Acting is just another job meant to be taken seriously, a lesson that Nazneen Patel learnt quickly
Sanjana is a 26-year-old unmarried girl from a traditional Maharashtrian middle-class family. She has a column ~ Love, Mohabbat and All That ~ in a leading newspaper and cherishes hopes to marry her childhood sweetheart once he returns from America. Everything is hunky-dory, at least that's what she thinks. Soon she comes across Anuradha, daughter of Mr Garewal, owner of Morning Daily, in which Sanjana works. The two become close friends. Life is not a bed of roses, something Sanjana learns at a party. All it takes to shatter her dreams is one party. Her sweetheart Siddharth appears from nowhere only to reveal his marital status ~ married to Anuradha.
That's the story of the newest serial from SaharaOne Television~ Main Aisi Kyun Hoon ~ which goes on air on 8 October. Essaying the role of Sanjana is Nazneen Patel. "Early on in the career an actor needs to go into the studio with hopes. Landing a role is not difficult and even if you have acted in a couple of shows, it's not certain that offers will automatically come your way. I still have to carry my bag to the many auditions taking place in Mumbai."
The promos look promising. Hopefully the story won't fall through after the first few episodes. Sanjana, instead of being shattered, continues with her life. Like in most middle class families in Maharashtra, family members tell her over and over again to find a husband. The story is about how Sanjana goes against norms and strikes out on a new path.
"While working on any television show, one has to complete eight to nine scenes a day, instead of the one or two shot by filmstars. The medium is demanding and you hardly get time for yourself. But it's the excitement of going that extra mile which keeps television actors on their toes."
Though Main Aisi Kyun Hoon is starting on a promising note, hopefully the plot will make sense after the first 30-odd episodes. "Normally most shows become family dramas. There is little an actor can do when that happens. The concept note of this serial is a promising one. Even if I have to play a negative role, I don't mind as long the storyline remains different."
Speaking about similarities between herself and Sanjana, "We are both alike when it comes to temper. I easily get angry, am aspiring and dedicated."
Working with Paresh Rawal's team has also been a good experience. "Though he is busy with his career, he keeps time for the show. During meetings he is open to ideas from those on the sets. Even if film offers come my way, I have to be true to Paresh."
Patel thinks it's a matter of time we move away from serials depicting family feuds. "Bollywood directors have moved away and it's time for serials to do the same. It's only a matter of time before a contemporary Bollywood-like serial is made."
Also the need to finish college before taking on a career in television acting is over. "I flunked my standard X examinations. For sometime I went without pocket money and that made me look towards different sources of earning. There are these models who wait on stars on stage. The pay is pretty good for college students. When I joined college, I got selected for Miss India and that was another important achievement not because I was on the way to become a model. I realised that modelling is something you can look forward to for a few years. After that what? Neena Gupta was working on a serial for which I was selected. Sadly, it didn't take off after the pilot episode. Yet, it prepared me for future projects. Nobody can say life is easy in the entertainment world. Like you have a job to do, I have mine. If I don't fare well, I get kicked out. The situation is similar on your case. We are not very different ~ both get scolded for bad work, both look forward to opportunities, both are never satisfied with what we have," rounds off Patel.
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