Playing Bani---New Gal Article

Even as viewers are being returned the original face of Tulsi, Smriti Irani, in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, another K-serial is seeing a change of face. Gurdeep Kohli is settling into Prachi Desai's shoes as the leading lady of Kasamh Se, Bani. To facilitate the changeover, Prachi had had an accident on her last appearance on the show which forced the character to go for a plastic surgery. The story has also seen a six-month leap.

"I have lost my memory as well. So I have no identity," shrugs Gurdeep, in Calcutta to be introduced as Bani. The city is now her screen character's home, as Bani is living with the Mitras under the assumed name of Pronita. "The director has taught me a bit of Bengali like satyi and bhalo hochchhe," she smiles.

But the challenge of matching up to Prachi Desai who made Bani so popular is a challenge that is sure to wipe the smile off any actor's lips. "I know Bani has lived half her life on TV and Prachi made her very popular. But I have carried a show on my shoulders before. So the challenge doesn't daunt me," says the girl who has successful roles in Sindoor and Sanjeevani on her CV. If she is looking even more confident, it is because she is returning to television after a break after marriage (to Sanjeevani colleague Arjun Punj).

"I am relaxed and rested. We went on a long honeymoon — to Maldives, Hong Kong and Dubai. It helped that Arjun is no longer doing television now that he has shifted to films. When Bani's role came my way I realised I could not dream of a bigger comeback."

In Kasamh Se, Gurdeep will play mother to a 21-year-old. "I know it's odd, but that's what television is," says the twentysomething. But she does not regret having missed playing Bani when the character was younger. "My career has seen a nice progression —I was a young girl in Sanjeevani, a married woman in Sinndoor and the mother of a little girl in Bhabhi."

Leap in storyline, plastic surgery, accident, amnesia, bahu being turned out of the house… has all of that not been done to death in every serial? Gurpreet faces the charge with a straight face. "Jahan bhi dekhiye, wahi ghisipiti track chal rahi hain, par log dekh rahe hain. Jab tak audience ka saath hain, hum ko koi problem nahin," she retaliates.

And it is viewer rating that she quotes in answer to the next question too. What if Prachi's Bollywood innings (with Farhan Akhtar's Rock On) doesn't work out and she wants to return, just like Smriti replaced her replacement Gautami Kapoor? "If she has to come back, I have no problems. It is her show. But one has to remember that TRPs didn't happen for Gautami. In my case, TRPs increased when I entered the show."

With a vital episode's shooting up for the next day (when Bani regains her memory and, therefore her identity, at a party), Gurdeep has no time to think negative.