Supriya Shukla on taking a break from Kundali Bhagya: I played Sarla with my heart, so I did get tired

Indian daily soaps run for relatively longer than other formats, and while one can break out of other characters, there is no such option while shooting for a character everyday for 12-14 hours. And while it is only so much necessary to break out of it from time to time, it may not always be a plausible option. However, actress Supriya Shukla aka Sarla from Kumkum Bhagya and Kundali Bhagya, decided to give herself a break from the character, after doing the role for 8 whole years.

India Forums reached out to her and got talking about the exhaustion that happens, how the show has been an important part of her life, and also mentioned how she will continue her role on Molkki.

Anjum Fakih was very emotional and she also posted on social media. How was it like for you?

I'll be very honest, I did need a break and nothing could have been done, so I spoke to the creatives and Mukta, and the writers, and they said that we'd send you somewhere, and then I shot the last scene, because I am going to take a break for one to one and a half months, so Anjum got very emotional. She is very very close to me, she is the closest to me, and because I am going to not be around, though I am shooting for Molkki, I have taken a 10-day break from there as well, and I plan to just go out with my kids, or something. I just needed a break from the character, it is a really strong character so I wanted some kind of break. I just had a discussion with everyone at Balaji and after that, we will decide when I want to come, depending on how things work out. I have never taken a break from Sarla, no matter how many shows have gone and come, so Anjum also got very emotional. I was getting emotional because she was getting emotional, because it wasn't a final goodbye. She is like my 'bacha'. 

After playing the character for such a long time, I just need a break from it, because it gets exhausting. I don't know how actors operate in television, but I played it with my heart, so I did get tired, so I just wanted to take a break. It is very dear to me so I did not want to be dishonest with it.

On the show being crucial to her life...

The show has been an important part of my life, it has been 8 years, when I started the show, I had my parents with me, I had my mother-in-law. After 15 days of shooting for Kumkum, I lost my mother-in-law, and within 10 days, I lost my father, and I was on the sets, and how I rushed to the airport, and then directly to the sets later from the airport, so it has been a rollercoaster ride for me. Everything very important in my life has happened through that show, and it has added in the personality that Sarla is. I still remember when I see my first scene to this scene, so I see Sarla growing, and hence, I wanted to be out of Sarla for a while now. I feel you need to be honest and if you don't do it from your heart, you are not being true to audiences.

I just did it, and thankfully my people are really supportive, I feel glad that though I am not the protagonist and a character actor, they have given the respect to me, because they said for Sarla, it is you, so you take a break when you want to and you can come back whenever you want to.

On continuing her role in Molkki...

I will be doing Molkki, but that is very new, but the character of Prakashi I get to explore more, and I keep adding more, because my creative director has given me that freedom to go all out. I evolve Prakashi everyday and I enjoy doing it, but Sarla, I have played her, she is in my subconscious now, so I needed her to rest a bit.