'My happiness exceeds all other emotions' - Amrapali Dubey

How does it feel to bag the leading role?
I'm so happy! I've never played a lead role ever before. This is my first time and am very excited.

Tell us something about your show.
Well, the show is titled Rehna Hai Teri Palkon Ki Chaon Mein. It's slated to be aired from 17th August on NDTV Imagine, at 9 PM. It's the story of an orphan girl named Suman, who's never experienced the love of a family. Her life takes a turn when she makes a new friend who takes Suman home to her family.  There she is included as a member of the family and gets to know the true feeling to be a part of a family. The love, togetherness, genuineness of affection and care opens her eyes to a whole new dimension of life.

A lead role in a show slotted for prime time. Do you feel pressurized by all this?
To be very frank I'm so excited and happy that I don't realize the pressure, if at all any is there. You can say my happiness exceeds all other emotions.

Tina and Shweta the roles you earlier played, were both from a well off family, rich and privileged. Suman is very different compared to them. Were you sure of portraying her?
Yes, I had thought about the contrast in the characters. Personally also I'm a pampered child of my parents. I just had to wish for things and they would get me that. So I had my own set of doubts about depicting Suman. But then I thought that these kind of opportunities don't come knocking at your door everyday. I realized I should take this up as a challenge. Later, the scriptwriter helped me understand her more deeply. Everyday the director helps me to think like her which has made it easier for me to be in her shoes. So whatever initial doubts I had have now been totally erased.

Tell us more about Suman.
Like I said, Suman is an orphan, never has been a part of a family until her friend's family takes her in with them. But even though she was raised without the love of her parents she turns out to be a very cultured person. She respects her elders, values everything and knows how to behave in a civilized manner.

After entering her friend's family she learns about the nuances of Indian tradition and culture. That is quite fascinating to her. The transition is quite an eye-opener for Suman.

Your earlier shows Saat Phere and Maayka both have been with Zee TV. This is your first show with NDTV Imagine. How is the experience?
To be very frank, not many people from Zee interacted with me, basically because I was not playing a lead role at that time. But for NDTV Imagine, I can vouch for the fact that they are really awesome. They take complete care of you. It doesn't matter how trivial the problem is, they make sure they take care of it.

On a whole how has industry treated you so far?
In short, like a kid.

You had high expectations from Saat Phere and suddenly the show went off air. How did you deal with it?
Saat Phere was very special to me. It was my first show and so it was quite natural for me to have high hopes from it. It was the show that gave me my break, you know, sort of put me in the spotlight.

But what disappointed me very much is that the people who were aware of the show being on its way to pull its shutters down never let me get even a hint of it. And therefore when the announcement was made it came to me as a shattering shock. The people who I trusted could have eased the blow for me. But anyways just ten days after Saat Phere's pack-up, I got a call for Maayka. So it eventually led me to believe that whatever happens is for the ultimate good.

Along with acting are you also pursuing your other interest- that of becoming a criminal lawyer?

(Laughs) Well right now I'm waiting for my HSC results which I did through correspondence. I will first focus on acting. And if time allows me then I will pursue a diploma course in criminal law which I will do through correspondence.

Reporter and Author: Susan Jose