If a list is made of the top 10 Balaji loyals, Riva Bubber is sure to find a slot in that. It's been more than six years, and yet she has been doing just one serial – Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Ask her about this and she will snap back, “Give me one good reason for leaving Kyunki…Balaji Productions is a home away from home for me. In the last six years, I have made many good friends on the sets who are very close to me”.

But why not something else over and above Kyunki…After all, she is not playing a lead role in the serial. The girl who started her career with Kyun Hota Hai Pyar responds, “It is not true that I have not done anything other than Kyunki in the last few years. On the contrary, there was a time when I have done multiple daily serials like K Street Pali Hill & Ayushman apart from Kyunki. Those days were extremely stressful and I would hardly get any time to rest”.

Most of Riva's on-set colleagues have been participating in reality shows, but the audience has never seen her in any such show. Is it something she has plans of taking part in? “This is a big No-No for me. Reality shows bring out a different person in you. I always like to build a wall between my private and public life and thus do not like reality shows. What is even more unfortunate is that friends and colleagues fight on-screen in reality shows. There is a lot of backbiting that goes on. I want to stay away from all this”, explains the logical and thoughtful actor who is known on the sets for her sewing skills. 

What about Kahani Hamaarey Mahaabhaarat Ki? All Balaji regulars are doing some role or the other in the epic. Is she doing something? “I have full faith in Ekta and am confident that if there is a role suitable for me, she will definitely offer that to me. I have also not gone out of my way to ask for a role. That way I am not a very proactive person”, says the Balaji loyal, who has become one of the favorite bahus on the Indian Television scene.

Over a period of time, her fans have seen Riva's figure fluctuating from the perfect curves to a chubby cheeks Punjabi kudi. “That is true – there was a time when I showed my true Panju colors and my figure was that of a typical Punjabi girl. I have been doing extensive workouts for the last three months and have come back to shape. I feel once in a while if you indulge in ice creams and desserts, it is not harmful. On the contrary your lust for that food goes down!”, says Riva. “But I am totally against the zero size figure concept. For any woman being a mother is very important and I feel if I concentrate too much on thing like a zero-size figure, it will ultimately affect the person’s health and thereby pregnancy. My message to all of those who work out, eat well and work out well. Do not go on a crash diet," says the girl who has managed to lose quite a few kilos in the last few months.

Riva had launched a pet parlor with much fanfare few years back. How is that doing? “That's a sad experience for me – I had to close it down. Actually I was not being able to give it much time and thus had to rely on my employees, who were not really doing a good job”, says the pet lover. “I couldn't do a shoddy job since I was taking responsibility of someone else's pet. While I felt very sad closing it down, there was no other option”, says a visibly upset and sad Riva.

Reporter and Author: Srabanti Chakrabarti