Pragati Mehra: Have seen younger actors, thin as sticks, playing the same roles as me!

With shows such as Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Uttaran and Chhoti Bahu in her kitty, actress Pragati Mehra is one to put aside her insecurities and continue to walk the path of success. “I always knew that I wanted to be an actor or at least part of a profession that keeps me in the limelight. I guess I was three years old when I said 'I want to be an actor.' But it was not taken seriously by anyone as I come from a family of professionals, both my parents are doctors,” she says.

However, the actress admits that looking a certain way on screen gets stressful at times. But she has found a way to deal with it. “I have never been a thin person all my life. Everyone around me loves to feed the thought that an actor has to be a certain size. So yes, that did make me insecure to an extent and it still does sporadically. But then I see actors 10 years younger than me, as thin as sticks, and still playing the same onscreen age character as me. So, the thought crosses my mind at times but vanishes faster than it appeared,” she says.

As far as work is concerned, Pragati says that some things need to be left to destiny. “An actor can only choose and pick the best (that they think) that comes their way. When I was signed Uttaran, Colors was a new channel. Who knew that the show would become the No.1 show? So, an actor can only do their best in a given scenario and it ends there,” she says.

While working in the industry is tough, Pragati says that there are some problems which are faced in all fields, and not only in showbiz. “Unemployment is the name of the game across the board, across any and every line of work. Why single out entertainment? It’s a disappointing scenario across,” she says.

Ask her if she is satisfied with the way her career has shaped up, and she says, “That's a mixed bag! I am satisfied that I have two huge hits of Indian TV – Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Uttaran in my body of work, also iconic shows like Chhoti Bahu. But I have kind of been typecast and have been bagging strong or negative characters in the 40 years age bracket, even when I was not 40. Now that I am in the age bracket, some real good scripts go past because people have only seen me play a matriarch. I have never got an opportunity to play a slice of life character.”