‘There are many stars, few actors and fewer brands. I am happy to qualify for the last two’

•SHAILAJA BAJPAI: So Ekta asked you to come back?

She did call me back. She wants me to be part of the Balaji family. We have nurtured each other’s careers in the past. I don’t think that an old association like ours should sour so quickly.

•PIYUSH ROY: Lead actors are dropped from TV shows like hot potatoes. They have become rather dispensable.

Some actors fade away after a show finishes. Some come with an even shorter shelf-life. It depends on the kind of actor you are. There are many stars, few actors and fewer brands. I am happy to qualify for the last two.

•SURUCHI MAZUMDAR: Do you identify with Tulsi?

I grew up in a conservative family. Even today, we start our day with puja. So the so-called Virani culture of Kyunki… wasn’t alien to me. In fact, one day my father came to pick me up at the airport and I embarrassed him by touching his feet in full view of journalists and fans gathered there. It came naturally to me. So I was very comfortable playing Tulsi.

•SHAILAJA BAJPAI: Everything about the K serials is opulent. Is there a contradiction between the role you play on the screen and the causes of the poor you espouse as a politician?

Tulsi is actually a very simple character. She seldom wears jewellery or bright clothes. I try to keep my characters as simple as possible. I admit our characters do have an impact on audiences. So whenever I interact with fans, I tell them that it’s a celebrity’s real life and work that should be taken as an example, not the characters he portrays.

•LALITHA SRINIVASAN: Why don’t you tell your producers to tone down the greasepaint and gaudiness?

It’s not my place to dictate terms to producers. They know what’s best for their show.

•ALAKA SAHANI: Kyunki… has five generations of a family. Why do we need these generational changes—so many twists and turns, deaths, rebirths, 20-year leaps?

Frankly, I don’t know how many generations have gone by in the 10 months that I have been away! But I always wondered why we had these strategems until I became a producer. It’s always on the producer’s mind to bring in some novelty. Kya karein, twist chahiye, kuch nayapan chahiye (What can one do…we need twists, we need something new). You must understand that at every level in the industry, people have jobs to hold on to, targets to meet. TRPs (television rating points) rule the industry completely. That’s a sword hanging over everyone. If they feel that something will salvage a track, they just go for it. But the real problem is not these twists; the real vultures are the in-between termites and the advertisers who eat away creativity.

•ANURADHA AGRAWAL: You have an enchanting smile. But it is visible only now that we have met you.

As far as Kyunki… goes, it actually depends on Ekta Kapoor. In my own shows, I try to smile a lot.

•SHAHEEN MANSURI: Actors seldom succeed as politicians. You seem to fit into that mould quite well.

Celebrities tend to limit themselves to campaigns and social issues. I have been actively involved in the working of the BJP. They liked the way I worked for the youth wing and today I am state secretary for Maharashtra. I feel that famous people who endorse politics for publicity are open to criticism.

•NAMRATA SHARMA ZAKARIA: Why did you choose the BJP?

This is not very well known, but I am a third-generation BJP member. Even my grandfather was a part of the party. I literally grew up in the Parivaar. So when I took up politics there was no two ways about which party I was going to align with.

•FARAH BARIA: What do you feel about Hindutva?

A BBC journalist once asked me what I thought of Hindutva. I told him that for me there is just one mantra—justice for all, appeasement for none.

•FARAH BARIA: Even in Gujarat?

Even in Gujarat. Gujarat has become a point of reference for communalism and regionalism. The truth is that there is no excuse for communal violence. As a nation, we are one. But the matter is being taken care of in the Supreme Court. Whatever they decide, sar aankhon par (will be acceptable).

•NAMRATA SHARMA ZAKARIA: Do you see yourself as an MP soon? If the party demands more time, will you abandon acting?

Yes, I propose to work and continue doing what the party wants me to. It’s really up to the party. If it wants me to be an MP, I will take it up. For me, the party comes first. As a politician, I deal with people’s lives. And that’s a very serious, responsible role. I can’t play with their sentiments; I cannot make them feel short-changed.

•SUDIPTO SHOME: What do you think about the Raj Thackeray controversy?

I think it was a direct reflection of the incompetence of the state Government. Vilasrao Deshmukh is busy protecting his own seat. If the state Government sleeps over these inflammatory issues, how can they be resolved?

•LALITHA SRINIVASAN: You are an actor, politician and producer. What next?

I wanted to be an investigative journalist; that didn’t happen. I wanted to be an air hostess; that didn’t happen either. So I figured that plans don’t always materialise. To tell you the truth, I just plan for my kids: their time-tables, holidays and so on. As far as I go, I take one day at a time. I never plan.

•RAHUL SHIRSATH: Although your serial Viruddh was critically acclaimed, it wasn’t commercially successful.

Sony TV is known for its reality shows. In the soap category, Viruddh was the one with the highest TRPs. It got eight awards for excellence. At a time when so many shows came and went, Viruddh stood out. It helped me carve out a place as a producer, and more importantly, as a writer. But after a while, the channel wanted to take it on a very ‘soapy’ track and I put my foot down. I didn’t want to compromise.

•SANDEEP KHOSLA: There are too many award ceremonies these days. Are these awards of any importance to actors?

I always attend award functions. Fortunately, I have won the best actress award for the past eight years. But the most valuable award for me was the Critics’ Choice Award. People would always scorn, ‘Oh, she’s getting this award because she’s popular.’ After the critics’ award, that changed. I do feel that awards are important. They build an actor’s confidence and egg him on to do better.

•POONAM CHAVAN: Viewers are getting bored with soaps. They are highly repetitive.

Soaps still rule the roost. Even reality TV has become dull and repetitive. Viewers need attention-grabbers. Some of our most beautiful moments on TV have been when there was only one channel (Doordarshan). Think of Buniyaad, Nukkad, Khandaan—but that was then. Now creativity is subservient to TRPs.

•NAMRATA SHARMA ZAKARIA: Does the mediocrity in television bother you?

TV is about making money. How many shows in the past 10 years have really struck a chord with the viewers? TV today is not about creative satisfaction—it has become a numbers game. What bothers me is the lack of effort to do away with mediocrity. The industry is not willing to take up issues. When people remain silent, problems get swept under the carpet. TV attracts young people from different backgrounds—they can really bring about a change.

•DEEPA VENKATRAMAN: What about film offers?

Since my first year I’ve been inundated with film offers. But that was also the time I got married and was beginning to plan my family. My husband thought I was mad not to have accepted the offers, but clearly, family and kids were my priority. In hindsight, I feel happy as I have not only found my place as an actress but also as a wife and mother.

•KENNETH LOBO: Which are your favourite books?

I’m a loner. I love to curl up with a good book. The Alchemist and Illusions by Paulo Coelho are books I find truly meaningful.

•GEORGINA MADDOX: Would you ever attempt a completely different genre of acting?

I already have. I did a comedy play called Maniben.com. It was very challenging for me. It paid off too. But that was theatre. I don’t see television experimenting.

•SURUCHI MAZUMDAR: Do you feel it is possible to intertwine reality and fiction on TV?

If adequate focus is on stories and story-telling instead of characters, then it is possible. I used to be glued to the legal show, The Practice. When the content hits home, a show has made its mark. Indian cinema has woken up to that change. But for such a revolution to engulf TV, it will take time.

•SHAILAJA BAJPAI: Do you have a character in mind that you would have loved to play?

I read a fabulous Bengali script in which I would love to play the mother’s character. It’s basically about a middle-class mother obsessed with her child’s education and progress. Many mothers will identify deeply with it. I am planning to produce it.

•AYUSH: As an actor, do you fear you have become typecast as Tulsi?

I am not sultry. I have to make do with housewife type of roles. Unfortunately, I am not a Bipasha Basu or a Katrina Kaif. I am comfortable wearing saris and only bahus get to do that. But I never feel that I missed out on anything. I have done loads of variety: mythology, reality, comedy. Luckily, I am at that stage in my career where I can say ‘no’ if I am not convinced about something.

•KENNETH LOBO: You seldom talk about your life before Tulsi. Tell us something about it.

I was such a bore. I never bunked, did college through correspondence. Nothing too eventful. One childhood memory that I distinctly remember is of beating up boys who eve-teases my friends and sisters. I was really a goonda in that sense. My parents struggled hard to make ends meet. But with time, we saw better days. When my parents moved to a much bigger, better place, it was time for me to move out of home to start my own struggle.

•ROLEE KACHRU: You come across as a strong, independent person. How do you strike a balance between that and the demands of a TV cast member and a party member?

I have a strong personality. People know that if something is right, I will never say no to it. At the same time, they are sure that if something is wrong, I will very vehemently oppose it. However, I know certain compromises are inevitable.

(The transcript was prepared by Shweta Teotia.)