"I am totally like Kritika except for the Punjabi accent"

How did Meri Bhabhi happen to you?

I was on a break for a year and a half after Mukti Bandhan because I was busy completing my graduation. I was fulfilling my father's promise. When I was about to complete my graduation I auditioned for couple of shows and this was one of them. My exams were in March and I gave the auditions for Meri Bhabhi in February. Luckily, the timing was very good and by the time my exams got over, my shoot began. I didn't have to wait for any opportunity to come on my way.

Tell us something about your character in Meri Bhabhi?

I am playing Kanchi Kaul's Bhabhi in the show. The name of my character is Kritika who is a very bubbly, chirpy and a typical Punjabi girl. She wants to keep smiling always and she solves all the problems of her life with a smile. Being a Punjabi girl, she has a Punjabi accent. Kritika is an educated girl but at the same time, she is a little jhalli. She is not fully sophisticated. She likes doing everything in a different way. She enjoys making a sound while taking sipping tea. However, it is due this behavior of Kritika, that the family stays united. Sometimes her husband gets irritated with her behavior but she likes being herself as the way she is.

What do you like the most about your character? Can you relate yourself to Kritika?

I don't have to cry much in the show (laughs). Kritika doesn't believe in crying. Sometimes, she does gets emotional but never gets over-emotional. She finds happiness in every single thing and I believe doing so in my real life too and believe that we should be happy with our lives. God has given us only one life and we have to do a lot in this one life. Kritika is full of life and she convinces the people around her to live life to the fullest. She has a good convincing power. The best thing about my character is that I don't have to be different on-screen and off-screen. I am totally like Kritika except for the Punjabi accent.

Being a Gujarati girl, are you finding it difficult to play the character of a Punjabi girl?

I had to work a little hard on my accent so that I can give a Punjabi feel to my character but I am not finding it difficult because I am working with a Punjabi team. It becomes quite easy for me because I keep on hearing people around me speaking in Punjabi. Most of my co-actors are Punjabi so they keep on talking in Punjabi always so I have learned while listening to them.   

How's the co-ordination going on with everyone on the sets?

Luckily, I have got a very good team. I am sharing a very good rapport with everyone on the sets. I had a very good team in Mukti Bandhan too where everyone was Gujarati. Here, most of them are Punjabi so I laugh and enjoy while talking to them in Punjabi. Sometimes, we all go hangout together or go for dinner. I am sharing a very good rapport with Kanchi; we talk a lot on the sets and our talks never end. Every artist is very good by nature. I am enjoying a lot working here with all of them.

What kind of bonding you share with Kanchi Kaul and Vipul Gupta?

Both of them are wonderful people. As yet I have not had many scenes with Kanchi but still whatever scenes we have shot together, they have all gone very well. She is senior to me but she has never let me feel that. We have never felt insecure about our characters because our producers have done justice to all the characters in the show. I am really happy and contended with my character.

Vipul is also a wonderful person. He too is senior to me so he helps me with the scenes. If some issues happen regarding any scenes then he is always there to help me as a friend.

What kind of bonding do you share with your real life sister in law?

I share a wonderful bonding with my sister in law. My Bhabhi is from London so my Mom had told me that, 'Since she is from London you have to take care of her and make her feel comfortable' but now it's happening just the opposite. I live alone in Mumbai and when I go to Ahmedabad, she is always there to help me and whenever I feel alone in Mumbai then my second message goes to my Bhabhi. After my Mom I share my feelings with my Bhabhi. Whenever I visit my home in Ahmedabad, my Bhabhi takes full care of me and I get a 5 star Hotel treatment in my own house.

Are you in touch with any of your co-actors from Muktibandhan?

Yes, I am in touch with my on-screen mother-in-law (Surbhi Zaveri Vyas). She is like a mom to me and we talk every 2^nd or the 3^rd day. Siddharth Arora and I are good friends. I am also in touch with Ekta Saraia, who was playing my sister in law. I try to meet with all of them at least once in a month.

Do you follow Siddharth's show?

I watch Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha Season 2 sometimes because I pack up at 9 so I am not able to watch it daily. He has groomed a lot as an actor and as a person; he is always amazing and entertainment. I try to watch his show but if can't then I watch it online.

What have you been busy with after Mukti Bandhan?

I was busy with my studies after Mukti Bandhan. I was also doing theater to brush up my acting skills.

What are your expectations from Meri Bhabhi?

I have a lot of expectations from Meri Bhabhi because it's a show related to the day to day lives of a middle class family. The situations which will be shown between the sister-in-laws in the show is the same which happen between any nanad-bhabhi in real life too. Earlier the relation of sister-in-laws have always been shown as nok jhok but Star Plus has justified the relation in this show with a Nayi Soch like a Nanad Bhabhi can stay under one roof just like real sisters. I hope the audience will like it and if a Nanad Bhabhi will sit together to watch our show, then they will get a solution to their problems from our show only.

Any message for your fans?

I would like to say to my fans that they have loved me as Devki and they have liked my character a lot. Every artist cannot play the same kind of character every time but I have tried a lot to do something different other than Devki with my new character in Meri Bhabhi. I feel that some of them are not recognizing me in this new look; but they only recognize me with my name. Please do watch my show and love me as Kritika also.

Anwesha Kamal