POSITIVE ENERGY

POSITIVE ENERGY

The twenty-something brown- eyed lass from Chandigarh is a bunch of fun and positive energy. Positive in her thinking, Kulraj Randhawa made the trip to pursue her career in acting, and good for her for she's making it big with very first serial, Kareena Kareena on Zee TV. I met her at the office of Zee Telefilms at Worli for a mini interview, and took a major liking to her.

Let's begin with your school and college days?
I did my schooling at the Army Public school, Simla where I was a boarder and was free to do what I wanted. I became very independent while there and learnt a lot. I am a sports lover. I was also a squash player at the state level. I also love soccer and any outdoor game. I love driving and am a total car freak besides also being a very good horse rider. Basically I feel I have led a very tomboyish life and really like to enjoy life.

What did you do after school?
After my school I went to Bangalore where I did my Bachelor's in Business Management from Bangalore University. I then decided to do a course in acting under Kishore Namit Kapoor. He requested me to come over to Mumbai and take acting seriously. So I came to Mumbai, completed the acting course and then started looking for acting offers.

Did you have any acting experience while in school and college?
While at school and college I used to do ramp walking and also anchor shows.

How many of you in the family?
We're a small family. I have one elder sister, my mum and dad. My father is an army man.

Was it easy getting permission from your parents to come to Mumbai?
Well, when I told my parents that I wanted to come to Mumbai they were a little bit jittery, but then since my dad was in the army and we were always shifting, I always managed to adjust and hence they knew it would not be such a big problem for me.

How did you bag the role of Kareena Kareena?
After I did the course there were offers coming in but I did not take up anything and everything that came my way. I wanted to choose something that I liked. Kareena Kareena was really very nice and I liked it very much. I was basically interested in the script, which was really very interesting, funny and exciting. It has a climax and then an anti-climax angle too. As a newcomer I knew this was one serial where I could carve a niche for myself.

What according to you is the USP of the serial?
Well I think it is the chirpy feel, it's freshness and humour that makes it stand out. The situations in the serial are very simple and can happen to any person. Even in the serial it is not played up at all, and rather it's given a very straightforward approach rather than a serialized setting. It's something that could happen to any girl my age. It's a very natural story. It's a situational comedy.

Did you always want to be an actress?
No, it was by chance. Well, in the beginning I thought no, I won't take a chance, but when I started looking at myself and thinking and started getting offers I took a chance.

Are you looking at films in the near future?
Well, my mind is always open to it, but now it's this serial Kareena Kareena that I want to concentrate on. Later on I'll look at other offers and serials. At the moment I'm working on only this serial and have no other projects on hand or lined up for me.

What according to you makes you stand out among other actresses?
I think the only thing would be, my natural approach to acting. An actress should have here own acting style. I'd like to give variety to the character, add spice to my acting, basically do anything to improvise my acting and change it from being very stereotyped. I like to do something positive and good, than doing just any negative type of role.

How do you identify with the character?
I identify with Kareena very much, because though she goes through a lot of struggles, she still manages to stay cool and calm. The character is a family favourite while the serial is an entertainer for every family member, for it has something in it for everyone.

Isn't the storyline similar to your personal story? Did you contribute in any way to it?
No, it is sheer coincidence. The script was written way back before I could even see it and there was nothing connected at all. It's all about a story about the girl who comes to Mumbai. Kareena's parents give her two months to make a name for herself, but with two days to go nothing has worked, until she sees an ad for a job as a secretary. However, the job is for a traditional Indian married woman. Kareena goes for the interview dressed as a married woman with sindoor and mangalsutra and gets the job. However, she meets her friend Tanu who's supposed to join as a RJ at a radio station. Tanu has to rush back to Chandigarh as her boyfriend is going to get married to someone else. Kareena fills in and the fun starts.

You play two characters in the serial, a secretary and an RJ. Which do you like the most?
Well, in real life I'd love to be an RJ, but in the serial I love playing both. This shows the talent that I have and how I can fit in any role I try.

'Life mein twist hai' says the tagline of the serial. Do you feel so?
Yes, definitely. The tagline refers to different situations people face and how they can handle it. Either people will laugh at it, or laugh at you. There has to be a twist to life's ups and downs, for without it, there's no fun.

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