Ishqbaaaz
Ishqbaaaz actor Nakuul MehtaNakuul Mehta/Instagram

Ever since the news of Dil Bole Oberoi, which is the spin-off of the popular show Ishqbaaaz, going off-air made headlines, the show's fans are quite disappointed. However, the good news is that the spin-off will now be merged with Ishqbaaaz and will have a run time of one hour.

While it is believed that the move was implemented because of the huge success of Dil Bole Oberoi, rumour has it that the shows have been clubbed in order to prevent actors from demanding more money as well as to minimise the cost of separate sets and scripts. Apparently, lead star Nakuul Mehta, who had been earning around Rs 80,000-85,000 per episode, had asked for close to Rs 2 lakh to appear in both the shows. Following Nakuul's footsteps, other actors too started demanding a hike.

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"The channel will be combining the two shows and running it for an hour to avoid [the logistics of creating] two scripts and separate sets. This will also prevent actors from demanding more money. Nakuul, who is an important part of both the shows, has been earning about Rs 80,000-85,000 per episode. But he asked for close to Rs 2 lakh to appear on both. Following suit, other actors have also started asking for a raise," a source told Mid-Day.

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Ishqbaaaz castNakuul Mehta/Instagram

While Nakuul refused to talk about reports of him demanding a whopping amount, he confirmed the merger, saying: "We are happy to have evolved from a half-hour show to an hour-long one. Personally, I'm happy to welcome my extended family back on our mother show. On a lighter note, this may give us a breather and a chance to take more than one loo break, considering we'll have a larger work force now."

Kunal Jaisingh, however, told the daily that he didn't ask the makers for a fee hike and is also not aware if the other actors have demanded it.