Article: Gripping the city

Gripping the city

E ssaying the title role in Heena', a popular television serial, earned Simone Singh wide recognition. She has acted in many Hindi films too. Having been acclaimed for her role in the film Being Cyrus', she has moved back to the small screen after a gap of nine years. She is playing the role of a powerful businesswoman and mother named Sakshi in a thriller drama Ek Hasina Thi', which went on air this month. Excerpts from an interview...

You are making a comeback after a long period.

Yes, I took a break to maintain the balance in my personal life. When televisions serials became daily soap operas one had to shoot all the 30 days in a month, so it became very difficult to allocate time for family and self. Now the scenario has changed, it has become organised.

Describe the character Sakshi enacted by you in the serial Ek Hasina Thi'.

I am playing the role of a Kolkata-based businessperson Sakshi and a doting mother who always stands by her son through thick and thin. So there is a negative shade in the character portrayed by me.

The location of most of the television serial stories is Mumbai or Gujarat. In this serial Kolkata is the location. Any specific reason?

Actually the script has been written keeping Kolkata in mind. The series depicts the culture and tradition of Kolkata. And also this is not the first time that a serial has Kolkata as the background.

With the story being located in a different city, will the viewers get to watch a different plot too?

Yes, it has a different plot from most of the shows of today. It is the story of a woman named Durga, seeking justice for a crime committed in the past. She steps out of the limitations imposed by traditions and uses her own reason to conquer the mighty. This is also the story of her clash with Sakshi, enacted by me.

Having acted in serials and films, how do you select the script?

The story has to be convincing with a well written character. Also the director and the team making the film are important.

AVINASH PRABHAKAR

Ps: This posted eariler sorry