Such awards shld not go 2 Abhi..-Jaya

Why is Jaya Bhattacharya commenting on Abhishek Bachchan? BT corners her

ANJALI SINGH JAISWAL

It doesn't take much to guess what got Jaya Bhattacharya, a popular TV actor, the role of the vitriolic vamp Payal, in Star Plus' Kyunki Sans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Her sassy demeanour and snippy comments in real life, about all and sundry, definitely tailor make this young and talented lady fit the bill of the trouble-maker Payal was meant to be.
And if you need proof, here's one of her smart alec observations given to a news channel on Abhishek Bachchan getting Uttar Pradesh's prestigious Yash Bharti, "Unko diya gaya hai to accha hai lekin abhi Abhishek ko bahut aage jaana hai. Such awards should not go to his head!" quips the lady. And this when her only claim to fame compared to AB's baby, besides playing the vamp on a tele soap, is an itsy bitsy role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas! But she's not one to be discouraged, even if her Bollywood dreams bombed, for she announces with aplomb, "So what if I have not appeared in any movie or role since Devdas? No one's approached me and neither did I go asking for work!" she drawls.
Understandable as that is, she goes on to explain the kind of roles she would like to do, "Something which requires me to use my grey matter yaar, and a role which is different from what everyone else is doing." Would she define 'different' please? Pat comes the reply, "Something that will set me apart, you know. As an actor you give it your 100 per cent and if it's not done well, you get kicked," avers the saucy actor.
So does that mean playing Payal again would interest her perhaps? "Why not? I did a bloody good job and people remember me for it, so it's not the end of the road for me any way," is the reply. Hardly feeling left out even though her contemporaries are being roped in on reality shows and dance contests Jaya maintains, "Frankly, the initial shows were far better than the sequels. I don't think I would want to be a part of such shows any way, where there is nothing new happening."
So what's her advice to young wannabes headed to the film industry? "I get many requests from youngsters asking me to get them a job. But no one seems to understand that if I could get someone a job, I would get one for myself too. If they think that Mumbai is a cake walk, they'd better sit at home and not take the trouble to go there at all. Upcoming actors should set a time frame for themselves. If they don't get anywhere within that time, they should move on in life and do something else."