NEHA MARDA & AASIYA KAZI VIEWPOINTS DIFFER...

New Delhi (IANS): Both neha marda and aasiya kazi have portrayed similar roles in Bandini & Balika vadhu. Be it just as a side track on hit serial Balika Vadhu or in Bandini, an entire soap on a marriage of convenience between an 18-year-old girl and a man over twice her age - both roles are very similar

Says Aasiya kazi', age-gap marriages do take place in Indian society and it is therefore relevant to show them through TV shows.I've said this before and I'M saying it again I wouldnt mind an older husband in real life but he has to be like maalik she laughs

Neha marda who plays Gehna in balika vadhu says that she disapproves of this idea The basic perception is that even if the man is 60 years old, it doesn't make any difference to a marriage and sadly, this mentality prevails even today," Neha told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

While Balika Vadhu airs on Colors, Bandini airs on Imagine.

, Aasiya says she feels Bandini clicked with the viewers because of its "gripping and interesting storyline".

"Ekta ma'am told me its the story of. a poor, abandoned girl, stuck in a conspiracy and married (forcibly) - . Ekta ji did not make this this show to rake the issue of such (age-gap) marriages,"clarifies Aasiya

"It's just a story rather than any depiction of a social issue. The female protagonist could well have been even 25 years old, but making her 18 made it more interesting Ekta ma'am felt.

Neha marda says, including the track of young girl married to an older man in Balika Vadhu was just an extension of the primary theme of child marriage.

"It is a very sensitive issue - there are a lot of emotional and psychological needs of a person and these differ for a young girl all of 17-18 years of age and for a man who may be even more than 35 years old. What such marriages really lead to is what we have tried to show," .says Neha ; life is not likely to be a bed of roses for a young girl in this situation and thats cold harsh reality

For Neha Marda and Aasiya Kazi, playing younger women married to much older men in Balika Vadhu and Bandini respectively, their roles seemed an attractive option as they were challenging.

Aasiya,was 17 when she bagged the role of Santu ".In Bandini as Santu stood on the doorstep of the Mahiyavanshi house staring at the handsome man who married her she did not know what a dramatic turn events would one day take and she would become his willing bandini for life ek aisi bandini jo kabhi bhi riha nahin hona chahti" says Aasiya with a smile.

"I gave auditions for this role without knowing too much about what I would be doing and got selected. When I was told about the story, it was not that I was apprehensive. In fact, I was very happy that I would get to do something new - a role that many girls of my age would not get to do. So I feel I was lucky,"

Talking of such marriages in elite circles- Bollywood thespian Dilip Kumar married Saira Banu, who is 22 years younger than him.

Well the story doesn't revolve around the age gap anymore. It is on Sanraj's marriage but the way they are together, it seems like as if they're the same age. At least make Santu dress up like her age. Look at Toral, why can't Santu dress up like that.

Originally posted by: bishop22

Thanks ramona for the article.....

Loved reading what both the actresses had to say..

I must say that in marriage age is not the biggest factor.. what is more important is love, trust, understanding and respecting one another.

One must know and understand and fulfill their responiblity towards each other.