Karishma Tanna On Her Sudden Exit From Vi

"THEY DIDN'T EVEN INFORM ME THAT MY TRACK WAS WINDING UP"

IT'S BEEN SOME 15 MONTHS SINCE SHOWTIME last met Karishma Tanna. And things have changed and how! She's no longer a part of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, her last solo lead show; Paalkhi is off air, and thankfully, there is no drunken episode involving Eijaz Khan to talk about. Yet, there's enough and more spicing up Karishma's life. Getting straight down to business, I ask her about her blink and miss cameo appearance in Viraasat. Why pick a bit role like that, at this stage of her career? "Well, I had a good track initially. I really don't know what happened suddenly, but my track was chopped. They didn't even inform me that my track was winding up, or whether it would be returning after a month. I was just waiting for their call. That's when I assumed that maybe my track had been taken out. When I called my executive producer, she told me not to worry, because my character would be brought back after a bit. And now I'm getting to hear that the show is going off air. What do I say now?" she says amusedly.

Fortunately for Karishma, Ek Ladki Anjaani Si is still on, giving her ample opportunity to display her vampish talent. "I enjoy playing Avantika (her character). It is a very different kind of negative role. It's not that high drama nonsense; it's a classy character. No typical expressions, sari and loud make-up. It's very underplayed; I don't have to unnecessarily raise my eyebrow or do any such ridiculous things. I just have to give a look, and people will say 'What a bitch!'"

But hasn't Ek Ladki…gone a little off track, especially with the lead, Kanchi Kaul, being replaced? "It was going to go off air but thankfully, it's got an extension," states Karishma. "Removing the main lead after a year is definitely not happening. If you remove Tulsi from Kyunki… the show is not going to work. The main flavour of the show was Kanchi and people were very used to her. Suddenly taking her out and getting Sai (Deodhar) in her place didn't work. Even I felt it wasn't working. But somehow Sony is going ahead with the show. Frankly speaking, it was going off air in December anyway, before or after Kanchi was thrown out. I think our show was doing better than the other shows on the channel, that's why the extension, which really is a miracle!"

She makes it a point to add, "My character is doing very well in the show. And I don't care about anything else, as long as I'm happy with my work."

No inhibitions about getting stuck with the vamp image? "Not at all," she says resolutely. "I've never been typecast. I started with a small comic role, Indu in Kyunki… for which I'm still known. After that, all the roles offered to me, whether small or leads, were always comical, bubbly ones. I made it a point to refuse all of them. Because I wanted people to know that Karishma Tanna is done with comedy and is capable of doing other roles. Then I did Kahiin To Milenge for Balaji, where I played a very western, classy and yet, grey character. Koi Dil Mein Hain was similar to that. In Paalkhi, I played a typical traditional Indian bahu. I've always done different roles, which showcase my talent."

Now that she's experimented so much, isn't it about time we see Karishma as the main protagonist in the show? "I'm getting a lot of offers but I'd rather choose the best of them all. After doing a main lead (in Paalkhi), it's very difficult to get another main lead so soon. Till that time, I'm doing innovative and different things. This is the best time to show the world that I can fit into any character, be it a main lead or a cameo."

With all the shows that she's done, Karishma is still remembered as Indu from Kyunki… So why not work with Balaji again? "My relations with Balaji are absolutely perfect. Maybe it's destiny that I haven't worked with them again. Somehow it has never clicked for us, after the three shows that I did for them. But I think I am on Ekta's (Kapoor) mind. If she really wants me for a particular role, she'll definitely call me."

In hindsight, was leaving Kyunki…a mistake? "I never left Kyunki…"she informs. "The character just died a natural death. Indu was never supposed to be a part of the generation leap. It wasn't even discussed. I agree my character was quite popular, but after a 20-year leap, I really couldn't force Baa to get me married now, could I? I realized that and so did they, and we mutually parted."

It's been four-and-a-half years for Karishma in the industry and she's even moved to theatre with Vandana Sajnani's The Perfect Wedding. She might just give Bollywood a shot next. "I'm getting a lot of offers for films," she reveals. "I've even got offers from Yashraj, but it's been like a sister's role or some character role. I don't want to get into that sister bracket; I'd rather do leads on television any day. A lot of people are telling me that I should at least make an attempt for films, but honestly, I haven't tried hard enough. Actually maybe I will, soon."

Perhaps it's her non-ambitious nature that stops her from making an attempt? "That could be it," agrees Karishma. "I can't say that I have to become a star. I take each day as it comes; if I get a film offer, I'll consider it. But I'm not dying to get into films."

Ambitious she may not be, but controversial she definitely is. Whether Karishma says something or not, her personal life is always splashed all over. "I don't think people like it when I'm single. It's like Karishma Tanna can't be alone; she has to be linked up with someone. But I wish they'd link me up when something is actually happening. Otherwise, when I'm really in a relationship, no one will believe me," she laughs.

The number of articles regarding Karishma and her so-called flourishing love life is alarmingly high. Especially when she claims that she never comments on her personal life. "I never give them any quotes; they just make it up. The first and the last quote I had given on my personal life, was on Eijaz Khan, and it was to Showtime. And I'd spoken once about Nikkhil (Arya). Never again."

Bringing up Eijaz gives me the leeway I was looking for. How does she feel about her one-time close friend tying the knot with Anita (Natassha) Hassanandani? "I'm very happy for Eijaz. Though I can't believe that he's finally getting married. But then again, somewhere down the line, everyone has to get settled. If he's settling, I couldn't be happier for him."

No hard feelings then? "Why should there be any?" she quizzes. "Whenever Eijaz and I meet, we're very courteous to each other. It's not like we don't talk to each other; we're still friends. Let me make it clear that we were never in a relationship. We were definitely close but never reached a relationship point. Before reaching that point, we realized we had no future. We were compatible but we couldn't be together and get tagged as boyfriend-girlfriend. We never crossed that line where friendship becomes something else. Eijaz and I were thick pals; we told each other everything about our lives. So I can't say he was only my friend nor can I say that he was my boyfriend. I really don't know how to explain that in-between."

I can't help but ask Karishma about a statement that Eijaz had made in an interview to Showtime a few months back. When asked about his live-in relationship, which Karishma had spoken about to us, he claimed it was completely untrue and a figment of Karishma's imagination. "Let him say whatever he wants to. I really don't mind. But I stand by what I had said about him having had a live-in girlfriend. That's what I'd heard," she states tersely.

If Eijaz wasn't enough, there's Nikkhil Arya to contend with. Nikkhil, who has been linked with someone or the other at every stage of his career, is quite fed up denying his alleged involvement with Karishma. What does she have to say? "This is really quite funny. Nikkhil and I hardly get to meet and talk to each other. And the press has made it seem like we're madly in love with each other. It's so ridiculous." There was the fashion show in which she participated, where both Eijaz and Nikkhil were supposed to have been cheering her on. "What utter crap? Why drag Eijaz into the issue again? It's all bullshit. Eijaz wasn't even there at the fashion show. As for Nikkhil, yes, he had definitely come to cheer me. But then another friend of mine was also there. They wanted to see how I looked on the ramp. That's it."

She continues, "Nikkhil is just my friend. If we were seeing each other, I would have no problem telling everyone about it. I'm not the kind of woman who hides her relationships. My family is very chilled out; I tell them everything. So for me telling the media something like this is nothing. If Nikkhil were my boyfriend, then I would definitely say so. But he's not and that's a fact. Just because he's a guy and I'm a girl, and we go out together, it does not mean we're in a relationship. Nikkhil and I can never have anything romantic between us. I just can't see him that way."

But she doesn't deny that they're good friends, who enjoy spending time with each other. "I think what I like most about Nikkhil, is the immense respect he has for his parents. I'm very close to my family too, and I like people who treat their family well. We share music because amazingly, we have the same taste. He's a movie buff, so I get DVDs from him. It's stuff like that, which keeps us such good friends."

The link-up aside, Nikkhil was going through a lot of personal stress as well, because of his problems with Nandini Singh on the sets of Kesar. And that was the exact reason why he couldn't do the play, The Perfect Wedding, with Karishma. "And people were actually saying I got him out of the play, because we had broken up or something," says Karishma exasperatedly. "Firstly, shouldn't we be together to break up? And, why would I do that when I, myself had recommended his name to Vandana Sajnani. Nikkhil had always told me that he wanted to do a play. And I had that in mind. When Vandana told me about the character, Nikkhil was the first person that came to my mind. And still people talk silly things," she sighs.

Maybe the link-ups will stop when she actually starts seeing someone. "Maybe," she grins. "But right now, I'm seriously not seeing anyone. I really don't know why, maybe it's not in my destiny right now. A time comes when everything just clicks, that's just not happened. I'm too busy and frankly, quite uninterested. And I'm only 24, I'll think about settling down after two-three years. Let's see what happens."

For now, Karishma's life is centred on her work and the new house she's just bought. And not to forget, the various link-ups she's always contending with. As for the future, well…it can only get better!