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Holding Her Own
Sakshi Tanwar leaves most things to chance, but her passion for acting has ensured that prime roles find her
In 1998, Sakshi Tanwar, who was preparing for the Indian Administrative Services, got an urgent call from her college friend Supriya, who hosted the music-based show Albela Sur Mela on Doordarshan. Supriya's co-anchor hadn't reported to the sets that day and she wanted Tanwar to step in. "I was free, so I went. The requirement was a good command over Hindi and the ability to memorise dialogues. Since I could manage both, I was on," recalls Tanwar, who was born in Alwar, Rajasthan, and later pursued her graduation from Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College. What she didn't realise then was that this would be the beginning of her television career.
"I was more excited about earning Rs 500 for that anchoring," she laughs.
Tanwar discovered her passion for acting while shooting for Rajdhani, a weekly show for Star Plus, in May 2000. "It was during a scene that I realised that acting is much more than just delivering dialogues. I realised it's a process which needed me to transform into another character. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted more of it. That's when I realised that I wanted to pursue acting as a profession," says Tanwar. Since then, she has been a part of several hit shows, the most notable ones being Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii on Star Plus, which ran for eight years, and Bade Acche Lagte Hain on Sony Entertainment TV, which ran for over three years. She has also hosted crime shows like Crime Patrol on Sony and Code Red on Colors TV (part of Network 18, the publishers of Forbes India), and endorses over eight brands. This year, she was also a part of Anil Kapoor's finite series, 24, aired on Colors TV and is now preparing to reunite with her former co-star Ram Kapoor for Ekta Kapoor's upcoming web series.
Tanwar also makes her Bollywood debut opposite Aamir Khan, as his onscreen wife, in Dangal. The film is a biopic on Mahavir Singh Phogat, a senior Olympics coach who taught wrestling to his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, who went on to win medals at the Commonwealth Games. "It was as unplanned as everything else in my life," says Tanwar about her film debut. "I don't think I am ambitious but I do cherish and savour what I do and what I have done."
"The beauty was that once she was briefed during the audition on what was expected from her, she got the role just like that. Even when she is not speaking on screen, her face is saying a thousand words. She has proved that you need not have a line in a scene to leave a major impact," says Nitesh Tiwari, director of Dangal.
As far as possible, Tanwar tries to work on one show at a time, taking long breaks once it is over. When she isn't working, she loves to travel and spend time with her family. "That helps me detach from the routine and do something which is not only different but also exciting. The idea is not just to grow as a professional but also as a person," she explains.
Tanwar is now itching to do more finite shows. "At a time when it is believed that television content is created largely for the masses in the country's interiors, it is relevant and important that finite shows like 24 and POW: Bandi Yuddh Ke [aired on Star Plus] are telecast along with soaps and serials," she says. Her dream role is to play Charulata (from the eponymous Satyajit Ray film), Rosy (from RK Narayan's The Guide) or chhoti bahu(from the 1962 Hindi film Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam). "I wish I was a part of at least one black and white classic of the '50s and '60s," she signs off wistfully.
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