Meet Kituu, Sahara One's new primetime gi

Meet Kituu, Sahara One's new primetime girl

Chaya Unnikrishnan
Posted online: Friday, November 11, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

After the thriller Kohinoor which was launched with a big hype, Sahara One is all set to unleash another soap, this time about an average-looking middle-class girl who dreams big. Slated as a contemporary soap, it places the protagonist in the fast-paced world of television, for the first time. Ami Trivedi, who plays the title role in Kituu Sabb Jaanti Hai, feels it is tailor-made for her ...

Dressed in beige capris and a printed blue Tee, Ami looks like any other girl fresh out of college. She may not exactly make heads turn, but the fair and pretty damsel manages to catch your eye alright. It's her smile that captivates. And that is precisely what the makers of Kituu Sabb Jaanti Hai are hoping to cash upon.

Katyaini or Kituu as she is fondly called by everyone in Chandni Chowk is supposed to be a Miss know-all. She will solve others' problems chutki mein but when it comes to her own life, she falters. She is her father's favourite child and the leader of her little gang in the mohalla. Mind you, the gang is made up of boys. Talkative and mischievous on one hand, emotional and sensitive on the other, Kituu is a much-loved, pampered brat till circumstances force her to transform from a carefree girl to a responsible adult.

Though only a few episodes have been shot, Ami has already started living the character of Kituu. "That's because Kituu is very much like me. She has all the traits that I have," smiles Ami. Like Kituu, Ami is the apple of her father's eye (she has a brother Karan), is friendly by nature, and like the character, is at the crossroads of her life, having graduated a couple of years ago from Jai Hind College. Most importantly, like Kituu, Ami also loves breaking rules. "Not the ones that cause harm but I end up doing things that are not always approved by my father," sighs Ami.

For instance, her decision to take up acting as a profession was met with stiff resistance by dad Tushar Trivedi even though he himself is associated with theatre. "Like all Gujarati fathers, he wanted me to complete my education and get married," she laughs. Ironically, it was because of her father only that Ami had landed up as a child artiste on stage. By the time, she was in her teens, the acting bug had bitten her and she was determined to be an actress. Equally determined to help her daughter's dream come true was her progressive mother who encouraged her to follow her heart.

And so Ami who had already faced the camera as a child in serials like Zee Horror Show, Humrahi, a couple of Gujarati telefilms and one Didi directed by Prakash Jha in Hindi, was more than happy to pick up from where she had left off, after finishing her education.

When she ventured into television as a teenager, Ami landed with roles in Babul Ki Duayen Leti Ja and recently in Kumkum - Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan. "I played Vrinda in Kumkum but my track did not develop as promised and the producer and I decided to part amicably. However, I am fond of my role in Babul ... where I played a major character, though not as one of the girls. It was a completely different track in a hostel," recalls the actress. The role fulfilled her desire to lead a life in a hostel!

When she heard about a new serial, Ami like any other aspirant, auditioned for the role of Kituu and was chosen among 40-45 girls. Says producer Manish Goswami, "Ami suited the role to 'T' as far as the look and performance is concerned. She has a theatre background which makes her a disciplined artiste." This will be the first serial from Siddhant Cinevision to be aired on Sahara One and Manish has a lot of expectations. "It's a serial every girl aged between 17-25 will easily relate to," he states.

Set in North-India, Kituu is dressed in two plaits, a collared kurta with 3/4th sleeves and loose pyjamas. The retro look, however, will last only as long as she is in Delhi. Once she comes to amchi Mumbai and finds her true calling as a reporter in a channel, Kituu will be transformed into a contemporary, hep woman sporting latest jeans, skirts, chudidars and suits. But more than the look, it's the profession that has Ami's ardenalin rushing. She can't wait to be a journalist on the small-screen. "I like Barkha Dutt and she will definitely be my inspiration for the role," she gushes.

Kituu Sabb Jaanti Hai will be aired from November 14, Monday-Thursday at 9.30 pm.