TOI:I dont mind working non-stop-Avina

Avinash Sachdev and Rubina Dilaik get talking about non-stop hours at work, viewers' expectations and doing a lovemaking scene on TV

The name of the show remains the same "Choti Bahu", and so do your names, don't you think the viewers will get confused and expect a glimpse of what they had seen earlier?
Avinash: I have to mention this clearly – this is not the sequel of our previous show "Choti Bahu". It is a new concept that allows us to retain our previous names Dev and Radhika but play different characters. My instant reaction, when this offer came my way was 'But how is it possible?' For it is an idea which is still unheard of. Kuch ajeeb sa lag raha tha. Yakeen hi nahin hua. I couldn't digest the fact that "Choti Bahu" was coming back on the small screen. Earlier the transition was from Avinash to Dev. But now it's from Avinash to Dev and Dev again which is a different character.

Rubina: I would be lying if I say the show doesn't throw any challenges. In fact, the biggest challenge will be to ensure viewers don't look for any parallels between what has been aired and what will be on TV soon. It will be not that easy to break the image we created earlier and allow viewers to have a fresh perspective.

Why don't TV actors who are as now popular as Bollywood biggies, get to endorse big products and walk the ramp?
Avinash: Yes that's a fact. I believe, the key reason for this could be the kind of roles we essay.

Rubina: It is much easier for viewers to watch a Bollywood actress wear a bikini or endorse that product than believe that saree/suit-clad TV's bahu betiyan do that. We can't go beyond the bounds of decency. Also, ad makers have their constraints. "Choti Bahu"'s Radhika can endorse perfume brands but admakers aren't willing to take that risk. Sex is selling like hot cakes on TV too.

What if you get to do bold scenes on the small screen?
Rubina: We have done some bold scenes in "Choti Bahu". Things get difficult when sex is interpreted only as vulgarity. Agreed, there exists a thin line of demarcation but the two shouldn't be confused.

Avinash: It depends on what is stated in the contract I sign. If it mentions that I would be expected to do something similar because the script demands, I will have no objections doing the same.

Do you feel that you are overworked but are still underpaid?
Rubina: Though the thought does bother me sometimes, I console myself by saying, 'Rubina you are a college-goer. There was a time when people didn't know you or recognised you. But now you have earned not only the popularity but also the appreciation of your viewers.' I'm happy about all that I have managed to achieve at such an early stage of my career.

Avinash: I'm 24 and by the time you turn 24 you would have just completed your MBA and would have started looking for a job. Acting in daily soaps is serious business and it helps me earn over a lakh every month, much more than what many MBA professionals get initially. I'm better off than my contemporaries. Mehnat bhi hoti hai – lekin phir payment bhi utni hi hai. So, I don't mind working non-stop and working hard. I'm happy with what I get.