SARITA’S DAUGHTER PURBI’S INTERVIEW

A dream come true

Purbi Joshi

When you are born in a family of actors, you really cannot escape the arc lights. Since her childhood, Purbi Joshi has been exposed to theatre thanks to her father, late Praveen Joshi (a renowned theatre director) and mom Sarita Joshi (Sangeet Academy winner theatre cum film actress). "I always wanted to be an actress, so I was never really interested in studies," quips Purbi.

From a young age, Purbi has had the opportunity to watch her parents and sister Ketaki Dave performing in front of the camera. "I was wondering when I will be facing the camera," recalls Purbi. Having spent most of her childhood backstage, Purbi learnt all the intricacies of acting, directing and theatre. As soon as she finished her tenth, she started modelling for various brands like Shogun Tissues, Wintershield Cream, Thomson TV, Iodex, Liberty Footware, Johnson & Johnson to name a few.

Being a model, Purbi became camera friendly and was ready to hit the small screen. In 1995, Purbi got her first break in Faasle and simultaneously did a comedy play Take it Easy. "I am very passionate about comedies and I really enjoyed doing Take it Easy," explains Purbi. When she entered ABCL talent contest, she was shortlisted among the top ten. She reminisces, "We all had a good time in Bangalore and we got to learn many things from Bachchan. I am sad that ABCL didn't do well after that initial draw." Nevertheless, Purbi got offers for Shenai from UTV, followed by Sajjid No 1 on Star Plus. She also did a few episodes of Hum Paanch and currently is playing one of the sisters in Mehendi Tere Naam Ki on Zee. The latter has made her a well-known face in the industry.

But it is with Dishayen that Purbi has got her calling. "I am so glad that I got the chance to playthe twin sister in the first double role serial on the small screen. As an actress, I feel content." How did she bag the coveted role? She recalls, "I had worked with Sundeep Dara earlier in Shenai and we shared a good bond. One fine day, Sundeep called me and asked me to come for a screen test. After a couple of weeks, I came to know that I was selected to play Neha and Nikita. We all were very enthusiatic because for the first time the twin sister project was being made. Initially, it was difficult but once we realised the technique, it became easy for one and all." But playing both the roles must have taken a toll on the actress? "It was tiresome because I had to be very fast in changing my get up and switch over to another personality and deliver consistently all through," she confesses.

But her effort has paid off as the serial has caught on with the viewers in a big way. "We have been getting a lot of fan mails from all over the nation. Producer Hasmukh Shah, Narendra Kessar and Sundeep Dara have done their jobs very efficiently. In fact, the whole team has done a commendable job." Does she feel that being on DD, an actress doesn't get much recognition? "DD's reach makes an actor very popular among the masses but being on satellite channel, one gets recognition in the industry, which is so important for an actor," she reasons. What does she like about Dishayen?

"Playing the twin sister itself gives a high. Apart from that, both the characters are positive unlike in Hindi films, where one is playing positive and another a negative one."

How would she relate to the two sisters of Dishayen? She explains, "Playing Neha was very difficult because I had to maintain being a typical docile woman who's content with her married life. I had to work harder because in real life I am very talkative and frank." She's also a mimic, has a great sense of humour and is a movie buff. She calls herself a director's actor.

What does she think about the TV soaps today? "TV has gone almost 20 years back. The regression in the serials is really pathetic. I am glad that producers like Hasmukh Shah and Parvati Gopalan are trying to break the family drama saga with a new concept," she says in an upbeat mood.