Television actress Vindhya Tiwari says stepping into the shoes of Ragini Nandwani, who played the protagonist in "Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein", was a huge challenge.

"I was a little skeptical about replacing Ragini as Lovely. There was a lot of pressure and expectations were also high. But I took it as a challenge and by god's grace, I have been accepted well by the audience," Vindhya told IANS.

"Getting into the character was not difficult as I am a lot like her in real life. I just had to work a little on my body language," she added.

The actress had her first brush with small screen in "Ghar.. Ek Sapna". She was later seen in shows like "Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo" and "Maryaada Lekin Kab Tak?".

Vindhya hails from Varanasi, and her decision to try her luck in showbiz didn't go down too well with her father.

"It wasn't easy to convince my father to allow me to get into the showbiz industry, but my mother was very supportive and somehow we managed to convince him to let me go to Mumbai. He often used to say, 'leave it and comeback'," she said.

"After he saw my shows and the love I received from people, he is happy now. I have also learnt a lot from my stint so far," added Vindhya, who was earlier studying genetic engineering.

Vindhya finds it promising and encouraging that actresses from small towns are getting a break in showbiz.

"It is great to see that so many actresses are being offered such good work in television. I know the kind of restrictions that they have to face. It feels great to see that people's outlook is changing," said the 23-year-old.

"There is exploitation in every professional field. And at that point it is your roots and values that help you the most," she said.