GRACY BITIN GOSWAMI and KANIKA MAHESHWARI tell MUSBA HASHMI what SET’s Kyun Utthe Dil Chod Aaye, all set to go on air from Monday, is about, their roles and how challenging it is to be a part of period drama
It is rare that one gets to see stories with deep meaning that immediately catches one’s attention, on TV. A case in point is SET’s Kyun Utthe Dil Chod Aaye. Set in 1947, Lahore, pre-partition India, the show narrates the story of three young girls — Amrit, Vashma and Radha. This story brings forth their dreams, hope, aspirations and new found love — all this at the brink of Independence. Knowing that tomorrow will be different, the three girls will set out to conquer love and will stand the test of time across borders.
Gracy Bitin Goswami, who plays Amrit tells you that it is the simplicity of the character that attracted her to play Amrit.
“It’s a pre-partition era story about a girl who loves her family so much. She has many dreams, but is ready to sacrifice them for the sake of her family. This is why she decides to publish her poems with another identity so that her father, who is not a fan of such pieces, doesn’t get hurt by her actions.
She goes through different stories and has many emotions. She is the reason behind everybody’s smile. She is the most beautiful girl of Lahore, not only because of her appearance, but because how she is as a person.
This was the reason I was attracted to play Amrit. Also, she is so poised and has the ability to deal with any situation. I have been wanting to play such a character. This is the first time I am not playing a teenager, whereas in my real life I am, so I will be seen emoting romance scenes. This is a big deal and break for me. So, there was no reason to turn down the project,” she tells you.
It was hard, she says, to get into the skin of the character. “The character is living in 1947. She is shy and lives with a lot of restrictions and today we are in 2021, so confident of whatever we do and having the ability to speak up for ourselves. So, I had to take care of that and be poised. Also, it was difficult to bring in that body language and the punjabi accent,” she tells you.
It took Goswami a lot of research and hard work to get into the skin of such a different character than hers. “I had to watch a lot of 1970’s films and shows and see how the actors carried themselves and how they dealt with situations. I listened to the kind of songs we had back then. I read a lot of thick Sanskrit, Urdu and Punjabi. I took tuitions to get the diction right. I had to do a lot of research to be able to play Amrit,” she explains.
Goswami is not the only jewel of the show, there is Diya Aur Baati Hum’s fame Kanika Maheshwari too, in a negative role. She is back on TV after three years and is excited to play the role.
“I play Mogar, a widow. She is very harmful and a dangerous lady. She aims to create unhappiness in the family and is never happy with anything in life. She thinks that it was because of her brothers that she ended up as a widow. She blames them for marrying her off at a young age in a small house. She has this bitterness and hence, wants to see others unhappy too,” Maheshwari tells you.
She tells you that she had no apprehensions before taking up the role. “This is a tailor-made role for me. I have been waiting to play such a role for a long time. There is so much to do in this show. Playing an antagonist gives you a lot of space to enhance your acting skills. I am learning every day and getting better at my craft,” Maheshwari, who will be sporting no makeup, tells you.
One thing that Maheshwari likes about role is that though the character has no colours (dressed up in white clothes), it is yet so colourful.
“The thing that I disliked is that I am not getting to put any makeup. As an actor, I like to do makeup, but the role demands me to look simple,” she says.
Just like Goswami, Maheshwari too had to get her punjabi accent right.
As appealing and unique the trailer of the show looks, the audience can hope they are in for an entertainment ride with this new offering with so many good actors.
