My friends call me babyji: Ishita

Stars for a moment and then back to being little girls – meet Sparsh and Ishita, the child actors from the show, Uttaran. The girls have

Li'l stars: Ishita and Sparsh

mastered it all – stardom, striking a balance between studies and shooting, handling the media and the 'fans' as well.

When the girls arrived at Seelampur in the city recently, more than a thousand kids from the area gathered, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. They jostled for space just so that they could wave at them or shake hands with them. And while the crowd swelled, Sparsh and Ishita, kept their calm.

"I had a small role in the show, Mera Sasural and also in a movie, Red Alert. I even did a video album some time back," says Sparsh, adding, "But Uttaran made me famous." Agrees Ishita, "Though I had won two nominations in a telly awards function before Uttaran, still nobody knew me. But today, people recognise me." So, do they enjoy the attention? "I have to look good each time I step out," says Ishita. "I don't dress up at all. Yeh Ichcha ka fashion hai," chuckles Sparsh as she points to her dress and ribbons.

And the girls understand their craft well. "We know what our characters are all about," says Sparsh. Adds Ishita, "I know the exact number of shades in our characters. Also, I hope the audience appreciates my work when my character develops a negative angle."
And have more offers flowed in post-Uttaran? "Mujhe kya pata? Voh toh mummy ko pata hai. Main toh shooting se waapas aati hoon aur so jati hoon," says Sparsh. Adds Ishita, "Humara kaam hai acting karna." And in between their silly fights Sparsh says, "We're not friends, we're sisters."

And now that they're stars, has life at school changed? Sparsh and Ishita are students of Class IV and Class VI, respectively. "My friends say – Arre, meri friend toh TV pe aa gayi yaar," smiles Sparsh. Adds Ishita, "My friends jokingly say, Babyji apko kya chahiye? Aapko milk shake chahiye? And I reply, mujhe milk shake nahin, chocolate milk shake chahiye."
But being a part of a daily soap, ain't easy. "We finish our homework in between shootings. At times we do half of it at home," says Ishita. Chips in Sparsh, "It is hectic and kabhi kabhi toh school miss karna hi padta hai.