Erica Fernandes, who became a household name with her superb portrayal of Dr Sonakshi in her very first show on TV (Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi), was in a jovial mood during her recent visit to Vadodara. Erica, who was in town to judge a talent hunt, got mobbed at the venue but patiently signed autographs and clicked selfies with hundreds of fans. Later, talking to us, she shared, "This was my first visit to the city. I was pretty excited about coming here and so, I had posted about the visit in advance on social media. It was a great feeling to receive so much love. It's something that I experience every time I come to Gujarat. Gujaratis are extremely warm and hospitable, and they treat people who come from outside like their family members.
She also had a friendly advice for those participants who said that they wanted to get into Bollywood or the TV industry, but were introducing themselves in English, "There was a time when I couldn't speak Hindi fluently, but I learnt to do so. If you want to join Bollywood or the TV industry, you must learn to speak proper Hindi. Talking to us later, she added, "Since I have participated in a lot of similar contests in the past, I can relate to the kind of nervousness that these participants feel. It often makes one hold back while performing. I had a great time as a judge. Excerpts:
When will we see you taking up your next TV show? There have been reports that you have been roped in as the female lead in the spin-off of Yeh Hai Mohabbatein.
There is nothing much to say as of now and the day I take up a new show, I will be the first one to declare it to the whole world. May be, I will take up a new show by the end of this year.
Tell us about your overall experience in your debut TV show. How comfortable were you when the show underwent a seven-year leap, and you had to play mother to a six-year-old kid?
The best thing about my debut show was that in terms of concept and content, it was refreshingly different from the typical shows that were on air at that point. Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi will always remain very close to my heart because I got tremendous love from the audience. It was very challenging to play a mother so early in my career but then, I put in my best efforts to portray the character convincingly.
What kind of roles are you looking forward to on TV?
I don't have preconceived notions about the kind of character that I want to portray but whatever is offered to me must interest me. Of course, you always want to do shows that have great concepts and storylines. But at the same time, it's a profession and you can't be adamant and waiting forever, thinking that I want to do that one perfect show, which ticks all the boxes. But one thing is for sure, I will never do a show just for the sake of money.
You did films in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada before you did television. How was that experience?
It was a very different kind of experience and while the language was a barrier, it was a great learning experience for a newcomer like me. While doing a film, you have to wait for it to release before you realize where you could have done better. But I enjoyed the challenge. Once I started working on my first Tv show, my real growth as an actor started. Since you get to see your work daily on the small screen, you know where you can do better next time.
A t the event, you spoke about not being fluent in Hindi initially. Didn't it pose a challenge?
It's not like I didn't know Hindi. I have studied Hindi in school and college, but I rarely used to speak in Hindi. So, having a conversation in Hindi was difficult for me in those days. Once I was doing television, I started having conversations in Hindi with my co-actors and everyone on the sets. Over a period, things were fine.
You won the Bombay Times Fresh Face (2010) and Femina Miss Maharashtra (2011) titles at a very young age. How much did that help?
I always wanted to get into modelling and acting. For people who don't have their family members in the profession, such platforms really matter a lot. Winning those pageants really boosted my confidence, which was really important for me at that stage.
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