Chanchal maasi is a character which is ve

Maninee De has made a name in the world of showbiz with her varied portrayals, be it TV or films. Now the actress, most talked about for playing Pari in Jassi Jaisi Koi nahi is being seen in a totally new avatar in Ghar Ki Lakshmi– Betiyaan on Zee TV. We decided to get up, close and personal with the dusky actress and know more about her new role and the other exciting things happening in her life.

Tell us something about your character in Betiyaan?
I play the role of Chanchal, who's a maasi (aunt) to the betiyaan, the daughters of the house. Chanchal is a very progressive and educated woman. She wants the girls to groom themselves, become confident and live their life in a positive way.

How different do you find this role?
For the greater part of my career I have been associated with comedy shows. But Twinkle Beauty Parlour bought a lot of change within me. It helped me to emote out the feelings hidden in my heart. Chanchal maasi is a character which is very close to what I am in real life. As in my real life, Chanchal is polite but very firm. She can't tolerate injustice and will raise the issue if she feels that something is wrong. She is very optimistic about life. She is the one who brings a ray of hope in the lives of Laxmi, Saraswati and the other sisters.

What do you have to say about the controversy surrounding the serial?
Honestly, newspapers blow a lot of things out of proportion. Yes, I have seen the promos of Paraya Dhan. After watching them, one would surely have the impression that the two shows are pretty much the same. I don't want to get into it. But if Rekha Modi is right then she should surely fight for justice and vice-versa. I believe a fair hearing should be done in the case. My job is to bring out my writers' vision into action and stay away from the controversy.

Do you have a special look in Betiyaan?
My look is very Gujarati. The body language would be that of a small town girl. Being educated, Chanchal maasi would be seen in chiffon sarees. As she is a dynamic woman, she would be never seen in a ghunghat. She walks with authority.

As a senior actress what advice do you give to the inexperienced young actresses?
I always ask them to be focused and never get exploited. I tell them to work hard, but not to be a mule. It's very important to observe and listen to different people if you want to progress as an actor. All the girls are talented actresses. I like Sarawati a lot as she is extremely clued to her character.

Dheeraj Kumar is famous for his shows on DD. How was it working with his unit in Betiyaan?
It's a very sweet and co-operative unit. I don't know why, but they take special care of me. Dheeraj too looks like a soft spoken and an honest person. The unit is very subdued.

You have also been seen in films like Krrish, Rules and Waisa Bhi Hota Hai-Part 2. Are you planning to do more movies?
I have never planned anything in life except my child. The more you run behind anything, the lesser is the chance that it would come to you. I live in the present and believe that God would always be looking after me in the future.

Do you and your husband Mihir Mishra discuss work at home?
Yeah. We do bounce ideas and advices to each other.

deccan.com