Karisma's miracle has to wait

The telecast of Sahara Television's much hyped Rs 60 crore (approximately US$ 12.72 million) serial Karishma -- A Miracle of Destiny has been stayed till the Supreme Court decides on a petition filed by New York-based novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford alleging that it is a plagiarised version of her book, A Woman of Substance.

Sahara's plea to vacate the May 12 interim Supreme Court order staying the serial's telecast was rejected by a bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde and Justice Shivaraj V Patil.

They also stayed all proceedings in the case before the Calcutta high court.

The Supreme Court bench admitted Bradford's appeal challenging the Calcutta high court order nullifying the stay granted by a single judge of the high court on the telecast of the soap.

Karishma features popular film actress Karisma Kapoor in the lead role. The serial was telecast on May 12, but suspended a day later.

The serial's cast -- including Karisma, Sanjay Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Vikas Bhalla and Paritosh Painter -- and crew celebrated the airing of the first episode by watching it together at the residence of the director Akashdeep.

Now, however, even they will have to wait for the second episode.

PTI