sumeet and ritu's interview

SUMEET SACHDEV

How did a professional architect design an acting career for himself?
(laughing) Well, I've always been inclined towards an acting career but was too lazy to pursue it seriously. Then, one day, while surfing channels, I learnt that Barry John was casting for a new play, Manto. I auditioned for it and got myself a break. Once I was a part of the theatre world it was inevitable that I'd hear of other opening. Another audition and I was a part of Aamir Reza Hussain's tribute to Kargil war heroes, The Fifty Days War. When the play moved to Mumbai I took a six-month vacation from my office and came with the rest of the troupe.

Was Mumbai a culture shock?
Not really though it is a dirty city. We were put up at the Hotel Sea Rock. We'd sleep the whole day, perform every evening and chat through the night. It was fun. The problems began when the play ended.

What problems?
When I was in Delhi theatre was just a relief from everyday routine. I was lucky to have an understanding boss who'd let me leave at 5.30 p.m. sharp so I could make it for the 7 p.m. show. Without him I don't think I'd have pursued this hobby. I came to Mumbai as an actor and not an architect. For the first time I began to look at acting as a career and decided to give myself some time to see if I could make it in a different field. I had my portfolio done. I started doing the rounds of offices, going for auditions but no work was forthcoming. (Sighs) Those were hard times. I was very worried.

Why? You had a job waiting for you in Delhi.
True, I had a back-up profession and that bothered me. If I was a qualified professional what was I doing here? Would I ever fit in? Why wasn't I getting work? What could I do to improve? These thoughts haunted me night and day.

How did Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi come your way?
Around June-July last year I had auditioned for one of Balaji's serials and been rejected. After that I auditioned for several other roles but nothing worked out. Then around November I got another call from Balaji. It was a routine audition, not even for KSBKBT but while viewing the screenings Ekta Kapoor saw Gautam in me.

Are you a lot like Gautam?
Not even slightly. Unlike the Viranis who're a large joint family living together, I come from a small, close-knit family. There's just me, my parents, my nani, a younger brother and an older sister who's married. Gautam's an angry young man, I rarely lose my temper. I'm a Delhi boy, he's an NRI brat. He's rude, spoilt and not easy to play. But he's also a challenge for any actor because there's a softer side to him and his spurts of goodness take you by surprise. He's not really bad, just messed up because of his upbringing.

Tulsi's always reprimanding Gautam. Did your mother have to crack the whip often too?
She never had to because unfortunately I was a very good boy (Laughs). Even my leaving Delhi and becoming an actor didn't come as a shock to her because it all happened so gradually and naturally.

How is the family reacting to your new-found stardom?
They were very excited initially but now it's become routine for them.

Has it become routine for you too?
Initially, I had put myself under a lot of pressure. KSBKBT is one of the biggest serials and I knew I'd be on every TV set across the country. There was little scope of making mistakes but expectations were sky-high. Even I wanted to excel but that's not easy when you're a newcomer and still struggling to grasp what the character was all about. It wasn't that I was uncomfortable in front of the camera but it was only when I did a particularly difficult shot at 2 a.m. and was rewarded by an exuberant hug from the director, that I knew I could do it. Now the character has also gelled in my mind. It's easier now.

Is the adulation also easier to handle now?
At the end of the first two weeks I could see people wondering, "Hey, where have we seen this guy before?" Now after two months of being on air, recognition is instant and appreciation evident. Even Delhi is rocking now. I'm enjoying the high but I have not let it change my lifestyle, change me.

Your schedules must be erratic, your life a see-saw. Doesn't that bother you?
Life's not routine, yes. Everyday is different. There are days when I don't sleep for 30 hours at a stretch. It's exhausting but exhilarating!

You have a sister. Is she anything like Shobha?
I wouldn't know because when she was Shobha's age I was too small. But like Ritu who plays Shobha, my sister too laughs a lot, at anything and everything.

You must be flooded with love letters and marriage proposals. Like Gautam are you also planning on tying the knot soon?
Marriage? How do you spell it? Hey, I'm still a boy. There's so much bachpana in me still. Let me grow up first!

Is Ekta Kapoor really the tyrant she's made out to be?
She's very much in control which is understandable because she's the creative brain behind KSBKBT What I like about her is her genuine enthusiasm that inspires you to do better and better.

Are the Amanat boys a threat?
Why should they be? To be frank I haven't had the time to catch up on Amanat. What's happening?

They've also taken the 20 year leap and moved into the next generation?
A hundred serials could do that and it wouldn't make me feel threatened because KSBKBT was the first to adopt the strategy effectively. They'll always come second.

Finally, what other serials are you doing besides KSBKBT?
I'm getting offers but I want to concentrate on KSBKBT What's the hurry? This serial has put me in a position where I can pick and choose. I want to give myself time to exercise that right and opportunity.

—Roshmila Bhattacharya

RITU CHAUDHURY

An economics graduate with an MBA degree, Ritu just stumbled into show business. "After my final years exams I was at a loose end and accompanied a friend for an audition," she recalls. And landing up doing a series of ads for products as diverse as Clean & Clear Moisturiser, Green Dale tea and Dabur Vatika. "I discovered that I enjoyed being in front of the camera and found myself for the first time considering acting as a career option," she informs. "I knew that even if I didn't make it as an actress I had to be a part of this oh-so-fascinating media world."

Soon after she got a job in Zee TV's sales department. Pretty and pert, it wasn't long before she caught the eye during one of Balaji's regular auditions for a family drama, Kucch Jhuki Palkain. And to Ritu's delight she was cast in the role of Neeyati, a small town girl who is married to an NRI returned boy, Vansh. "Kucch Jhuki Palkain(KJP) is the story of Neeyati and Vansh and how he, despite his initial reservations, ends up falling in love with his simple wife," Ritu says. The social will soon be aired on Sony at 2 p.m. and late in the night.

Soon after when Ritu got a call from Balaji she thought it was in connection with KJP and was surprised to hear that they wanted her to audition for another role. "I didn't have a clue about what the role was all about," Ritu swears. She was given a simple enough scene and asked to perform it as best as she could. "And then, before I knew it, I was playing Shobha in Kyonkii... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi," she laughs delightedly.

There are many who believe that she grabbed this much-coveted role for her striking similarity to Smriti Malhotra-Irani who plays Tulsi in the popular soap. "That's just a coincidence," Ritu insists, but is not unhappy about it because it put her on the road to stardom. "I feel so lucky to be a part of a serial that has been on the top of the charts for almost two years," she exults.

Ritu admits that she was a little apprehensive initially, even sceptical, about whether the audience would accept newcomers like Sumeet (who plays her brother Gautam in KSBKBT) and her along with the older characters. "My mother Tulsi, her mother-in-law Savita, my grandmother Ba are all familiar faces today, they've almost become a part of our everyday lives. Could we become as dear?" she wondered. And was reassured when even after the changeover the TRPs continued to shoot up. "The response to the 20 year jump has been very positive," she glows.

Today, Ritu has got used to being called out to by complete strangers when walking down the road. "They call me Shobha. It feels nice to be recognised as Tulsi's daughter. Smriti is one of the top actresses on TV today. Her character in KSBKBT is really strong. Now in fact, I think it's stronger than before," she asserts.

About her own role Ritu frankly admits that it's still developing. "Shobha's just growing up and has fallen in love for the first time in her life," she smiles. The only similarity she has with this shy, simple girl who's been brought up very traditionally is that Ritu too is very close to her family. "But my mother is very different from Tulsi!" she exclaims. And she has no brother. "But I do have a husband called Gautam. Gautam Seth, my college sweetheart who's very supportive of my career!" she says flashing that smile that has made the girl every man would like to take home to his mama. Only this girl has already been taken.