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They lead by example
An interesting change has been happening in the television industry.Actors who were otherwise expected to play inconsequential supporting parts are today getting meaty roles to chew on. The show doesn't just ride on the lead couple or any one character it also relies heavily on its supporting cast. And in some cases, there is nothing called 'lead''everyone is important.
And so while earlier a supporting cast had nothing more than a decorative role to play, where they just had to give appropriate reactions ' shock, anger, horror, smile depending on which daily soap they inhabited, today much thought goes into making these characters alive and kicking. So you have Neena Gupta and Shilpa Tulaskar, playing hapless women of circumstances, yet women of substance in Ladies Special, Savita Prabhune as a middle class mother and as the channel puts it, the "central character" who thinks nothing beyond her eldest daughter's happiness in Pavitra Rishta, a dictator-like Ammaji played by Meghna Malik, who doesn't think twice before trampling over the lives of the women of her village and Siya's nemesis in Na Aana Is Des Meri Laado, or Lali's shrewd, tyrannical father-in-law (Sudesh Berry) who's making her life miserable with each passing episode in Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo. And last but not the least, Rasika Joshi as Tarulata, the scheming, plotting and the woman with a past in Bandini and Deven Bhojani as the endearing child-man Gattu in Baa, Bahu Aur Baby.
Rasika Joshi : Rasika Joshi is a name synonymous with Marathi theatre and television. She has also to her credit films like Malamaal Weekly and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Comedy is her forte and her sense of comic timing is impeccable as those watching Marathi television will vouch for it. Bandini, produced by Ekta Kapoor is her first daily soap. She plays the character of Tarulata, on-screen sister of Ronit Roy, who plays the village lord. "I had never done a daily soap before Bandini, so when they approached me I had my doubts if I would pull it off. But I liked my part and the story-line. Tarulata is a character with many colours. She is not just this or that. She's weird, she has pain in her life, she is crooked, mysterious and also loving. She has her reasons for behaving the way she does. She is close to human which is why I think she has been accepted by viewers.
Yes, it feels good to do meaty parts especially when they are close to reality. See I don't know if the show is riding on me but yes, I am an important part of Bandini. Whether I will play a role that requires me to be a mother to grown-up children, I don't know because I don't look at it like that. For me, it's about what the role demands of me and not what I demand of the role. An actor, to my mind, has to be prepared to do anything if he or she is convinced of it, of pulling it off. There is no middle road. Once you accept a role, you have to give it your all, only then it will touch viewers.
Am I happy playing Tarulata? Yes, because Bandini is well written. It's good writing material. When I leave in the morning for the shoot, I look forward to my work because I know it will be good, so if it's one scene or four, after pack up, it feels nice to have done something fulfilling, something worthwhile. Yes, I agree that today things are much better on television. When I switch on the TV set, I see some wonderful actors doing such great work. It's a pleasure and a hope that things are looking up for actors like me who are possibly always on a lookout for meaningful, solid roles. I think the approach to making TV shows has changed considerably. Enough thought is being given to writing parts and then executing them. And that's why you see good work happening on the small screen."
