She made her debut on small screen with Ekta Kapoor’s Kasautii Zindagii Kay and soon became a household name after bagging the lead role in Kasturi and Do Hanson Ka Jodaa. Meet 35-year-old Shubhangi Atre who has been roped in to essay the role of Angoori bhabhi in Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, replacing Shipla Shinde.
“Initially, I was a little nervous to replace for a role which is so popular and connected to the audience. There was pressure of whether the audience would accept me as Angoori bhabhi or not or the TRPs might fall down. But I looked at it as a fresh start and am working hard to maintain its popularity. Expectations from the viewers are very high. I’m very positive and confident that the viewers will like me. If I get scared or nervous, my work will get affected. If you do something soulfully, it shows on the screen. I just want to work with honesty. The creative writer, Manoj Santoshi, has written the scenes so beautifully that 90 per cent of the task is already done. It’s up to the actors to deliver the goods,” Atre, who last played a cameo in Adhuri Kahani Hamari on &TV, says.
Interestingly, Atre happens to be a fan of Angoori bhabhi. little did she know that one day she will be playing this popular role. “I had auditioned for some other show with the same production house but they called me for the test shoot of Angoori bhabhi. I was very excited. By that time I knew that Shilpa Shinde wanted to quit the show. I thought to give it a try and did a screen test with Vibhutiji. On the day of my birthday, on April 11, I got a call that I have been locked to play Angoori. This news turned out to be really special and I had a double celebration,” Atre tells you.
This is not the first time that Atre has replaced Shinde in a TV show. “Before Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, I had replaced Shinde to play Koyal’s role in Chidiyaghar (SabTV). It just happened for the second time that I got to play a character which was previously essayed by her. That role was also of a Bhojpuri woman and it helped me to catch the nuances of the role and give a regional touch to it. People who connect with the character of Angoori would find some consistency,” Atre, who has played the role of abhabhi before but with a grey shade in Havan, tells you.
But does a replacement affect the bonding off screen between co-star or friendIJ “It’s not like that. Shilpa is a very good actress. When an actor doesn’t want to do a show, only then another actor is roped in. It’s not that we are taking away the role from them. If someone doesn’t want to work further due to various reasons, it’s their choice, but the show must go on. An actor can never be bigger than the character. Actors are here to entertain. Entertainment industry is so big that there is work for every talented person,” Atre says.
It’s more than a week that Atre has started shooting forBhabiji… and she is having a ball of a time. “Aashif Sheikh (Vibhutiji) and Rohitash (Tiwariji) are very experienced actors and have great comedy timing and Saumya (Anita) is very supportive and friendly. It’s the first time that I have seen a team which is having so much fun on and off screen,” Atre says.
Even though comparisons are bound to happen, Atre is not bothered much and just wants to focus on giving it her 100 per cent. “I’m not concerned about the comparison between Shinde and me. Every actor has their own style. I’m putting my individuality in the show without losing out on the USP of Angoori’s character. I’m trying not to make it look like I’m copying someone. You’ll find Shubhangi’s touch to Angooribhabhi. I’m a spontaneous actor and don’t plan too much about my scene. Whatever I feel like, I will perform and that will make it look natural and not put on or copied,” Atre says.
