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Acting runs in my family, my blood. I don't believe you can learn acting," says to the foremost 'saas' of Indian television Apara Mehta. A tete-e-tete with loving and at times difficult to get along mother-in-law of Kyunki...who's set to storm Bollywood with her acting prowess and screen presence!
How did you get to play India's best-known saas in Kyunki…?
Mihir's death in Kyunki… was a highly emotional drama which you played very convincingly. How did you manage?
Why do you think that this serial Kyunki… was a hit from day one?
How is it working with Ekta? How's the atmosphere at the sets of Kyunki? How's the serial shaping up for the future?
What are your current & forthcoming projects?
How was it working with Madhuri, Shahrukh & Ash in Devdas?
While on the subject of your film projects, what made you choose the role in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke?
That role in Chori Chori… came to me much before I was offered to play Mihir's mother in Kyunki. According to me, it was a great scene that changes the entire story. As an actress, I feel I did a great job. Even my colleagues from the theatre liked my performance, but the general audience rejected me as I was playing a 'call girl' in the movie.
How was the experience, meeting Amitabh on the sets of KBC?
How did you get into acting?
Since my mother Mandakini Mehta was an actress in Gujarati theatre, people always took for granted that I would act. After my first play - a Gujarati comedy in 1980, I realized that this is where I belonged. Ever since, there's been no looking back. Till date, I've done almost 42 plays in Gujarati.
At present I'm working for a play called 'Adhura Toy Madhura', of which we'll be performing 250 shows in the coming eight months. I'll be working for 20-22 hours daily, as I'm so passionate about my work, I'll be able to manage. I've promised to myself, that I'll always remain active on stage, as that's been my training ground.
In fact working in theatre, I met my husband Darshan Jariwala who's a known artist of English and Gujarati theatre.
How did you get to play India's best-known saas in Kyunki…?
From theatre I moved to small screen with my first tele-serial 'Ek Mahal…'
With Ek Mahal… I thought I had reached the top as far as popularity was concerned. After watching me in this serial, Shobha Kapoor contacted me for Balaji Telefilms' Kyunki…
Success of Kyunki… has created history. "I've been twice lucky, somebody up there really loves me." She gushes.
With this serial I've been noticed by everybody, from the common man to who's who of the film industry. And with the result, I've landed plum roles in films with big banners like Priyadarshan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali!
Mihir's death in Kyunki… was a highly emotional drama which you played very convincingly. How did you manage?
Every actor while enacting a scene draws from his or her own experiences. The scene of Mihir's death required me to emote the pain and sufferings that a mother undergoes on losing her son.
Whenever there's any dramatic change in any of my serials like this one, I always discuss it with the writers to understand the screenplay and study the graph of my role. In this particular scene the graph illustrates - rejection, acceptance and pain in this order, which I've tried to portray on screen as well. In fact my theatre experience has really helped me in bringing out the emotions and creating the impact.
Why do you think that this serial Kyunki… was a hit from day one?
Ekta had said, that our serial was to go on air with Mr Bachchan's KBC last year. We had all worked accordingly. I guess it was the combination of the right people at the right time, besides good promos and coverage that the serial got.
Due credit should be given to the script for sketching situations, circumstances and characters that people could easily identify with. Many incidents in Kyunki… have touched people's heart.
Like when I try to get my widowed daughter-in-law Tulsi re-married. Even to Mihir's death people reacted so emotionally. They would call me and tell how they had lost their sons and ask me to have faith. When Mihir comes back in the serial, people actually called to say, "Your Mihir has come back. Mine has not, still."
How is it working with Ekta? How's the atmosphere at the sets of Kyunki? How's the serial shaping up for the future?
Oh, Ekta is an amazing girl. If my daughter at Ekta's age achieves even point five percent of what she has achieved, I'll be the most proud mother. The atmosphere at the sets of Kyunki is hilarious, and very comfortable. It's been one year now and we've become such good friends, all of us working in the serial. And, the chemistry shows on screen. Tulsi (Smriti Malhotra) and I have become very close; Daksha (Ketki Dave ) is also from theatre and we've known each other for donkey's years.
In the future, some dramatic changes will take place in the serial. I'll turn a little negative, and some major things will happen between Mihir and Tulsi. More than that, I can't tell you anything now.
What are your current & forthcoming projects?
Ek Mahal, Alpaviram and Chandan Ka are my other running serials. I'm doing Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas, and Priyadarshans's Yeh Tera Ghar…
It's a very very glamorous role that I'm doing in Devdas, and am damn excited about it.
I'm wearing jewellery that weighs over 10 kilos and my sarees are designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. I play Madhuri's badi aapa who teaches her dance and music. My training in kathak dance and classical music from Asha Joglekar and Ghulam Mustafa Khan saheb respectively, has helped me do complete justice to my role.
How was it working with Madhuri, Shahrukh & Ash in Devdas?
Madhuri was very nice to work with. After seeing her, I realized that I should learn to be as professional as she is. Shahrukh was also very nice; he gave me a lot of respect. They both told me that they watch my serial Kyunki… However, I didn't get to work with Ash because she is in the other half of the film.
While on the subject of your film projects, what made you choose the role in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke?
That role in Chori Chori… came to me much before I was offered to play Mihir's mother in Kyunki. According to me, it was a great scene that changes the entire story. As an actress, I feel I did a great job. Even my colleagues from the theatre liked my performance, but the general audience rejected me as I was playing a 'call girl' in the movie.
But, as an actress I do not want to limit my range of acting. I like doing roles with negative shades because they are very powerful. At the same time, I enjoy doing comedy.
How was the experience, meeting Amitabh on the sets of KBC?
This July our serial Kyunki completed it's first anniversary. To celebrate the occasion entire Virani family from Kyunki… was present on the sets KBC; Mihir and Tulsi were on the hot seat opposite Amitabh Bachchan.
On the sets of KBC we were behaving like wide-eyed kids, keen to meet Mr Bachchan. I think Mr Bachchan is so awesome, it compels you to get up in respect when he enters the room. He has magnetism and knows exactly how to use it. He is down to earth, and very respectful.
He said that we were all good actors. My meeting Mr Bachchan, was a moment that I'll cherish all my life. And someday, if given a chance, I would love to act with him.
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