Gunning for glory, starlet turns to soaps

May 21, 2004

Gunning for glory, starlet turns to soaps
Somashukla Sinha Walunjkar

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Nandini Singh, 21, last season's debutante in Bollywood, tried to carve a niche for herself under the Bollywood sun with Subhash Ghai's eminently forgettable Ek Aur Ek Gyarah without much success. Her co-actor Govinda, of course, has since defeated veteran politician Ram Naik to become North Mumbai's MP. Life can be tough for a young actress without a mentor. Fortunately for Nandini, Ekta Kapoor's soap factory was looking for a new face for Kesar, an afternoon daily, airing on Star Plus.

The one-time flight attendant with Jet Airways has also done Jagjit Singh's Tum Hamare Nahin video, besides Abhijeet's Raat Mein Khwab Mein and Aryans' Dekha Hai. Now, she is gunning for small screen glory as the too-good-to-be-true Kesar. "It's not a character I entirely identify with. There are some traits that we share: We both are homebodies and have strong Indian values. And yes, I'd probably to marry the man my family approved of. Only I don't wear the kind of outfits she's comfortable in, that is make-belief," says Singh.

Getting used to 14-hour days wasn't easy for Singh. "I wasn't used to shooting on Sundays and dropping home bone tired. Television is a fascinating medium and the shift to TV was okay for me. I've been getting offers to do glam roles in films that somehow didn't appeal to me. So I decided to do television instead. Getting to do a soap like Kesar is bound to get me noticed," she says.

Unlike many of her counterparts on the small screen who seldom have time to watch TV, Nandini makes sure she catches up with Kahin To Hoga and Kasautii Zindagi Kay . "I have to know about what's happening on various channels, so I do surf a bit. After work I have very little time, but I do catch up on my sleep."

SWITCHING CHANNELS
Big screen rejects who've ended up as TV superstars:

Apoorva Agnihotri: From the second lead in Pardes to the male lead in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin (Sony)

Shama Sikander: After a not-so-happening debut in films Mumbai girl Shama says Ye Meri Life Hai (Sony).

Nandini: Last seen shaking a leg with Govinda in Ek Aur Ek Gyarah. Today she has turned demure for Balaji's Kesar.

so that is her story.well she has luck.otherwise she won't be success in this character.she is really lucky.