`Actually, I’m going mad!’ — Soni Razdan

Surprisingly,this serial is not written by Nanda who wrote Tara, but by director Raman Kumar. It marks Vinta’s debut as a director. “I met Vinta only because I wanted to do a good role in one of her serials. I had no plans of producing, but things happened overnight,” she recalls. The serial is about two people (Soni and Kiran Kumar) who find love when they least expect it. The storyline is strongly reminiscent of the film, One Fine Day: Soni’s husband in the serial dies in an accident and Kiran Kumar’s marriage is on the verge of a divorce. Later they meet as single parents and a relationship develops. Right from the start, Soni had Star Plus in mind, since she felt it was the right channel for such an urban subject. “We discussed the subject with them and got a positive reaction, so we went ahead,” she reveals. Regarding her decision not to direct, the only thing that held her back was the feeling that it would be too hectic producing, directing and acting. “I was reluctant to produce it, direction wouldbe too much. Also, having another person to direct would give us a balanced and different perspective,” says she.

But didn’t she ever think of asking her husband to direct? “No. Because Mahesh was not interested in a TV serial at the time; he was deeply involved with Plus Channel. And he was planning on giving up direction, then.”

Soni Razdan’s career has been a curious one: despite her potential as an actress, she’s seldom got the right roles on television, which is why her appearance in serials like Junoon or Saahil are surprising.

These serials haven’t given her an opportunity to deploy her talents. But she is quite content with her role of Ria Singh in Aur Phir… which she finds satisfying and challenging. It is the character of a housewife who is suddenly widowed and forced to work for financial reasons. “It’s a wonderful role, the best one I’ve done so far,” thinks Soni.

The main problem with her acting career, feels Razdan, was her marriage to Bhatt. Though shedoesn’t regret it not for a minute. She fell in love, she confesses very honestly, after which instead of pursuing a career, she got married. “After our marriage, his career went up and mine came down which is unfair,” she laughs. “When you have a famous husband you’re treated well, but on the other hand, you’re completely ignored at times, and you feel like you don’t exist at all,” she smiles.

These days, she feels she is fortunate to have a cooperative and understanding family: since turning producer, she’s running short on time. “They are learning to adjust and don’t ask me how I’m managing it. Actually,” she reveals, “I’m going mad.”