"I had stopped believing in good news"- Jayashree

How were you selected for the role?
Like any other aspiring actor I have given a lot of auditions and it took almost 15 days to get everything settled after several rounds of look tests. It is all because of Farhan sir that I am where I am today. He came as an angel in my life saying you are my Sarika that we have been searching for.  

The show has seen a very good improvement in the last week. Did you expect this when the show had started?
I just knew that I had to live Sarika the way Farhan sir has imagined and lived. To get into her shoes was a little difficult for me not because Sarika was not there in me, but because I did not want Jayshree to overshadow Sarika. But after ten to fifteen days I could get hold of the character. I wanted to give 120 percent more than what Farhan sir had actually dreamed.   

You are portraying the lead role in the show; were you nervous?
I was very nervous. I had been struggling for a long time and I had returned to Delhi after all the efforts in Mumbai. So when Farhan sir said I have been selected I couldn't believe because it was too good to happen to me. Because, after all the struggle that I have gone through, my parents were not really ready to send me to Mumbai because they did not want their daughter to crash and burn again after what I had gone through all the three years. I had stopped believing in good news. But then later when the news was sunk, more than being nervous I was excited.  

What were the preparations that you did for the character?
As a person even I am as simple as Sarika but at the same time Sarika's simplicity is more subtle because she hails from a small town. Hence it was very important for me to get into the skin of the character.  When we were shooting in Jaipur I realized that the girls over there are well educated and well spoken like any other town's girl but at the same time there was the innocence of the village instilled in them. Hence it was important for me to bring in that innocence in me. I did not want Delhi Jayshree to overshadow Jaipur Sarika. I remember, when we were shooting in Jaipur, I used to just randomly bust into a conversation with girls to learn the way they converse.

The story deals about an ambitious girl getting married; were you able to connect to Sarika?
As I said earlier, I could connect to Sarika because there is Sarika in me. The only hurdle I had to cross was that Delhi wali Sarika should not overshadow Jaipur wali Sarika. And I guess I could pull it off and bring the real Sarika into the picture.

How ambitious are you in real life?
I am a very ambitious girl but at the same time I have never gone against my parents. They have always been there with me and they always encouraged me whenever I used to feel low. I have struggled for three years here and when we returned to Delhi my dad was not at all keen on taking anything because he did not want his daughter to build up hopes and then grieve again. I am grateful to Farhan sir for selecting me as Sarika.

What kind of a guy are you looking for?
I want a guy like Jay because he is really sweet and loves his wife and family to the core. He is always there by his wife whenever she wants and he considers his wife's dream as his.  

Can you tell us something about your upbringing?
I was born and brought up in Delhi where I completed my graduation with honours in Political Science. But acting has always  been my passion.

Did you always aspire to become an actor?
It has always been there in me but my parents never took it seriously. After my graduation and started working they were not aware that what I had been doing was as a part of the preparation to enter into the industry. I clicked my portfolio and did ads in Delhi and finally I came to Mumbai to pursue my dreams.

Was marriage on your cards in real life too?
No, not at all.

How has the experience been working with Endemol India and Farhan?
Endemol is a great team to work with and Farhan sir is, as I had said earlier, is an angel to me. I don't know what else to say about him.

You have talented actors like Nausheen and Himani Shivpuri in the show. How has the experience been acting with them?
Great, great and GREAT. I have great co-actors with me. They all are very humble and down to earth and I never expected such great actors to be like this. Himani maam used to tell me I have to do this and have to face like this so that you get more screen presence and will look good. And Nausheen is a darling. Once she just over heard me saying that I needed shoes for my character but did not get time to buy them. But she said she will get it for me.

Any memorable moment from the show that you can share with us?
Every moment is a memorable one for me and I am living each and every moment as Farhan Sir's Sarika.

How is experience working with Anuj Thakur?
He is a great co-star and he used to make me really comfortable on the sets. He used to help me with my lines and the scenes with him alot.

Was there any part of life when you had given up your dreams of acting?
When everything was going against me and even when I had returned to Delhi I was really positive about one thing. Acting will be my first love, always. I had not given up on that.

What would you like to say to your viewers?
I would want everyone to love Sarika the way I love her. I will try my best to be a good Bahu like Parvati and Tulsi, though I can never be compared with their level of potential. But still I will try my best to make them love Sarika.

What would you like to tell girls of your age who aspire to make it big in life but are caught in marital problems?
I would like to tell them that, voice your problems because your closed ones will know it only when you say it. But at the same time there is always a way in which you have to convey them. Never go against your parents because, without them how much ever successful you are, you can never enjoy it.

Reporter and Author: Saranya Valsarajan