Pavitra Rishta 2: Shaheer Sheikh replaces Sushant Singh Rajput as Manav, poses with Ankita Lokhande in first pics

The filming for Pavitra Rishta 2 has begun and the new cast of the show has been announced as well. Backed by Ekta Kapoor's digital platform ALTBalaji, Pavitra Rishta 2 stars Shaheer Sheikh as Manav. The role was previously played by late actor Sushant Singh Rajput before he quit the show to focus on his Bollywood career. Ankita Lokhande returns as Archana.

The digital streaming platform shared pictures from the first days of Pavitra Rishta 2's shoot on Instagram on Sunday. In the pictures, Shaheer Sheikh was seen posing with Ankita Lokhande with a clapboard in their hands. He was also seen posing with Usha Nadkarni.

The caption read, "Sometimes in most ordinary lives, we find the most extraordinary love stories! Witness the extraordinary love story of Manav and Archana. #PavitraRishta Filming begins; streaming soon on #ALTBalaji."

Fans took to the comments section and expressed their excitement. "Ok no matter this show will make us miss ssr more but I know Shaheer would do a fantastic job. All the best to the team," a fan said. "All the best shaheer!! i know you have the best in store for us," another fan said. "No one can replace Sushant..but I will treat this as a new story," added a third fan. "Not sure if I can ever love anyone else as Manav other than SSR but excited to see the new jodi! Wish this was a new story instead," a fourth said.

Unlike the previous season, Pavitra Rishta 2 is set to make its debut on the digital platform. Earlier this month, casting director Aditya Suranna told Zoom Digital, "Pavitra Rishta 2.0 is completely digital. To be honest, it is a challenge for everybody. The task is not only for me but also for the actors who have been locked. If we have seen something already, we have already set a benchmark. If this was a new show, whatever we would do, would be fresh for people. But already, hum sabke paas ek benchmark hai (all of us have a benchmark)."

"It is not only for me but for the actors, directors and for everyone. There are two people (from the old cast), Ankita Lokhande is playing Archana's part, Usha ma'am is playing her part. We have already seen them and have loved them. But for the rest of the actors, they have a challenge. Especially for Manav, for Shaheer Sheikh it is a big challenge to live up to that space. But at the same time, it is a challenge for directors, me and other actors as well," he added.