Article--Jyoti actress abused

One of NDTV Imagine's top rated shows, Jyoti, will soon have Sneha Wagh aka Jyoti, rising up against domestic abuse. And the situation could be uncomfortably close to real life since Wagh herself has gone through a turbulent marriage and divorce.

A source close to the actor says, "She was married off young and her husband not only abused her verbally but physically too. After a few months, he would hit her at the slightest pretext almost every day. She had bruises all over her and after a couple of years, finally decided to call off the marriage."

Wagh doesn't deny the story but refused to divulge too many details: "I've had a dark past and I've worked hard to get over it," she says quietly. "I've put it all behind me now and don't want to dig out any skeletons. I'm focused on making it big as an actor."

Meanwhile, in the serial, Jyoti, the track is building up towards a climax. Wagh doesn't need to research the subject since experience has taught her all there is to know about abuse, the hard way. "I've seen some friends and a few women in my family also go through the same pattern. The degrees of abuse may have been differed but it was still traumatizing. The wounds heal over a period of time but the scars go with you to the grave," she sighs.

She says that the best way to deal with it is to try and keep conversation even and the tone conciliatory. There's no issue that can't be sorted out across the table over coffee," she points out. "I've never hit anyone and it hurts me to see someone being beaten. It should never taken lying down," beJyoti revolves around a middle class girl who works hard to make ends meet. Now, she is married and saddled with the problems of two households instead of one. Wagh has no idea which direction the serial is headed towards. "The basic plot is still the same, the only twist is that now, post-mar riage, Jyoti's attention is divided and sometimes, she ends up being a little biased towards her maike," she reasons.

Over the last year, the show has become quite popular and Wagh has come to be recognized as Jyoti even off the sets. Doesn't that make her apprehensive? "It's a dream to have people address you by your character's name. Tulsi, Parvati and Prerna were phenomenas in themselves.
There is no threat of being typecast. Just take a look at Smriti (Irani), Saakshi (Tanwar) and Shweta (Tiwari), they have all moved on to doing different things," she argues.

Wagh is a trained dancer.
When asked why she hasn't done any reality show yet, she laughs, "This show doesn't permit me to do anything more. There is hardly time for the family. Another full-time or part-time show will mean sacrificing even the two-three days that I get off. I'm a visharad in Bharat Natyam and given a chance, I could win a dance contest. But for now, that will have to wait."