Jhoomein Jiya Re is on its way out, Kuchh Iss Tara ended a week ago, and Jiya Jale ended two weeks ago. Preeti Amin, Dimple Jhangiani and Sriti Jha look back on their first lead roles...
What will you miss the most?
Preeti: One of my technicians, Hanif Sheikh. He would always boost my morale when I felt low.
Dimple: The rapport I built with all my co-stars. I'm going to miss my character Kanya the most.
Sriti: My first identity was not Sriti but Sunaina for all these months. I'll miss that and, of course, my saris!
Which was your most memorable scene?
Preeti: The one in which my dad is drinking and yelling at me after my marriage gets called off.
I was actually in tears when he said that I was the worst thing that had happened to him!
Dimple: All my scenes with Tarana, who played my sister. We were really like sisters. She would take care of me. And I'll miss all my scenes with my hero Akashdeep Saigal. He told me that I was the first heroine he got along with so well. I have collected shooting stills of memorable scenes.
Sriti: The first time I met Bhartiji (Achrekar), she didn't say hi or hello. She just said: Tu thepla khayegi?" Right after that, I shot a scene with her and Natashaji (Sinha). I had no clue about reaction shots and they both helped me.
When did you laugh the most while shooting?
Preeti: The actress who played my dadi (with due respect to her) came on the sets one day in a foul mood. There is a small pond near the set which was not visible to her. She went up to greet the director. Before he could warn her, dadi was in the pond!
Dimple: In a very dramatic scene, instead of saying Ranbir Nanda, I fumbled and said Ranbir Nanga!
Sriti: One of our directors was leaving the show. We got all the guy assistants to mouth lines like "Main aapke bachche ki maa banne wali hoon", "Aap bade woh ho" and "Judge saab, isne mere saath zabardasti ki hai!"
What is one quirky lesson you learnt on the sets?
Preeti: Since I have a theatre background, my expressions are quite extreme. Sometimes, I had to unlearn my theatre lessons.
Dimple: That the director at times yells at you and says bad things only because he wants you to cry for real for a particular scene. I was threatened that I would be replaced on the show several times and when I would start crying, that shot would be canned.
Sriti: That you should not drink water before a rainy scene. It is anyway so cold. Drink water and you'll need to attend to nature's call every now and then.
What irritated you the most about your co-star?
Preeti: Karan (Panthaky) would wear a perfume which he insisted was Gucci but it smelt nothing like that!
Dimple: That there would be times when my co-stars would have the liberty to come and go according to their convenience. I got maybe just 10 days off in 10 months. No complaints though, it was my first show.
Sriti: Saurabh (Pandey) would never irritate me. In fact, he'd get teased for his hi-funda MAC make-up.
What next?
Preeti: A long holiday itinerary is ready. I'm off to Shirdi, then Kanpur, then Indore, Nepal and Mauritius. No TV shows for a while.
Dimple: I want to take up a crash course in acting.
Sriti: I'm in Delhi. I'm glad I'm on a break. That's why I'm sounding so chirpy. I'll soon go to Nepal to visit my parents.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Arjun
