Abhishek Nigam says Ali Baba show remembers Tunisha Sharma and keeps ‘positive mindset’ on set

Last month, Abhishek Nigam replaced Sheezan Khan in Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul. The television show has now been renamed Ali Baba: Ek Andaaz Andekha Chapter 2, after the death by suicide of actor Tunisha Sharma on December 24. Her ex-boyfriend Sheezan has been in judicial custody since December on charges of abetment to suicide. Tunisha’s mother also alleged that the actor had cheated on her daughter and manipulated her as well. (Also read: Abhishek Nigam open up about replacing Sheezan Khan in Ali Baba: ‘Comparisons are normal and inevitable’)

Tunisha and Sheezan, who were the previous leads of the show, had broken up two weeks prior to her suicide. The 20-year-old was found dead on the sets of the TV show and had been rushed to a nearby hospital by Sheezan.

Abhishek joined the show in January as the new Ali Baba after which the show had gone a slightly new direction. Manul Chudasama is also part of the show as Shehzadi Mariam. Actor Sayantani Ghosh plays the antagonist SimSim on the show which airs on the Sony SAB channel.

In a new interview with Mid-Day, Abhishek shared that the new vision of the show was challenging. He said, “I have been given a new identity, attributes, and goals. We cannot completely disconnect from the story. The road is the same, but there is a new turn in it.”

Remembering Tunisha who played Shehzaadi Mariam before, he went on to say, “It is not like I have not known her. We remember her in our hearts but try to keep a positive mindset on the set. As far as I can tell, the atmosphere on the set is positive. The cast and crew are working hard because it helps to keep at it. Everyone has been warm and welcoming.”

Abhishek has previously acted in the TV series Akbar Rakht Se Takht Ka Safar and Hero Gayab Mode On. He and Tunisha had worked on Hero Gayab Mode On together. She had played his wife when she joined the second of the Sony SAB series in 2021.

The actor also appeared in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat (2019) as Vishwas Rao alongside co-stars Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon. Abhishek returned to television after a gap of two years.