*Ek thi Naayka* Articles archieves

Big names are pouring out in the media for Ekta Kapoor's unique marketing promotional series Ek Thi Naayka.

With seasoned names like Amar Upadhyay and Jaya Bhattarcharya joining Naayka Smriti Irani, Yash Tonk and Sudha Chandran joining Naayka Mouli Ganguly, Kiran Karmarkar too was approached to join Sakshi Tanwar for an episode.


Wasn't it a perfect match for Sakshi and recreating the magic of Om and Parvati? But unfortunately Kiran Karmarkar had a date issues. "Yes, they approached me but they were asking for dates which were already given for the promotion of Badalte Rishton Ki Dastan. Hence I couldn't take the show," states Kiran Karmarkar.

Sources too informed that the makers are eyeing on some big name opposite Sakshi for Ek Thi Naayka.

We can say that audiences will miss the big time jodi Om and Parvati!

Beautiful and talented Kritika Kamra has played some of the most romantic roles on small screen but says that she wants to play a Daayan someday.

"I want to play a Daayan some day, I think that will be really interesting and exciting to try out. Also it will be a big challenge for me and I would definitely want to challenge myself," said the actress who will soon be seen in Ekta Kapoor's supernatural series Ek Thi Daayan.

Kritika who was launched by Ekta Kapoor in popular daily soap Kitni Mohabbat Hai has appeared in three romantic shows so far and admits that the popularity of her shows has contributed to her success. "Because of my shows popularity I am here starting from Kitni Mohabbat Hai to Kuch Toh Log Kahenge and now Ek Thi Daayan every show has contributed in making me who I am today, making me stand with the 7 leading ladies whom I have grown up watching like Smriti Irani and Sakshi Tanwar. Sharing a platform with them is really great and I am honoured that Ekta made me a part of Ek Thi Naayka," said Kritika.
While a lot of TV actors are making successful transformation from TV to Bollywood, the beautiful actress seems to be have no time for Bollywood, "I don't have time to struggle for Bollywood as I am shooting continuously this entire month without any holiday. I don't know if Bollywood is the stepping stone for TV actors as there is the whole of Bollywood coming down to TV so I really don't know who is using who as the stepping stone. A lot of people have made that transformation and its very good, I am happy for them but to each to its own. For me it depends on the content actually if it's exciting it doesnt matter to me if it's in Bollywood or TV," concludes the actress.

As MouliGanguly gears up for EkThhiNaayka, she speaks to Toi.com about negative energy, playing a vamp on-screen and shooting with Konkona Sen Sharma.
You are pairing up with Sudha Chandran once again for Ek Thhi Naayka after the successful Kaahin Kissii Roz. How does it feel?
It is exciting since I am very close to Sudhaji. When I said yes to this project, I didn't know she is part of the series. When we did Kaahin Kissii Roz, I was a rank newcomer and she taught me a lot. In the process, I became a huge fan of hers ' a big chamchi. I would flood her with how-why-where questions. Then she did a Bengali jatra, which took her to Kolkata. There she met my family. Even when the show ended, we kept in touch, but couldn't meet because of our busy schedules. This time when we met, we started from where we had left. Even a part of the unit happens to be the same as Kaahin... so, it is like going back 10 years in time. All of them gang up together and pull my leg. They say, 'Dekho Mouli finally acting karna seekh gayi'.

Tell us about your role in the series. I play a Bengali theatre actress, Tanushree, which is incidentally my mother's name. Sumona Chakravarti too has an important role. Uma Biswas, played by Sudha Chandran, is Tanushree's mentor. Konkona Sen Sharma plays a cameo in it.

Do you believe in daayans and ghosts? I am very scared of certain things. If there is positive energy, then there must be negative energy to balance it. But honestly, I had no clue about daayans before doing this show. In Mumbai, people feel that everybody in Kolkata is related to jadu tona. They say, 'Bengal ka jadu tona to aata hoga tumhe'.

How was it shooting with Konkona? I admire her as an actor. It was a night act and we shot a Kali puja sequence where she tells me about the daayan. Poor thing she came on the sets and was immediately given a bunch of scenes. As TV actors we are used to it, but she was not. She was very cooperative though she missed her son, Haroon, who she had left behind at home. On the sets, Konkona, Sumona and I kept conversing in Bengali, much to the annoyance of people around us.

What made you take up the role? For me, Ekta's production house is like home. It is my comfort zone. It was an opportunity for eight known faces of Indian television to come together. I am getting to play a Bengali here, a culture I am closely associated to. I had no reason to say no. I am glad Ekta considered me for this role.



You played a negative character for the first time in Kya Hua Tera Vaada. How have the reviews been? Very good. However, I didn't do the show for reviews, but for myself. TV is dominated by women, but you get very few options to play different roles. You are mostly seen as the bechari bahu. So, when I was offered to play a strong and confident woman, I was elated. Also, it gave me the opportunity to experiment. I loved the fact that the character takes the story forward. As an actor, I don't carry a baggage. I try to push myself and do things within the given parameters. Earlier, I have played an undercover cop and politician. Anushka has different shades. She is not the usual submissive, helpless, regressive woman. After doing this, the big channels got in touch with me for the first time. This is something which the positive roles never got me. I could connect to a different set of audience. Earlier, only homemakers would relate to me.

Do you relate to Anushka ' a strong, confident woman? Anushka is confident and I could relate to her, because everybody has that a bit of grey shade in them. She is a one-man woman. I would have behaved the same way if I had met my first love after 10 years. But at present Anushka is seen as too venomous. Nobody can be like her in real life. In fact, koi Mona type ka bhi nahi ho sakta, so sacrificing and goody-goody. We portray black and white characters on screen because people like it that way.

Your co-star from Saaksshi, Amit Sadh, has finally found a foothold in Bollywood with Kai Po Che. Are you planning to follow suit? Like Amit, if I am offered a tempting role and that too on big a canvas, then yes.