Moonlight sonata

Moonlight sonata

Shweta Teotia meets TV stars who straddle soap operas and soap factories with equal ease

KUNIKA LAL (ketaki of k street pali hill)

Actress/ SPA owner

Kunika has no qualms about accepting that television actors have a short shelf life. "I don't think I will get quality roles after a point. Soon, I may even have to compromise on my fees," she says. "I had to think of something I could rely on for life so I decided to set up a spa."

That's Exhale, her state-of-the-art spa. "Exhale is my baby. I have been involved with it from day one… right from designing the place to choosing the products," she says. "I manage the place." Setting up the spa included a lot of research work. So Kunika made sure she got the right diplomas and attended relevant workshops. Inaugurated about three months ago, the place is picking up now. Kunika feels it will take another year for it to establish itself completely. "The response has been good," she says. Her clientele includes famous friends. However, she adds: "It is not just a place for the rich and famous." How does she manage to find time for both professions? "How can time be a constraint when you are fuelled by passion?" she says.


ANUJ SAXENA (Abhay of Kkusum)

Actor/ Pharmaceutical company owner

A doctor by qualification, an actor by choice and a businessman by profession, Anuj Saxena comes across as a multi-faceted personality. It isn't easy to run a pharmaceutical company if you play the lead in a daily soap (like Kkusum earlier, and now Kumkum) but Saxena manages it pretty well. Besides meeting his acting commitments, this high-flying director of Elder Pharmaceuticals (the makers of Tiger Balm) needs to travel across the world constantly. With schedules tight enough to give anyone a headache, one can only wonder which balm keeps it at bay!


RONIT ROY (Mr Bajaj of Kasautii zindagi kay)

Actor/ Security agency owner

Who didn't want to be in his shoes when he made it to Aamir Khan's wedding guest list? But it wasn't only his acting skills that got him there. It was his security agency, Ace Security and Protections, which was handling the security at Khan's much talked-about marriage, that pushed him into the A-list.

Roy admits that when one have to live two lives, one reel and the other real, time is always a constraint. "I do have staff to take care of the business for me, as it is impossible to be there all the time. But I take all important decisions myself," he says.

Roy's company has handled security for films like Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Yaadein, Na Tum Jano Na Hum, Saathiya and Armaan. He adds: "All my boys are trained in martial arts and other security techniques. Besides, they have been trained to deal with stars and sticky situations."


ACHINT KAUR (pallavi of kahani ghar ghar ki)

Actress/ Salon owner

Laidback and lazy, Achint Kaur says that she has found her true calling in managing her salon, Beyond the Fringe. She says: "I like being an actress but I am not addicted to it. I don't think I can be an actress forever. So when I got a chance to be part of this enterprise I grabbed it." Kaur was a client of the salon for almost a decade before she became its co-owner. "Skin, hair and make-up always interested me. So I thought why not take a plunge!" she says.

However, she is not creatively involved in the running of the salon. But Kaur is not complaining. "We are a professionally-run enterprise," she explains. "I don't have any expertise in the business, so I prefer to restrict myself to the financial side of the enterprise." With the Internet, and her cellphone by her side, Kaur says: "I manage the place pretty smoothly."

Kunika Lal

Anuj Saxena

Ronit Roy

Achint Kaur

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