Kokilaben from Saath Nibhaana Saathiya is what most of us know actor Rupal Patel as. However, in real life, Rupal is nothing like the strict Koki; she is jovial and enjoys a good conversation.Ask Rupal if she identifies with Kokila in anyway and she smiles,"I believe a person should be modern in their thoughts and stand up for what is right. In that sense I identify with Kokila. However, in real life I'm always smiling and I avoid heavy jewellery, unlike my character." Not many know that like Rupal, her husband too is a television actor. She reveals, "My husband Radhakrishna Dutt plays Brahma inDevon Ka Dev... Mahadev. He is also part of the award-winning show Jamuniya on DD." While her show had been ruling the charts for the past three years, it has recently seen a dip in TRPs. The actress admits that this has not left her unaffected. "I was hurt when I got to know the TRPs have gone down. I feel the directors and writers should bring a strong track. The characters are the same; it's the track that the audience has rejected" she states.
Kokila and her daughter-in-law Gopi (played by Giaa Manek) continue to be very popular characters. Rupal was known to share a great bond with Giaa and the actress admits that initially she had some problems with Devoleena Bhattacharjee, who replaced Giaa on the show. Rupal reveals, " I had been working with Giaa for a long time and had an emotional bond with her. Even without rehearsing, Giaa would understand at what point I might raise the pitch of my voice, or touch her. When Devoleena entered the show, it was tough adjusting with her and I'm sure she too had problems adjusting to my style of working. I am still in touch with Giaa and feel that though she was the main lead in our show, she was still humble." While the show takes up most of the actress' time, she still makes it a point to take some time off for her first love ' theatre.
"My husband and I train children in theatre and bear all the costs ourselves. We stage plays at old age homes and orphanages," she says.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
