'I'll do whatever I want to, cause it makes me happy'- Jennifer Winget

Under the birthday article of some other actor, your fans kept reminding us of your birthday…
(Smiles) I don't know how to react…thank you guys so much…I do read all of your mails but I'm sorry I can't reply to each and every one of you … I just want to say – thank you to all of you  and whomsoever birthday is there on 30th, I wish you a happy birthday.

Your most memorably birthday till now…
This birthday has to be the most, most memorable birthday…seriously I'm not kidding …because people who I don't even know have come and wished me and they remember me! And this is the first birthday I'm working so it's memorable in its own self.

Any plans for party?
Actually this birthday my schedule is so packed that I'm not doing anything…I'm very sad this birthday (pouts).

Any special gift?
Nothing received so far…maybe later...

Any particular gift you gave to yourself?
I have already started gifting myself, I love myself okay?  I start celebrating my birthday one week before, I have my birthday week, so every day I go and I buy something for myself.

What's your dream birthday?
My dream birthday is the one where I wake up in the morning and I fly out of the country abroad to France…spend the whole day there …umm…just be in France for a couple of weeks (laughs).

Why France?
France is so beautiful who doesn't want to go? There especially the south of France and if you have your loved ones with you then there's nothing like it.

What's your resolution for this year?
You know I don't believe in resolutions because I don't believe that there's any point telling yourself that you won't do this or you won't do that. I will do whatever I want to because it makes me happy.

Are you getting to feel on the set that people are arranging something special for you…as a surprise?
No I didn't feel anything of that sort and I don't think such a thing is underway because everyone is so busy …no I don't think they have that kind of time to be doing such things.

Who do you think will wish you first on the sets?
Karan

Which Karan?
Haha …yeah there are two Karans these days…I think Karan Singh Grover, because he's been there since Kasauti days…

Is your family disappointed that you're working on your birthday?
My family is very disappointed that I'm working on my birthday…  par kya karein paapi pet ke liye karna padta hai (but what to do for the sinner stomach you gotta do it).

Any family traditions for your birthday?
My dad used to do this when I was a kid ...see it's a tradition so I never used to lock my bedroom door on my birthday eve and my dad would fill it with flowers and teddy bears and till date I haven't had the guts to tell my dad that I hate teddy bears…the gesture was so sweet I just couldn't.

Does your mom cook any special dish…say your favorite dish on your birthday?
Actually I love fish…mom makes amazing fish…but it's not my birthday dish…we normally eat out on occasions.

Are you very naughty?
I am very naughty. Especially for my nephew who calls me mumbua, he came with this word on his own, I need to be very naughty cause there's no other way you can handle him…he's diabolic!

Why did you take up a character that had been already portrayed by two other people?
Challenge. I love challenges. I agree that Riddhima is the kind of character that has been played a lot with cause this is the kind of show where there is no domination by a woman or any other character. I had no reason not to take this up. All my friends were into this show. The show in itself was popular so yeah nothing as such stopped me from taking it.

Did you always want to be an actor?
I never had time to think that I should do this and I shouldn't do this because I started working when I was twelve. I was very young  and the offers started pouring in …good offers started pouring in and I started enjoying the whole process…so acting just sort of happened.

Ideas for Bollywood?
It's every actor's dream to adorn the big screen. I won't say I'm getting a lot of offers from Bollywood and that I'm thinking about it. I haven't got any offers so far. If at all I get a good offer I will definitely go for it. I want to do a film which when my fans watch would say – 'Ah! Good she waited for so long. This is worth the wait'. I don't want to do any kind of movie just for the sake of it. I want to do a movie which gives me the right platform and which my fans would like. They shouldn't look at me and say – 'Oh why did she do this'…in fact I don't want to look at myself and wonder why did I ever sign up for it.

What do you have to say about the adaptation of movies in shows?
I don't know, I don't really know, I guess when a show has been running for three years after a certain point the genuineness comes to an end. The show has to get inspired by something. It's not a bad thing it's not a good thing, it's just how it is.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't . If you take up a concept it's not wrong, it's about the way you execute it. If you do that right it makes the whole thing superb.

So Jennifer, who do you think Riddhima should go along with, Armaan or Sid?
I don't think about that question, I have other things to think about (laughs).

With whom do you share a better onscreen rapport Karan Wahi or Karan Singh?
I don't know yaar, I think both of them. Both of my co-stars are such brilliant, fun loving, good hearted people that it's very difficult to choose. With Karan Singh Grover, there's so much history and so much bonding.  With Karan Wahi there's so much playfulness and so much freshness. It's very difficult to choose. I know fans fight over Armaan- Riddhima and Siddharth- Riddhima. I know what they are going through because somewhere I also go through the same thing, somewhere Armaan also goes through the same thing, somewhere Sid also goes through the same thing  because we are all so attached to our characters. It's a situation where you don't know what's right and what's wrong. It's a complicated situation because I share a great chemistry with both my co actors.

Your passions apart from acting.
Reading. I read whatever is kept in front of me except for newspapers. I find newspapers very depressing and boring, sorry. Mostly I like to read a lot of phil-o-sophy (makes weird face).I know it sounds boring but it's not boring.

Your most memorable date till date…
I never have been out on dates …maybe during college …I'm not a very romantic person..I'm a little weird that way.

What do you prefer reality shows or fiction?
I'm doing a fiction show right now along with hosting a reality show. So I can't really choose. But dancing in a reality show and doing fiction won't be possible for me. It's too much work. Itna kaam mujhse nahi hota hai (so much work is not done by me).

What kind of reviews have you been getting for Zara Nachke Dikha?
Very good reviews!

Which other character would you like to play in the future?
Lara Croft. I would love to play Lara Croft. Is somebody listening to me? I would really, really want to play Lara Croft. It's too good a movie, I wish somebody would make one for me. It would be like a dream come true.

Any message to your fans?
To my dear, dear, dear, dearest fans I love you. I want to say thank you for the support, for standing by me and I know half of you are not liking what Riddhima is doing and half of you are really loving it. I want to say as Jennifer I love all of you ...and you know what I like about you? Even if you don't like something on the show you convey to me in a very sweet way and sometimes in a not so sweet way but most of the times in a very sweet way. I just want to thank you. God bless you all and Muaaahhh!

Reporter: Ashima Mishra
Author: Susan Jose