Prachi Desai aka Bani Walia of Kasamh Se has set herself a taxing schedule by enrolling full-time at a Mumbai college. The 18-year-old passed her HSC earlier this year, getting 61per cent. Now she's moved to Mumbai from Pune and will attend morning college at Mithibai in Juhu before rushing off to her afternoon-to-night daily shoot for the Zee serial. And daily in Bollywood means daily,
including Sunday.
Prachi's mum Amita admitted it would be tough on her daughter but insisted that she would be able to handle things. "Yes, it will be difficult for Prachi to manage her studies and shootings but I have faith in her and this year she managed both and moreover passed with a first class."
Lectures at Mithibai are from 10 AM to 3 PM, while Kasamh Se shoots at Goregaon, which is an hour's drive. The serial's shoot schedule beings at noon and ends at 10 but is extended regularly beyond that to as late as 2 AM.
Most actors find it difficult to keep up with the pace of just the shoots, leave alone adding a college course. Prachi's subjects in the first year are Psychology (her favourite and the one she wants to do her honours in), Sociology, English and Hindi. Asked why Prachi had opted for the regular course instead of a correspondence one, Amita said: "The Psychology course has practicals so that option wasn't open. And Prachi herself wanted to be in the regular course because she wanted to stay in touch with college life and studies."
At the moment, with college yet to open, these are brave words. A source in the serial said it was unlikely that she would attend given the tiring shoots. Prachi doesn't have the regular support of her father at home either. Niranjan Desai is a lecturer of Law in Surat and comes home only on weekends. Prachi is his favoUrite daughter and feels very proud what fame she had achieved at very young age," said Amita.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007