KULVADDHU: Concept and Articles - Page 2

' I love to wear Minis!'

What's so special about Kulvaddhu?
The most special thing is that is that I will be doing a show on Sony after a gap of five years. I had done Heena on Sony. But there is nothing really special about my character, Samyukta, in Kulvaddhu. I have done similar roles before.

How is it working in Doli Saja Ke?
I haven't started shooting for Doli Saja Ke because Anuj Saxena and my and dates are not matching. I've only done a test for my look and done a promo shoot. I am doing a cameo in this show although I was given a choice of other roles also. And yes, I'm playing my age. I am not playing anyone's mother (laughs).

Anuj Saxena is the producer of Kulvaddhu and you are playing his wife in another show. How do it feel?
It is an interesting co-incidence (laughs).  It's also rare to see a producer who is an actor himself. I am playing Anuj Saxena's wife in it but I die in the show. However, I will keep appearing in flashbacks. I have yet to start shooting with Anuj Saxena.
 
Why did you leave Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki?
I was playing the role of Shilpa Bhabhi and was doing four dailies at that time. I was also playing the lead in Shagun and doing other roles as well. I had fainted on the sets so I had to reduce my workload. Hence I chose to quit Kahani ....
 
Didn't Balaji offer you any other role after that?
Some time back Balaji had approached me for a role in Karam Apna Apna. The money they were offering me was not acceptable to me. Balaji is the best production house in the country, that can't be denied. At the time of quitting Kahani ... they were willing to pay me what I was being paid for UTV's Shagun. However, I was forced to quit the show owing to health causes.

Is weight an issue with you?
Yes, weight is an issue. A lot of producers have told me that they would like to cast me in the lead role provided I lose weight. I'm doing older roles and getting older roles only because of my weight problem. Moreover, girls tend to look five year older when they wear make up and heavy clothes. I can't take any drastic step to lose weight as hormonal imbalance is the issue here.

What is your fitness funda?
I eat less oil and eat before eight. I run on the treadmill. Television artists have such hectic lifestyles that it becomes difficult to follow a strict fitness regime.

What about your personal life?
I am single and happy (laughs). Most of my time is taken up by work. But I'm happy to be single. I am not prepared for marriage at this stage of my life (laughs).

Who are your friends in the industry?
Juhi Parmar, Hussain and Tarun Khanna. I always message Hussain after watching Nach Baliye 2 whenever I have the time to watch it.

You've been Miss Mumbai for three consecutive years; 1998 to 2000. How's that possible?
There are different contests every year by different organisers. I participated in three different Miss Mumbai contests and won all of them (laughs).

What is people's reaction when they see you in western outfits in real life?
On-screen I have done Saas-Bahu shows and always did Sari clad roles but in real life I wear western clothes and people are shocked to see that. People feel that I look very different off-screen. I love to wear minis too.

Do you enjoy doing Saas-Bahu Shows?
Saas-Bahu shows still rocks  although reality shows like 'Big Boss' are interesting. Saas-Bahu shows are still in so why should I not do them.

How about films?
I surely want to act in films but may be after a year. I will try to get into films then. When you have too much work on hand, you don't get time to go looking for new work. Right now, I am too focused on my television shows.

How would you want to see yourself a few years from now?
Happy and doing good shows on television. Maybe a few good films too (smiles)

http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=xtras&am p;am p;subsection=showbuzz&xfile=December2006_tvtrack_standar d331&child=tvtrack

I'm playing the classic, romantic lead in the serial and though it was a challenge initially, I'm really enjoying doing the role," believes Imran Mashkoor Khan, who is playing the male lead in Sony's Kulvaddhu. Imran has played important roles in television serials like Kashmeer and Milli, but they were both negative.

"I actually did not go through any audition for Kulvaddhu," says the actor, "I just received a call from the unit that they wanted me to play the lead and I agreed."  The actor praises his director Ashok Gaikwad and says that he keeps the fun alive during the shoot. He recalls an incident from one of the shots to praise his co-star Daljit Kaur. He says, "Despite being asthmatic, she ran across 74 sand dunes in Jodhpur to meet the demands of the shot; that's Daljeet for you."

Imran believes that each and every aspect of the shooting in Jodhpur was memorable. He really enjoyed the landscape to the fullest besides liking his work. About his future plans, he says, "I'll take things as and when they come. As of now, I'm contended with what I'm doing."

http://www.deccan.com/TV%20Guide/TV%20GuideDescription.asp#M eet%20Mr%20Right%20of%20Kulvaddhu

Actress Daljit Kaur speaks about her childhood, her foray into television, the lead role she plays in Kulvadhu and her future plans

Q You come from an army background. What made you choose acting over the armed forces?
Both my sisters are very strong women whereas I being the youngest sibling was pampered a lot. Luckily I was given all the freedom to do whatever I wanted as long as I am comfortable in my chosen field. Right from childhood I was keen on acting.

Q How did you manage to get your first role on television?
My first show was a 64-episode serial for Zee called Mansha. I don't remember much about the show because at that time I was also studying for my graduation. After that I got a call from Fireworks Productions for CID and I ended up doing lot of episodic work in Fireworks' thrillers like CID, Aahat and Raat Hone Ko Hai. I enjoyed doing them all. It was not only great fun but a good learning experience as well. I learnt a great deal about acting too.

Q  How did you manage to get the title role in Kulvadhu?
Anuj Saxena had seen me in one of the episodes of CID and found me perfect for the role. He was looking for a girl who has the modern Indian look. I was called for an audition. Next thing I learnt was that I was playing the lead and felt very excited because it's my first lead role in a daily soap.

Q. What's the character you are playing like?
Neeyati is a nice and strong girl. She believes in what her dadi says. Her dadi had said that she will marry a man Neeyati knew during her childhood. Thus Neeyati starts dreaming about this man and the journey of her dream begins. It is a exciting role and I am looking forward to the response.

Q. What happens next?
She marries the man and then starts her journey in her sasural where she meets people who support her and those that don't support her.

Q. It might degenerate into a regular story later. That's what happens often…
It's not a regular story and I don't think it will go the way of the usual soaps. It has a wonderful Rajasthani backdrop.

Q. Are you feeling the pressure of playing the lead in a daily?
Yes the pressure is there. But fortunately Anuj and his production people are very supportive.

http://www.deccan.com/TV%20Guide/TV%20GuideDescription.asp#' I%20have%20always%20been%20very%20keen%20on%20acting'

Two decades is a lifetime in the career of an actor and very few survive so long - Kitu Gidwani is one of them. Be it plays, films or her mainstay, television, she has established her ability for dramatics quite skilfully.

Having made a debut in 1984 in one of TV's first superhits, Trishna, she went on to make a mark for herself in Swabhimaan. Last seen in Ravi Rai's Kasshish, Kitu also has shows like Air Hostess and Junoon to her credit. And now she's back on TV with a primetime big ticket show, Kulvaddhu on Sony.

Prashant Golecha meets up with this charming lady with a husky voice to know more about her new show, her journey till now and finds out what the real Kitu is all about. Excerpts.

Tell us about your role in Kulvaddhu?
I play Antra Singh Rathod, an elegant, restraint lady with a lot of complexities in her character and a past to conceal. She is the epitome of grace. Antra is the ideal bahu and mother of Rathod family.

Post Kasshish, you took a sabbatical from TV. Reason?
Now I do only one show at a time. I have less energy and my priorities are different. I am interested in doing so many things other than acting. I don't want to spend my whole day on the sets. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I have sustained 15 years on television. I keep taking breaks from time to time and when people see me on TV all of a sudden they say 'oh you are back on television' and I keep saying, I have always been doing it.

How was your journey from Trishna to Kulvaddhu?
Interesting! I never chased anything. I am an impulsive and instinctive person. Trishna was based on pride and prejudice and was very successful. Vinod Pandey's Air Hostess was only for 13 weeks but it made such an impact on audience that people still remember the show as a simple story was told very well. Junoon was also one of the high point of my career besides Mahesh Bhatt's Swabhimaan, the first daily soap in which I played Shwetlana. The art film, Dance Of The Wind by Rajan Khosla won me best actress award in France. It was a very spiritual film. Kasshish by Ravi Rai was the last project I did on television. Now I am doing Kulvaddhu, which is an interesting subject.

What differences have you marked in this industry from then till now?
The scale is very big. The stakes are high. Responsibility of actors is more. Maximum commitment and more adjustments are necessary. The cast is big and actors keep juggling between different sets and matching dates of the complete star cast is difficult. But it has lost out on story, there's so much attention given to TRP's, sets, publicity, clothes and deadlines.

So how was your experience of working with a fresh star cast for Kulvaddhu?
It's mad and great fun. The people are very nice. From the E.P., actors to spot boys, and we have a blast everyday. The younger cast has no ego hassles so I am also cool.

How is Milind Gunaji as a co-star and Anuj Saxena as the producer?
Milind is a talented individual and a man of few words. I call him a gentle giant. He is very calm where as I am a hyper individual. Anuj is magnificent. He is a very classy person and it shows in his production. Above that he is a good human being.

Where actors these days are ferociously pursuing their film career, you aren't on a signing spree?
Yes, I didn't pursue my film career much. I am not a game player. I was young when offers started pouring. There was no one to guide me and above that I didn't have the killer instinct. I have done highly acclaimed films like Deham, Abhay and Earth. Moreover being an actress is a part of my life and not 'the life'. In present times people are obsessed with their work and career, which I never was. I do only what is healthy and what is not, I avoid - I mean physical and mental health.

What's the best and the worst thing about the entertainment industry?
It's a crazy world and has its own rules. There is no actor's union in Bombay unlike everywhere else.

Films or television, what's your pick?
I prefer cinema as that gives more time to focus, more time to take shots and that is more creative. Actually there is no comparison between television and films. Both are different mediums. And I would like to mention theater, which I love doing. Still Single, an English play and Your Place Or Mine, a Hinglish play is what I have on my plate currently.

One more thing that you are highly passionate about is dance.
I am into Latin Ball room dancing since last five years under the guidance of my friend Sandeep Soparkar. It's an absolutely fabulous experience. It is a form of self-expression and the music is beautiful. It's a complete high for me.

You are known to be a typical South Bombay woman. Comment.
It's absolutely true if you mean I am intelligent, sexy, gracious and not publicity hungry. I get along with everyone.

You can add more for us to know you better.
I am a balanced person but little more of an introvert. Once I trust the person I am friendly. I love to crack jokes. But I can be short tempered too and am learning to control it.

What are your immediate future plans?
I want to do a couple of films a year, practice more of meditation and continue striking a balance between television and films.

Marriage doesn't figure in the list?
My boyfriend Sujay Sood is a New York based writer. I met him with regards to a play at NCPA. We became friends and then lovers. He lived in India for two years and went back. We are still in love (laughs). I may go to New York one fine day and start doing serials there, you never know (laughs again).

http://www.tellychakkar.com/y2k6/dec/16dec/interview.php

Kittu Gidwani will be back on TV screens with Kulvaadhu after a long time. The actress talks to Sneha Hazarika about her role, adjusting to the hectic schedule associated with daily soaps, her love for dancing and more.

Q After Kashish, what took you so along to return to TV?
It has only been a year since Kashish ended. I was travelling a lot trying to relax a bit. Television is not my entire life. I would rather wait till some good project comes to me.
 
Q Why have you chosen to fall into the saas-bahu genre?
No other type of serials are being made. I don't run the industry nor do I get to decide on the kind of serials that should be made. Unfortunately, there are either saas-bahu or some reality shows on air. This was one of the best offers that I got.
 
Q How are you coping with the hectic schedules associated with daily soaps?
No. It's not like that at all. I have a set number of hours for work. There is no madness happening here and this set isn't like other production houses where they make you work 24 hours round the clock.
 
Q What's your role in the serial?
My character has a lot shades to it. It's very rich, elegant and classy. I play a soft-spoken and well-mannered lady. I don't think I am a typical saas from any angle. I have been told that the character will have lots of twists and turns.
 
Q Is it positive or negative?
Right now I am playing a completely positive character. There may be a twist in the tale later, but only the channel knows that.
 
Q Describe your look in the show?
A: It's very elegant. No bindis or kumkum. It's a very rich look.
 
Q You have worked with Milind Gunaji before in Abhay. How is it working with him again?
It's great fun. He is a very easygoing man. He is always giving us his poems and making us read them.
 
Q Apart from Kulvaadhu what else are you doing?
I have been offered a couple of movie scripts, which I am thinking about. I can't name them yet. One of the films offers is from a big Bollywood producer. I am  also doing two plays at the same time. Apart from this I have also been offered another television serial.
 
Q Is it true that you are very good at ballroom dancing?
Yes. I learnt Latin ballroom dance. Whenever I get a chance, I even do shows, but only in India.

http://www.deccan.com/Sunday%20Chronicle/Sunday%20ChronicleD escription.asp#Kittu%20all%20set%20to%20play%20a%20rich,%20e legant%20saas