kanchi kaul’s first love

She did her graduation in microbiology and scored a distinction. But instead of going ahead with her plans to study further, Kanchi Kaul preferred shooting at the studios over working at a pathology laboratory. Good students prefer academic pursuits and settle down in a secure profession but Kanchi has chosen to settle down in the topsy-turvy world of modelling, acting, glamour and spotlight. So by the time she finished her graduation she was well entrenched into modelling where the future looked brighter than the drab academics or chemicals-smelling laboratory. And by all means she is doing well and going great.

Her first modelling assignment was for Jai soap. That was seven years ago when she was in college. Today her endorsement list includes more than 70 consumer products, Wheel detergent, Sansui, Johnson's soap, Microsoft, Santro, Pantene, Clearasil… well the list is pretty long. The list is not all that short when it comes to movies either, six Telugu films in two years, starting with Sampangi. Mumbai girls prefer Bollywood but Kanchi travelled down South for her celluloid dreams and stayed in Hyderabad for two years.

"Well, it was all because of modelling. Being a known face, a lot of film offers started coming from the South. I decided to give one film a try and ended up doing six films," she says. She did face a language problem while doing her debut film and after that it was pretty ok. "They work very professionally which makes the job enjoyable," adds Kanchi who loves her unusual name. "I love it, it's unique. I wouldn't like to be called by any other name."

After working and staying in the city of Nizam, she came back to Mumbai because modelling beckoned. "I was getting offers and making money every day. So I didn't think of going back," says the petite actress who has also got offers for Hindi films. "My instinct didn't allow me to say yes to any role. I won't be comfortable doing films where there are three girls doing skin show and weird dances. I also don't like to be crowded by 20 people.

The work culture is quite different in Bollywood." While she said no to Bollywood, she said yes to television. "For a long time I have been getting offers for serials," she goes on, "and I finally said yes to Ek Ladki Anjani Si." Reason? "It's a lead role and the subject is good. Essentially it's a love story of two people who come from different backgrounds and how destiny brings them together. Of course in this journey of coming together, lot of things, twist and turns happen," says Kanchi who finds working in serial, particularly a daily, physically and mentally taxing.

"There is lot of responsibility on your shoulders when you are playing the main protagonist," she explains. "There is prime time pressure of doing a convincing job and connecting with viewers. But it's worth the effort because it pays well too." While she is committed to television for one and half years she has not closed the doors on Bollywood. "I have an open mind for good roles," she says. Obviously one can't shut doors on opportunities because they may not knock on closed doors.