Yesha Rughani: Gungun is a character who is very unique, very different and very rare

Yesha Rughani a 29-year-old actress and who rose to fame starring as the titular character in the TV show Muskaan. Born and raised in Rajkot, Yesha Rughani has done 3 TV shows before this show. Before pursuing her career in acting, Rughani worked as a stylist for Priyanka Chopra, Esha Gupta, Malaika Arora among others. She plays the lead ‘Gungun Bhatnagar’ in upcoming show 'Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Sey

Tell us something about your character in the show 'Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Sey'?

I play Gungun Bhatnagar. Gungun is a character who is very unique, very different and very rare. It’s the most challenging character by far that I am going to play. People like Gungun are often misunderstood. They do not usually seem to be able to get through the layers of this complex personality. Nevertheless, she is a gem of a person with a golden heart. She has her part of struggles and is quite protective of her own feelings which makes her a very difficult character to portray. At the same time though, she is somebody who belongs to this generation. She is pretty cute, fun and spontaneous in many ways and to portray that on screen is quite the challenge to me and that constantly keeps me going. Playing such challenging roles is what keeps me motivated as an actor. That being said, I love to get into the shoes of Gungun everyday and I am really looking forward to continuing to discover her even more with each passing day.

 Tell us about the various preparations that you have done for your character in the show?

As I said, the character I play is quite different from the regular ones that we often come across and therefore the way I prepare for it is by trying to find behavioural similarities and ways that I can relate to the character and this is something I do while playing any character. I have personally been an only child and really pampered and so is Gungun, so I try to draw those similarities between me and her. I try to relate her to a few other people that I know in real life and that’s how I prepare myself to be Gungun.

What is in store for the audience from the show?

There is so much in store! There’s too much love, also love that you feel towards your family and a lot of laughter. The show all in all shouts of happy vibes and no ounce of any negativity. It speaks loudly of the importance of relationships in one's life and how some people are fortunate enough to have those and those who aren’t, somehow end up meeting nice people along the way anyway which keeps them going. So people have a lot of family bonding and love to look forward to.

How do you feel working with Star Plus and on their new show KKIS?

It’s always been on my bucket list to work with Star Plus. I have worked with a lot of other channels but Star Plus so yes, admittedly, it was something that I’ve forever wanted to do. Growing up I had a lot of ambitions and being a Star Plus actor was a major one amongst them. After 3 shows and 4 long years I have finally been fortunate enough and gotten this golden opportunity which I am very grateful for and am really looking forward to.

Have you taken any particular inspiration for your character? If yes, then tell us why and how it has helped you portray your character.

Like I mentioned before, I’ve drawn out a lot of inspiration from my real life instances, real life people around me as well as myself.

Have you shot any outdoor sequences for your show?

Yes. We were in Lucknow, shooting a few very interesting scenes. I think shooting outdoors is a different feeling altogether which I really enjoy. Gungun is from Lucknow so it was all the more exciting for me to be there. I was roaming the streets of Lucknow like a Nawab so yes, it was all pretty fun to do as it got me closer to my character.

Tell us about the bond you share with your co-star Manan Joshi?

It has been super fun. You know how sometimes it's all about vibes? That’s what played its tricks here and we instantly bonded. It began from our mock shoot days and here we are now. Even during the auditions when we never knew who would get the part and who won’t, I knew that if I am Gungun then he is my Anu. I remember looking into his eyes and thinking that this guy is the ultimate Anubhav. I was super convinced of that fact. Also, since both of us are gujarati’s, we really bond over that fact as well. We have a lot in common. He is an extremely sweet, kind and a very humble person all in all. It has been great working with him so I am really looking forward to a great friendship and working relationship ahead as well. It’s only been a few days but, I honestly think that we have become great friends already which is pretty rare for me. It's all been very easy with him which I honestly cherish and pray for it to stay consistent.

Tell us about the bond you share with your co-star Delnaaz Irani?

I absolutely admire her. She is the cutest thing around on the sets of our show. I have grown up watching her all my life and am beyond thrilled to be working alongside her now. It is such an honour. I get nervous at times but it is also pretty exciting simultaneously. Also, as I have also worked with Moon Banerjee, Moon Ma’am has always said great things about Delu, her being good friends with her. So even before we met we had this connection that none of us can deny. She has the warmest hug of all and we just instantly bonded so we are bound to have an amazing time on the sets of the show.

What is your take on arranged marriages?

I am completely up for arranged marriages. Although almost everybody in my family has had a love marriage, yet honestly, my take on it is, why not! I do not see a problem with it and think it’s a great idea all in all.

What makes this show different from other shows?

Every show is different from each other. Each one of them has its own USP. Ours is all about family, love, laughter, emotions and zero negativity whatsoever. Even though my character is a bit of a brat, her goodness and purity shows and the fact that her family gets that is just so beautiful. So yes, our show is all about love and that’s that.

How do you think you have evolved as an artist in all these years?

I think you are always evolving as a human being. Every minute, day, every month, every year you are evolving as life happens around you. So I do not think I can point at what has changed but we can surely speak of what has not changed over time. Playing a new character has always been like starting on a clean slate. It’s always a new beginning with each character and that’s how it's forever going to be. Whatever I have learnt in the past will always help but I follow the ‘start from the scratch’ policy for every character I play and that one thing will never change.

How are you keeping yourself fit these days?

Keeping myself fit and healthy has always been a challenge to me as I am a big time foodie and I also have had PCOD issues in life. Hence I have always had to stick to a very healthy routine. I have always had a sweet tooth so keeping that in control was also quite the task to me. I follow an intermittent diet and eat between a 6-hour window and that keeps me going. I also work out of course as it is what my body demands for. Apart from that, my fasting helps a lot but I also do not step back from allowing myself to enjoy some chocolate here and there because I cannot survive without them.

What is your agenda for 2022?

I take each day as it comes without having a set plan in mind. I feel like life is full of surprises and planning is not something I believe in. Acting also came as a surprise and so has been everything post that. I only plan on valuing what life brings along so yes, I do not have a set agenda in mind for the upcoming year. I instead plan on waiting and watching life unfold its many delightful offerings and that’s my only mantra.

How do you view the Hindi television industry? What excites you to be a part of this new fraternity?

I have wanted to be a lot of things as a child, starting from an astronaut, a doctor and also of course, an actor. And for some reason, whenever I have thought about acting it has always been the television industry and never the movies and that’s only possible when you think highly of an industry. Everything about this fraternity excites me, apart from the hard work that goes behind the scenes where you are expected to laugh on your toughest days and cry on the happy ones. Being an actor is definitely not easy as you’ve got to be in somebody else’s skin for the most part of your day. Yet, to balance it all out efficiently and still be yourself, all the while loving your work is what excites me the most about this fraternity.

What else do you see yourself doing next?

To be honest, I have a lot of plans. I have always wanted to do more than one thing and I already have a business with my sister as well which I am looking to expand. I also want to write or paint or anything creative as that keeps me sane. I am very happy with what I am doing lately but to add to that would not be too bad as well.

What is it like shooting for your show in the midst of this new normal?

I think the new normal has now become very normal now as we have all gotten so accustomed to it. It doesn’t feel like anything different. It feels like my normal lifestyle now. Most importantly, the fact that in a time as such, I am still able to get a job and keep people entertained brings me immense pleasure and I am very grateful for it.

Did you always want to be an actress?

I had 101 aspirations as a child. I wanted to do so much and one of them was definitely acting. I remember rehearsing my speech for when I win an award for acting in front of the mirror multiple times. I had also recorded a speech for when I win the Miss India award. Did the same for if I become an astronaut some day but I guess, my acting instincts were way stronger and that’s what I ended up doing. It all began when I quit my jiob at Tata Cliq by faking an acting opportunity and the rest is history.