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Sudha Chandran may be very popular as a TV actor today, but she says it hurts when people forget her dancing skills

ROSHNI K OLIVERA

From playing Ramola Sikand, a style icon on TV, what does it feel to be playing a 70-year old in Solah Singaarr?
It was a deliberate effort on my part. The kind of roles I was being offered were similar to Kahiin Kisi Roz's Ramola Sikand. Because of my style icon image, people were deviating from the fact that I'm a good actor. Nobody tries to break their image when it's going strong. But I decided to. TV is the only medium where you can experiment. This 70-year-old character that I'm now playing is different, that of a matriarch who has seen everything, talks less... it's a strong character.
You are also doing a Tamil serial where you play a dancer?
It's called Jaiyam, which means victory. It's about a girl who belongs to a poor Brahmin family. She learns dance because she wants to make money and relieve her family of poverty.
Is this dancer's role in any way connected with your real life story?
In fact the producer-director Prabhu Nepal told me he saw my movie Nache Mayuri (this film was based on Sudha's life. Years ago Sudha met with an accident and lost a limb. But she refused to give up and continued her dancing with an artificial limb). Prabhu saw the film when he was eight-years-old and it had a lasting impression on him. He always thought if he'd make a serial he would cast me in it. So, it's a dream he has realised.
Do you think Sudha — the TV actor has caused people to forget about Sudha — the dancer?
It does hurt when some people say 'Oh, Ramola can even dance.' I'm a dancer first. Besides I got all the recognition because of the fact that I danced with an artificial limb. But anyway most people do know about my dance. Parents tell their children who may not be aware. So also, there is a school text book chapter on me.
You are also doing a daily Gujarati serial. How do you manage time for all of these?
Apart from the Gujarati show Saptapadi, I'm also doing the weekly serial Hamari Bahu Tulsi. And I'll soon be seen in an upcoming daily soap where I play a powerful role, almost like that of Dina Pathak in the film Khoobsurat. It's all about time management. It's very easy if you want to work.

On the sets, they share the same make-up room and while away all their spare time in each other's company. "Even when we have a holiday, Akansha and I hang out together," says Vaibhavi.

Last Wednesday, when there was no shoot, the girls went out and partied. "We left home at 10 and went to a spa in Juhu where we had a body massage, a haircut, a facial… The works!" says Vaibhavi, "After that we went shopping for clothes, tops and other knick-knacks." They were out for the full day returning only at 10 in the night, she added.

The girls also share similar tastes. "Like me, Akansha is also a foodie" says Vaibhavi, "that day we had jum-ke lunch in Juhu before going off to Bandra to shop." They've become so close over the past month that even when one of them is working, the other stays in touch over the phone. Next, the girls have planned a long holiday together.

Filling us in on more dope from the serial, lovely Vaibhavi said she was a passable singer but not trained. Her on screen brother, Sumer (Sachin Tyagi) is a professional. "During our lunch break or when the lights are being set up or whenever we get time we all sit together and jamao mehfils with songs. Whatever is demanded of us Sachin and I sing," said Vaibhavi, adding that she was now considering taking up classical training and raising her game one notch.

http://www.indya.com/news/star_buddies.html

TV actor Kishori Shahane recounts her tryst with the modelling world

DEEPALI DHINGRA

If there was some way to describe Kishori Shahane Vij, it could well be — Jane of all trades! The 35-year-old actor has had 15 years of acting experience behind her and has dabbled in almost every medium, be it films, theatre or television. And recently, she even turned producer with
Mohatyachi Renuka, a Marathi film which is doing well in the interiors of Maharashtra. She's also busy with producing a Hindi movie Malik Ek, based on Sai Baba's life with Jackie Shroff in the lead. So what does she find most challenging to do, theatre, films or TV? "I believe all mediums provide satisfaction in some or the other way. It's because of my theatre background that I have a strong acting base. Television gives you scope to experiment with roles and movies stay forever in people's minds," she says.
Although she's worked in serials like Ghar Ek Mandir, Koi Apna Sa, Santaan, Sindoor and Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, it's the first time that Kishori decided to experiment with an out-andout negative role in SaharaOne's Solhah Singaarr. "In fact, the makers of the serial had offered me a positive role in the serial earlier but I didn't want to do similar stuff again. That's the reason I even took a small break after Kabhi To Nazar Milao. But when they offered me the role of Triveni, I took it up," she recalls. And now, Kishori's thoroughly enjoying playing the evil vamp. "I had been apprehensive about
doing a negative role but I'm glad it's being appreciated," she adds. But considering these days, protagonists in serials are getting younger and younger, how much creative satisfaction does she find in the characters she portrays? "Till three or fours years back, when I used to be offered mother or mother-in-law roles, I would be apprehensive about doing them. But then I saw that even 20 year olds are doing these roles, so I decided to go with the flow. I'm concerned with satisfying my creative urge, after that nothing matters," she says. A little known fact about Kishori is that she had come runners up in a beauty pageant around four years back. "It was when my kid was seven years old, so I consider it quite an achievement. I saw all the bitchiness and competitiveness that happened backstage but I tried to stay above all that. I'm open to all kinds of challenges, so this was another feather in my cap," she says with a smile.