The Apprentice

As a kickstart to Meri Toh Lag Gayi. Naukri!,Amrita Puri tries her hands on working as an intern at the UTV Bindasss office.

As a kickstart to Meri Toh Lag Gayi. Naukri!,Amrita Puri tries her hands on working as an intern at the UTV Bindasss office.

What kind of show is Meri Toh Lag Gayi. Naukri?
It is a fiction show involving comedy and drama. It portrays a journey of five youngsters,each having a distinct personality but a common dream of making it big in the corporate world. The show focusses on the transition of this young group from being college grads to trainees in their first job and the way they struggle to reach their aim of making a mark in the industry.

So you are not the part of the show.
No I am not. I just did one episode where I interned at the UTV Bindass office. You can see me in the shows promo already but they are still fixing up the schedule for airing my episode. The show airs from Monday Thursday at 7pm from March 28.

How did you get this opportunity? And how was your experience?
UTV approached me with this concept of being a intern for one day at their office. It sounded fun and I took it up. But the reality was different,once I was at work! I thought I would be treated as the actress,Amrita Puri but no one even spoke to me. I felt neglected. I was made to slog by my boss,who asked me to do all kinds of work from getting him coffee to cleaning his desk. Since no one helped me it was really tiring. But overall,it was something new and a little bit of fun just a little bit!

What is your message to the young lot who are about to enter the corporate world?
My message to them would be,keep trying,dont ever give up,you will ultimately reach your destination. In college one seems to weave big dreams but once on the field the reality is different as practical life is different from what you have learnt in books. But dont get disheartened,struggle through your way and you will reach your goal.

Tell us about your journey while shaping up your career.
I have worked as a photographers assistant. One day he asked me to carry two tons of lights,the next day I quit. Then I interned with this magazine called Beautiful People. The job was really interesting,I enjoyed it. Later,I worked as a copywriter with the Ogilvy amp; Mather ad agency. I realised I wasnt happy there so I left that job as well. Between all this,I was hooked onto theater. I always had a keen interest in acting,I did plays then,I am doing them now too apart from acting in films.

What was your first salary?
I got my first pay cheque for a play that I did,it was for Rs. 5000. As a proper corporate job at Ogilvy amp; Mather,I used to earn just Rs 6000 per month.

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In school what did you asspire to be?
In school I aspired to be a lot of things. I wanted to be a journalist,a documentary filmmaker and even an IAS officer.

Are you open to any more TV offers?
Wellno! I am only focussing on films. It is my conscious decision to stay away from TV,be it fiction or reality shows. However,I am open to hosting a TV show.

Aisha did not do well at the box-office. What do you have to say?
Aisha will always be close to my heart. I got a lot of appreciation for my role in that film. I also got a lot of nominations at various awards as a supporting role or a debutant.

I also bagged a couple of awards. Things have changed since and people have started recognising me,which is nice.

I am acting in two plays The Interview and Famous Last Words. And in May there is a new play coming up,in which Kalki Koechlin is also acting.

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Do you have any upcoming films?
Yes,there are a few projects,but I am suppose to be tight lipped about it.

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