For ardent fans who were deeply invested in the romance of Shivaay (Nakuul Mehta) and Anika (Surbhi Chandna), the news of Ishqbaaaz taking a generation leap came as a bummer last year. The blow was aggravated when leading lady Chandna announced that she would not be part of the redux version.

Even as fans went into a tizzy, Mehta firmly put his might behind the project and slipped into the character of Shivaay. The reimagined universe of Ishqbaaaz sees him team up with Niti Taylor, the latest addition to the cast.