Article - Jaya Bhattacharya

Once upon a time Jaya Bhattacharya was stamped as a vamp with her powerful portrayal of negative character Payal in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. But today, she has successfully shrugged off that tag with a variety of roles in serials like Karam Apna Apna, Wo Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, Thodi Si Zameen, Thoda Aasman and the newest Kasamh Se where she has replaced Ashwiini Kalsekar as Jigyaysa.

You have replaced Ashwini Kalsekar in Kasamh Se. What newness would now be seen in the character of Jigyasaa?
I have just started shooting and am still trying to understand the character. I'm not a mimic and will certainly play Jigyasaa differently by putting extra effort in developing the character.

How is the experience of working with the Kasamh Se unit comprising actors like Ram Kapoor, Prachi Desai, Roshni Chopra et al?
It's been awesome. They all are very nice people to work with. At first I was surely scared to join a new set up. But things got eased up within minutes. Ashwini (Kalsekar) and I are also good friends. It was an amicable thing, a decision which was taken by the production house. I haven't got any single bad comment from my new gang of co-actors.

How different would be the look of Jigyasaa from the earlier one?
It would more or less be the same look. It all happened very rapidly and I didn't have any time and energy to think about it. But I would certainly see what efforts and inputs I could put into the character of Jigyaasa.

You are doing the dailies, Wo Rehne Vaali Mehlon Ki, Karam Apna Apna and Kasamh Se. In addition to this, you are also seen in a one-hour weekly Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Asmaan. How do you manage your time?
That's the one-million dollar question. It's not new to me. There was a time when I was doing two dailies along with two weeklies. With time, you as an actor learn to manage your time.

What do you enjoy more? Playing a character which is your age like in Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Asmaan or the motherly characters?
It is not about enjoying more. I can be more like myself in Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Asmaan. I am very natural while playing this character. In Karam Apna Apna I am playing the character of a normal socialite, while in Kasamh Se I would be playing a negative role. You can see that all the three characters have different shades. And that's the challenge I enjoy the most.

We have heard that you are very fond of animals!
I just love them. My cat just wants to stick to me. He even follows me to the bathroom. Apart from the cat, I have four German Shephards, who are also a part of my family. They are all very dear to me. I hope I could have given them some more time. I sometimes feel guilty due to that.

Dance shows are the in thing. Will we ever be seeing Jaya displaying her dancing skills in a reality show?
I don't think so. I have learned Kathak, but I am not the one who can do the kamar latkao kind of dances. I dance for my own joy. I don't believe in dancing for others.

You have done a lot of movies too. Are you working on any movie at present?
Not at the moment.