for a week. With the leap, the show has also introduced two new actors -- Shivangi Joshi as Naira and Mohsin Khan as Kartik. "The show will now focus on Naira and Kartik's story," said Hina Khan, who plays the role of Akshara in the show. "It will also show how Naira and (her mother) meet each other in Rishikesh after a long time," added Hina, who was shooting alongside Shivangi and Mohsin here. Also present on the set was actress Pooja Joshi, who is seen as Varsha. Not only actors, the makers have shot for various scenes with common people, foreigners as well as sages and seers too. Asked about her experience of shooting in Rishikesh, Hina said: "It has been a wonderful experience. I am shooting for the first time in Uttarakhand. I have always heard about it but I never got a chance to see the Ganga river." "One interesting thing I have seen is that as much as the temperature is hot here, the Ganga water is that much cold. Once you put your feet inside it, you feel relaxed and rejuvenated." However, Shivangi and Pooja, who belong to Uttarakhand, said that Rishikesh today has become a more polluted town as compared to the past. "I am from Delhi. But basically I belong to Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. It's a refreshing moment for me to come here. But one thing which personally disturbs me is the dirt. I think we should have more clean areas in India," Pooja said. "In fact, Rishikesh is a very spiritual place. A place like this should be cleaned and I feel the cleanliness is missing," she added. Shivangi echoed Pooja's thoughts. While shooting for a sequence on one of the ghats, Shivangi said: "When I used to live here seven years ago, the city was cleaner than what we see now." "Also, the level of the water in river Ganga used to be a lot more than the one we are seeing today. The pollution level here has gone high." The cast of "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" will finish their shooting in Rishikesh on Thursday.