Apara Mehta's phone has not stopped ringing since her character Savita Vi rani's death on Kyunki… Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. And the calls are not just from people who want to tell her that she will be missed on the show but also from TV and film producers who want to sign her up.
One such project Mehta is exptremely happy about is Mani Ratnam's next film, Guru, starring Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan and Vidya Balan. "I play Aishwarya's mother in the film," says the actress. "Mani Ratnam sent a message through his assistant asking whether I would do a substantial cameo in his film after playing parallel leads in big soaps. As they were willing to adjust the dates, I couldn't refuse." Mehta has earlier had small roles in films like Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and Devdas. But this time, she says, her role is more than a "bit".
On the TV front, she is currently seen in Zee's Saat Phere. "I play Kuki Kaki, a Marwari who comes from abroad and takes an instant dislike to the dark-skinned Saloni. Although Saloni and Kuki start off on a bad note, Kuki ends up supporting the girl at an unexpected turn," she says.
Recently, there were rumours that all was not well between her and Smriti Iraani, who is said to have got her out of Kyunki…. But Mehta smiles diplomatically as she says "Nothing of that sort. We are on good terms."
Arjun
