Saloni drives shaadi ki gaadi

Rajshri Thakur

On screen, she plays a dark-skinned girl struggling to overcome bias and create her own identity.

Off screen, Rajshri Thakur is propagating the same grit and determination. On the first anniversary of the Zee show Saat Phere recently, the actress promoted an initiative in support of girls who are discriminated on the basis of their skin colour.

Good cause

Giving details about the initiative, Rajshri said, "I represent this initiative that has been taken by Zee.

It's a big deal when a viewer tells me that she can relate to Saloni and her problems. I receive numerous emails from people all over the country telling me that they were victimised because of their dark skin, but after Saat Phere things have changed. Sometimes, I'm surprised how people can take a television character so seriously, but if it helps someone make their life better, why not?"

Appealing to NGOs to come forward and assist in the cause, Rajshri said, "There are thousands of girls in our country who have a problem getting married, probably due to circumstances that are beyond their control. It's a serious problem and needs to be taken up by those who are in a position to help."

On the personal front, Rajshri had a rocking Diwali. "I ate lots of sweets and traditional Maharashtrian goodies. In fact, my mom insisted that I carry a tiffin full of these goodies for the other actors on the set. I love karanjis, though I'm not too keen on making them myself."

All set to get married next year, did she get any gifts from her fianc, Sanjot Vaidya? "Yes, he got me two, very pretty dresses. Also, I took out some time to draw a Rangoli and light up the house with diyas."