I will never do a show like Swayamvar: Pooja Gor!

Pooja Gor who started off playing the role of Purvi in Kitani Mohabbat Hai and then went on to win your hearts in Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya, is now out to prove that she can excel as an anchor too. Pooja, who had earlier hosted Lakhon Mein Ek, is now anchoring Savdhan India on Life OK.

Tellychakkar.com meets up with Pooja and corners her for an exclusive interview. Excerpts:

How has it been like to anchor Savdhan India?

I am glad that I am once again doing a show which is making a difference to the society at large. After hosting Star Plus's Lakhon Mein Ek, I am doing this show with a social message. Viewers can relate to me as they have seen me as the female lead on Pratigya. Also the show has anchors like Mohnish Behl, Sushant Singh Rajput, Hiten Tejwani and Amar Upadhyay. It is therefore an honour to be a part of such a project.

Generally crime shows are anchored by men and female anchors are generally avoided. Comment?

I really don't know why they prefer men over female anchors. Our mindset, I guess, is such that men are preferred to host crime shows. Crime is after all a tough subject. Maybe, having a male anchor can be more relatable to the audiences in shows like these. However, I think I was chosen to anchor this show because I have done a show like Pratigya in which I played a character who goes to any length to fight for her rights. This gives enough mileage for me to connect well with the audience at large.

Of all the episodes of Savdhan India that you have anchored, which episode has been the closest to your heart?

Though I love being a part of this show, internally it affects me a lot. There was an episode on child abuse. It was a story about the owner of the orphanage abusing the kids and killing them after that. It affected me deeply. Simultaneously, we have been hearing cases of rape every single day including that of a five-year-old being raped recently. We have also, of late, heard of the rape of a 21-year-old who was to get married and had her scull crashed. Though anchoring cases like these affects me a lot, it is also about bringing about a change in the society.

What have you learnt from this show?

Safety is definitely one of the things that I have learnt from the show. I have learnt how to protect myself from all sorts of crimes. I have also learnt how to come out of a perilous situation. The other most important thing that I have learnt is how to come out from some unfortunate incident that happens in your life and move on.

Do you think that criminals are born or made?

I would say both. In a lot of cases criminals are made. Criminals are born in such cases that the mentality of a person is such that he doesn't respond to another person's suffering. The difference between a born and made criminal is just that of mentality.

Do you ever feel sorry for the plight the criminals went through which may have moulded them to become criminals?

In the episodes that I have hosted, I have actually felt sorry for the victim. We do not get to hear the criminals' side of the story explaining why they became criminals. I do feel sorry for the criminals at times because of whom others' lives have been impacted as well as their own.

What do you like more- acting or anchoring?

Acting is more fun since you get to play more shades. If you are playing one single character in a show in a particular time, you are getting to do different scenes every day. Even if you are doing four scenes daily, the emotion and moods of all the four will be different; there will be scenes of happiness, sadness, affection etc. Acting is fun whereas anchoring is relaxing. I work for a minimum twelve hours and maximum 24 hours while acting but when it comes to anchoring, it is comparatively less hours of work. I come at 9 am in the morning and work till may be 5 pm while anchoring Savdhan India. After that I go home and live my life.

Why did you have to wear your Pratigya costume in Lakhon Mein Ek?

That is because I was doing Pratigya at that time. I agreed being in the Pratigyacostume and character because it made it very easy for the audience to connect to me if I was seen in that avatar. The kind of anchoring in which the anchor can be himself or herself, is when they are hosting a singing or dance reality show.

Your look as the host of Savdhan India is very nice. For instance, today you are wearing a salwar suit without any heavy makeup.

I am glad that I am getting to wear nice cotton clothes because I have been shooting outside in the sun and it's been very hot.

What is the feedback that you been getting on you anchoring Savdhan India?

The feedback has been quite good. I spoke to people from Life OK and they told me that the response has been good for all anchors. They added that viewers have been easily relating to me. My relatives and friends who have been following my show and have also been liking my performance.

Have you met anyone who feels that their lives have changed after watching Savdhan India?

Even when I was doing Pratigya, I was receiving messages on Facebook, tweets and text messages that their lives have changed and that they have got stronger. They have started believing in themselves and fighting against injustice. They have started raising their voice against wrongdoings. I have done shows which have helped me to bring about a change in society. I am glad that I am contributing to society by being a part of such shows.

What kind of shows would you never anchor or act in?

I do not think that TV makes vulgar shows because it is a very restricted medium and we can't show anything indecent on TV. So, the small screen doesn't have a barrier for me. However, I will never do a show like Swayamvar.

What do you think of crime shows like Gumrah, Crime Patrol and Savdhan India- A Criminal Mind?

We have four major GECs. Each GEC has a crime-related show. All the channels are catering to different kinds of audiences, be it of the metros or the interiors. All the crime shows are great.

Which TV show do you follow regularly nowadays?

I love Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha and feel that it had a very good season one and even a better season 2. It's not the typical girl meets guy story where there is romance and then anger with the girl and guy not being on talking terms. It is a very mature love story with lots of affection, angst etc.

Kunal Karan Kapoor who essays the character of Mohan in Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha is a dear friend of mine. Whenever I meet him, I ask him to tell Aakanksha Singh, who plays Megha that I feel that she is a fabulous actress who emotes beautifully with her eyes. I feel that, at this point of time, she is the best actress on television.

I find the relationship of Beera and Nanhi to be very unconventional. It started with a Tom and Jerry kind of thing and has unfolded very well. I feel that the rapport between Rimjhim and Mohan is a lot like the relationship between the child Nanhi and Mohan. It is a cute relationship.