Model-turned-actor Pallavi Kulkarni has made a splash on the small screen once again. After appearing with Aamir Khan in a soft-drink ad, Pallavi followed it up with TV shows including 'Kehta Hai Dil'. But it's playing Aroona Irani's angst-ridden protagonist 'Vaidehi' that has put Pallavi on the prime time slot.
Though the much-awaited truth in the show about Aryavardhan Jaisingh (Satish Sharma), Vaidehi's husband being impotent is out, Pallavi says there's a lot more to come. Pallavi, who was also part of 'Kehta Hai Dil', says, "It's an unexplored subject. The story is based on the life of Aroonaji's friend. Aroonaji explained the character to me. I lent it my interpretation."
Pallavi denies that the revelation in the early episodes would rob the fizz from the show as there's a dark side to Aryavardhan still to be unveiled. She says, "The 'what next' element will always be there."
Pallavi speaks on Vaidehi's metamorphosis, "The 'pati parmeshwar' mentality in India expects a woman to live through a marriage. But the whole trauma matures Vaidehi and equips her to deal with the situation." Interestingly, while other soaps hinge on the saas-bahu animosity, Vaidehi shares a sympathetic bond with her mother-in-law played by Aroona Irani.
Considering that Aroona's successful serials in the past ('Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand' and'Rabba Ishq Na Hove') had actor Sangita Ghosh as the pivot, did this create a pressure of sorts on Pallavi?
She confesses, "Initially, I was nervous as this was a huge responsibility. But Aroonaji assured me, 'You don't have to worry. You already are successful." She adds, "It was my simplicity that convinced Aroonaji that I could do the role. "
Incidentally, Pallavi's soft-drink commercial was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. She fondly shares, "Recently Ashutosh messaged me saying, 'Your face looks so serene on the hoardings. I was flattered."