Most television actresses shy away from donning the clothes and greasepaint required to play characters older than themselves. Yet, ten and twenty year leaps in storylines are a common phenomena on today's soaps, leaving even relatively young stars with little choice than to suddenly play moms to 20-something kids. How do they face the challenge? Reena Thapar Kapoor talked to some 'generation-leapers'…
Shilpa Saklani
Here is a different scenario. This 25-year-old actress (at least that's how old she says she is) plays mom to a girl who is probably older than her in real life. But this doesn't deter Saklani from wanting to prove her mettle as an actor. "Kkusum has aged…but it certainly doesn't show. I'm not comfortable using whiteners and glasses. A lot can be explained with the kind of clothes you wear for a particular character." Huh? So long as she is convincing, we're happy.
Sakshi Tanwar
She is the paradigm of perfection, Parvati on Kahanii Ghar Ghar Kii. "I think a complete actor is somebody who doesn't hesitate to play any role. Playing a mother to anyone comes very naturally to a woman. It makes no difference to me if I'm playing a mother to a 2 year old or a 20 year old. At the end of the day it's your performance that counts," she says. As to how she prepares herself for the role of an older character, says Sakshi: "Expressions are the best make-up for an actor."
Narayani Shastri
Narayani first refused to play an old woman in Piya Ka Ghar when the storyline took a time leap. But the producers convinced her to appear in a double role as the daughter of her own character, Rimjhim. "We are young people. Playing older characters affects us professionally. We get typecast and getting younger roles becomes dificult," says Shastri. But she fought her fears and now does the old woman's role...even uses special make-up to look like a 50-year-old.
Niki Aneja Walia
Dr. Simran of Astitva has lived through ten times more pain and trauma than one expects a normal human being to face in everyday life. She's aged some with time but for the most part looks as fresh as a daisy on the show. "I have no issues about looking old on screen. I just need a few minutes before facing the camera to prepare myself for the character I'm playing," says Niki. The actress did try using glasses and different hairdos to look old in Astitva, "but the audience wants to see their favourite stars in the same get-up. So long as they are okay with it, it isn't a problem with me," she says.
Anupamaa
Jhanak
Ufff Yeh Love Hai Mushkil
