VEEBHA ANAND
[15 Mar 2010]
BALIKA VADHU'S VEEBHA ANAND STICKS TRUE TO HER SUGUNA IMAGE!
"I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING INTO A RELATIONSHIP"
As a journalist, I have closely witnessed and been a part of the television industry for quite some time now and have seen actors, both upcoming as well as established ones going through their share of highs and lows. Unlike their career graph, which keeps fluctuating, the one thing that remains constant is their attitude towards people.
Today, all the new breed of actors are constantly in the media, for either their callous attitude or lack of modesty. So meeting Balika Vadhu's Veebha Anand came as a pleasant surprise. In spite of being a part of one of the most popular shows ever on Indian television, the actress is humility personified. What's more endearing is that it isn't just pretence or a faade that actors usually put up for journalists.
As you know, Veebha plays the role of the naive Suguna in Balika Vadhu. A role that started off as a small one, has become one of the most popular and loved characters onscreen. As an avid watcher of Balika Vadhu myself, I find that in real time too, Veebha is not unlike Suguna. Her doe-eyes and pretty Indian features make her an apt candidate for the role of the quintessential village belle. "Actually, I am like Suguna, how she was before her marriage; happy-go-luck and cheerful," Veebha begins the interview, using a mix of Hindi and English words.
A newcomer in Mumbai, she was born and brought up in the quiet town of Dehradun, where she stayed till her 10th standard. Just like they show in Bollywood films, Veebha nurtured dreams of coming to Mumbai and pursue acting as a profession. "Right from childhood, I wanted to be an actress. Every child wants to pursue a certain profession when he or she grows up. For me, apart from acting, there wasn't any choice! I always wanted to act. I chose television to begin with and you can say that acting on it is like the first step on the ladder. Let's see what happens ahead; there are more things in life."
Destiny may have brought her to Mumbai, but its not just luck that has shaped her career. She had to take acting classes, while she studied simultaneously through correspondence.
Suguna's role was the first acting opportunity she got and she wouldn't have refused it for anything in the world. "I came to know about this audition, so I just gave it. For Suguna's role, the audition was going on for quite some time, as they hadn't got the right person. There was another girl along with me who was short-listed. There was a tie between us. I was extremely nervous, but luckily I bagged the role."
If you have been following the show, you will have seen the drastic change in her character; Suguna's metamorphosis from an underage married girl, to a widow, to a pregnant widow and finally a remarried woman! I ask her what made her take up a role like this, when easily, she could have played a regular lead. She says, "I had never thought of 'not' taking up a show like this. In the beginning of your career, when you are looking desperately for an opportunity, you don't want to lose any small thing that comes your way. When the story of Balika Vadhu was narrated to me, I didn't have any negative feelings about it. Everything was just positive. I came to know a lot about Rajasthani culture. Our theme, the issue of child marriage is very sensitive, so initially everyone was sceptical about the show. But touchwood, everything went well. When our serial began, our TRPs were the highest and we were very happy. Today, everyone loves the show."
Doesn't she get bored playing the same character day in and day out? "Nahi yaar, I enjoy it a lot. Our team is fabulous. Actually the work is fabulous. We don't compromise at all on our work. And all the people on the sets are my friends. There is no chance to get bored. We have so much to do, so how can I get bored?"
It is a little known fact that Veebha is quite a natural when it comes to her craft. I had heard that she doesn't use glycerine for scenes where she is required to cry. Our television soaps have considerable amount of emotionally charged scenes, so I incredulously ask her how she manages. "Sometime I do use glycerine. But there have been certain scenes when I have been like, 'No, I will do this scene without glycerine'.
For example, Pratap's death. It was a major point in my life." Not many know that Veebha actually cried on the show to give a perfect shot. It was the scene when Pratap dies. The shot was taken and the unit people, as well as the director realized that even after shouting 'cut', Veebha could not stop crying. "I was very much touched by the scene and was too much into the character. I felt like my own husband was killed. I knew I had to just do it. And I have learnt a lot. After that, my character got highlighted and people started really liking me. It felt good. Even my director and writer appreciated me a lot," she says a little emotionally.
At the moment, she is content with Balika Vadhu. She has even tried her hand at comedy in Comedy Circus last year and recollects her experience. "It was a guest appearance and I enjoyed it immensely. I wanted to see if I could do comedy, so I gave it my best. Instead of making the audiences cry, I made them laugh for a change and so it felt good. In fact, when people saw me in the show, there were shocked! They were like 'what the hell are you doing'. Everyone was surprised. I got a lot of calls after that. I knew people would watch me," she says confidently. She even did a role in Zee's Shree. "I had a completely opposite role there. As Suguna I cry, but in Shree I made people cry. It was the role of a bhootni after all," she jokes.
For those who want to see Veebha is a different light, don't worry. Soon, you will be seeing the actress in a completely different avatar in Sukh By Chance. JD (Majethia) Sir had asked me to do this role. I am on very good terms with him, which I wanted to maintain. So I took up the show. It's a very different character, as I get to play a rich medical student," she says.
We move on to more personal issues. Young and pretty, I ask Veebha if there has been any attraction between her and her handsome co-star, Vikrant Massey. They haven't been linked together yet and so I wonder if they share cold-vibes. A little scandalised by the very thought, she regains herself and says firmly, "Aisa kuch nahi hain. I believe that agar aap acting karne aaye ho, toh acting kijiye naa; faltu kaam kyu kar rahe ho? Vikrant is a good actor. Even I am trying to be a good actor like him. We try to see that our chemistry looks good onscreen. But off screen, we are very good friends."
So is there a special person in her life? "What are you saying! I am just 18-years-old. The whole life is left for all this. I am concentrating on work right now. I haven't thought about getting into a relationship. Abhi toh career banana hain." But she does give her view on the kind of guy she would like to date. "He should be a little above me in life, where I am at the moment. Actually, I haven't really thought about it that much," she says shyly.
While in conversation, we talk about a very hazardous trend that is following on television. The lead actors on most shows are barely of legal age. At an age, when they should be studying and enjoying their adolescence, they are busy acting and making a livelihood. Veebha also belongs to that group of actors, so I question her if this is a good thing.
Surprisingly, she agrees with me and doesn't try to convince me otherwise. "It's very important to study. People say they will get back to studying later but I am in this field, so I know how hectic it is. There are very few opportunities that you will get, when it comes to education. You should continue with your studies simultaneously. Life will give you a lot of other opportunities. But don't leave studies." As an afterthought, she guiltily adds, "I will join college next year and study through correspondence. I wasn't able to join it this year, as I was late."
As you can see, she is very ambitious and reveals that television for her is just the first step in her acting career. She wants to do films for sure. "Let's see what happens. According to me, I am still very young to join films but I am trying my best. I have had offers too. But the main problem is that I can't just take up any script. I will only choose films, where I have good scope. It's not like movie hain toh karo. The script, director, everything should be good. I must feel it has potential. Movies are definitely on my future agenda and I am working towards it."
She is desperately looking for a break in films, but is not ready to take any hasty decision, lest she commits a career mistake of making an unplanned transition to films. Many television actors have made that mistake in the past and are still bearing the brunt of it. "You never know what will happen in your life. I haven't even thought that much. If I like something I will do it, if I don't like something, then I won't. Bahut confusion hain life mein yaar!" she adds, typically like a teenager.
Before signing off, Veebha tells me that she would love doing family dramas like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Hum Saath Saath Hain. After meeting her, I am pretty sure she will be excellent for that genre of films. Are the Barjatiyas listening?
*Courtesy: Showtime
-- k k rai
http://www.magnamags.com/index.php/201003155863/showtime/features/veebha-anand.html
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