Madhubala actor Drashti Dhami talks to Sangeeta Yadav about her new show Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka which is a modern love story of two married friends and how she balances home and work
Be it Geet, Madhubala or Gayatri, you have left a lasting impression. How is Nandini of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka bigger and betterIJ
She is the girl-next-door, born and brought up in lucknow and lives happily with her husband Rajdeep, played by Abhinav Shukla. Rajdeep wants Nandini to be a certain way which leads to a lot of conflict between them. It will be interesting to see how Nandini and her friend Abhimanyu, played by Shakti Arora, both married, fall for each other. It is a modern-day love story of two couples and best friends and how life changes their relationship.
The theme looks realistic...
It is today’s story, something which has been happening but people are realising it now and becoming more aware of the shift in relationships. Earlier, there were set roles of a wife and husband. Wife would take care of the house, family and cook for them, and the husband would be the breadwinner of the family. Times have changed as women are equally hard working and responsible for getting the bread on the table. There is more acceptance of finding love outside marriage and seeking a divorce.
How is Nandini different from you in real lifeIJ
I’m never clad in a saree but for this, I will have to carry it all the time which I find difficult to handle. Personality wise, Nandini is very docile and submissive which I am not. Nandini wants to make her relationship work no matter what. She will go all out to care for people around. But I am very possessive about my friends and loved ones and if they will not talk to me, I will go out of my way to fight with them till the time I solve the problem.
What is the biggest challengeIJ
It is different from the shows I have done so far. To act in a multi-starrer show like this which has four lead actors — Shakti Arora, Aditi Sharma, Abhinav Shukla and I. My previous shows had only two lead actors. When this came up, I was nervous but since I have not done something like this before, I thought I might as well take up the challenge. It doesn’t matter beyond a point how many lead actors are there. All it matters is being a great team which we are.
Do you think love stories are twisted too much to get the TRPs and their essence fizzles out too soonIJ
Yes, but that is not in our hands. It is the producer’s faith more than anything else. We are just trying to bring his vision to reality. We put his thoughts into action on screen. We don’t have a say beyond a point on what kind of romance the makers are weaving in the show to make it relatable or unrealistic. There are different kinds of love stories between different age groups and relationships. Our job is to act convincingly and do justice to it.
How do you go about balancing work and homeIJ
I would love to work round the clock but there are so many actors who like to do other things too like going for hiking, biking, making their own web series on YouTube or other platforms. When you are committed to a daily soap, all this comes to a halt. I am happy to take one show and work for six to eight months, take a break and then come back. I can’t take a long break because I am a workaholic. life is very exciting when you are working as you look forward to something new and interesting. A long break would be very boring.
After winning Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6, how are you taking your dancing forwardIJ
I wish I could but my back is not in shape right now. I love dancing and during my break, I was looking to do something in this genre but I am not allowed to do anything, not even go for a walk.
Do you think your hard work has led you to successIJ
Hard work plus being blessed, destined and good looking. Everything together gets you success. Success is very relative. For some, it could be delivering a good show or giving good performance and for other, it could be being critically acclaimed. Now we have a very weird way of judging successful through social media followers. The higher number of followers, the more successful you are in public light.
Do you think maintaining good looks is one of the compulsions of being a celebrityIJ
It is not a compulsion. Good looks matter a lot especially in this profession because you are getting paid and recognition for it. You better look good. One should not be throwing their weight around. There are so many people who are putting hard work to make you look good and the show as well. The least you can do is just be in a good shape.
Any role from the previous films and TV shows that you wish to doIJ
Kangana Ranaut’s role in Queen. I would love to play Jennifer Winget’s role in Beyhadh or would like to do something like Dekh Bhai Dekh or Zabaan Sambhal Ke.
No movie plansIJ
I am very happy doing TV. I didn’t thought of doing movies but if something good comes up, I will take a call that time.