With God on her side

One of Bollywood's most enduring character-actresses, Aroona Irani has taken on the role of TV producer with successful gusto. "Kya karoon?" she groans in her characteristically stoic way. "The roles in movies have dried up. There are no moms in Hindi films any longer! All the artistes from my generation are sitting idle at home. So I'm just happy making serials and casting myself in a plum role in them. In my new soap, Vaidehi, I've a very nice role. I've decided to do a role in my own serial, but only when it's worth doing. Otherwise, I've decided to work in serials outside my production house. Films mein to kuchh raha nahin. So far I was doing any roles that required me in my serials. No more of that. Now I'll only be seen on television in good roles."

About the other successful TV tycoon Ekta Kapoor. "Ekta Kapoor is Ekta Kapoor. She's doing really good work. I'm working hard. Vaidehi is my sixth serial. Whether it's Ekta or me, we have to give viewers what they want. We can only serve the food that our guests want. What's the point of cooking rice in kesar when the invitees don't want it? I cannot waste my time, effort and money."

The previous soap, Rabba Ishq Na Hove, came a cropper on Zee. "Hota hai. Everyone, no matter how successful, goes through a bout of non-success. Even Raj Kapoor and Yash Chopra have given flops. I'm sure even David Lean had his lean phase. Success ratios have their way of finding their level. But I was very happy with Rabba Ishq Na Hove. Everyone liked it. But I was disappointed. Ek baar when you taste a spicy pickle you want it to spice up your life constantly."

In Vaidehi, Aroona has moved away from her favourite actress, Sangeeta Ghosh. The producer-director explains, "Sangeeta is doing other shows. When Rabba Ishq Na Hove didn't catch on Sangeeta got into another serial. By the time the protagonist in Vaidehi began to concretise I needed an ordinary working-class girl who could look like she belongs in a chawl. That's how my heroine Pallavi Kulkarni looks…bahut masoom, one of the crowd."

Aroona promises a different experience in Vaidehi. "It's about a girl who spurns marriage to a rich man and how he finally brings her around. After marriage she encounters a weird problem in her sasural. I'm sure every woman in the audience will identify with Vaidehi's predicament. And why just women? Why do we restrict our soaps to the female gender? Vaidehi will grip male audiences, too. Like all my serials, Vaidehi is totally different from what I've done so far. But, again, I go into the territory of pyaar, mohabbat and passion. Pyaar bina kya hai life mein? It needn't be the love of a husband or boyfriend. There are so many kinds of love in this universe. Love needn't be about a man and woman alone."

Vaidehi replaces Jassi on Sony Entertainment Monday night. Isn't Aroona scared of audiences comparing her show with the earlier one? "I've never shied away from competition. My first show on Star Plus was the super-successful Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand. And that replaced Kaun Banega Crorepati. God has to be on one's side. I believe Rabba Ishq No Hove didn't work because God wasn't on our side. It started last year on July 26, when Mumbai was swept away by the rains. We had to re-telecast the first episode because of the downpour. The soap went downhill from there. Call it bad luck, call it anything." She's optimistic now. "Vaidehi is my only baby right now. I've no movies on hand. People think I'm not working. And the directors in Bollywood don't have any roles for me. Hum TV par kerenge na, achchhe roles."