TOI: 'Imarti Devi' is a professor in NSID

In her latest avatar as an evil but chatpati saas on the small screen, Hema Singh, feels that her character actually brings in the age old humour through her satirical comments on bahus.

"We did extensive research to select appropriate language for the serial and zeroed in on a mix of Awadhi dialect because of the sweetness of the language," says the actress, who is also a professor of speech and acting in National School of Drama, Delhi. "I have taken special two-year leave from work to work on this project," she informs further.

In fact, Hema's knowledge of the Awadhi culture stems somewhat from her Lucknow connection. "I was born in Lucknow and we used to live in the Model House area of old city. My father was the renowned Hindi poet, Raghuvir Sahay, and so, I am quite attuned to the cultural aspect of the city," she tells us. So, did she notice any change in the city. "Oh yes! I saw all these parks, which resemble stupas, wide roads... the city has become so beautiful. Even the people have become more aware of things around them."