Kanupriya Pandit on playing the mother to a lead in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2: I don't fear being stereotyped

Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2 on Sony TV has been constantly garnering a lot of love and attention from the audiences. The show narrates the tale of Ram and Priya once again and will narrate the story about the loneliness among the 30 plus urban youth. Playing mother to Priya, Kanupriya Pandit is seen in the role of Meera. The actress has been a part of the industry for a while now and fits the character perfectly.

India Forums got in touch with veteran actress Kanupriya Pandit and she spoke to us about her nervousness, being stereotyped, and more.

Ahead of a show launch, especially when it is one that is a part 2 to a successful original, how excited/nervous did you feel?

Yes, I was nervous and excited, but I was also excited on the very first day. In any case, I am a nervous and excited person because acting is a passion for me and I treat it with the utmost respect, so I am always cautious and nervous when approaching a scene or a character. Here, because it is an already successful show, and what a show it has been, a unique show with two unique people as a pair, but all the preparation is going into it and we hope we garner results.

What kind of preparation continues to go for you when you start a new show?

Of course, we get a brief of the entire show and a brief of the character that I am doing, then because we are doing TV, we cannot expect too much of a brief, because it is not set on TV and changes with the demand of the changes, though relationships change, we approach it with a very open mind as an actor. Personally, I go to the directors and creatives with an open mind and mould myself according to that, so I am like clay that is moulded and I form into that character, but obviously, we have things inside us as well and we often take that out on the character, and we support everyone in the team depending on what the character requires

For someone who has been around for such a long time, what goes into the decision of accepting or rejecting a show.

The primary factor for me is the character because I don't want to work with a heavy heart because this is not something that will end in a month, we expect it to last for a long time, especially when the previous season did. Now things have changed in the last 10 years, things are less permanent and becoming more temporary, and it has only increased in the last 2 years. In such cases also, I don't do just anything, when I hear something there should be a spark within me and that is the most important factor, no matter what I am doing. The second factor when I am doing TV is the channel, and a good channel is an added bonus, and I am happy about BALH 2 being on Sony.

As you play the mother to a lead, does it ever feel you are being stereotyped or boxed into certain characters?

Yes, definitely. Things have changed, I, as a human being, am 47 years old and I may not have 4 daughters or a 35-year-old daughter, but we mould ourselves because someone might have seen that depth or maturity in me to be able to play the character because the audition process is very tedious, a wrong casting might prove to be difficult for the show. It does get stereotypical a lot of times and with a lot of people, but now things are becoming seamless as there is no border between mediums. I don't fear being stereotyped and neither do I think that by doing this, the other layers within me will shut or won't be visible. Whatever work has my heart and I can do it with my dignity, I will continue to do it and I am doing it. 

ALSO READ: Nakuul Mehta and Disha Parmar as Ram and Priya align with contemporary times in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2