TOI-'Balika Vadhu' ends on July 31-Discuss Here - Page 5

INTERVIEW OF TORAL ON BALIKA VADHU ENDING -

Barely after a month of Balika Vadhu entering Limca Book of Records as the longest running TV soap, the news of it going off air, has shocked the loyal viewers and the cast members (former as well as current) alike. Mahhi Vij--who plays Nandini on the show, broke the news on Twitter and was almost in tears when she spoke to India Today Online. The news was yet to reach Toral Rasputra, when we contacted her for an interview. The 'last' Anandi on the show felt that though she felt the soap had lived its life, it was unfortunate for the cast who had started shooting for the soap three months back.

Interestingly, Toral entered Balika Vadhu at a time when the soap was raking in good TRPS, thanks to the wedding track of Anandi and Shivraj Shekhar. People had not only accepted Pratyusha as the grown-up Anandi, but also wanted to see how her chemistry with Sidharth Shukla who portrayed Shiv will develop post marriage. So, when Pratyusha abruptly left the show, Toral's entry led to a lot of apprehensions. "I was replacing somebody and Pratyusha was household name at that time. It was a very big test for all of us. I took time to adjust because people were used to seeing Pratyusha as Anandi. But in the end, it was worth it. As an actor I got to know a lot from the show and the character itself. When you work with veteran actors like Surekha and Sudhir Pandey you learn a lot," the actress told India Today online.

While working for the soap was a serious affair, when not shooting, Balika Vadhu sets transformed into a fun zone. "I made a lot of friends, from the cast as well as from the crew. It was a big family and it was good fun. When you are not shooting, you had lots of people around and we used to go for lunches together. I really miss those days. The three years that I worked for Balika Vadhu will remain the most special years of my life," shares Toral.

BEST FRIENDS ON THE SETS

"It has to be Sriti Jha. We had done our first show Dhoom Machaao Dhoom together. So we knew each other since the beginning of our career. She was playing Ganga in the show. I was really close to her. After she left, and Aasiya Kazi came, she and I became very close.

BEST EPISODE

"There was a long scene that was shot between me and Jagiya. It took us two days to shoot that scene. In the scene I was moving to Jaipur and I want Jagiya to settle down and think about his life. It was a beautifully written sequence and we had fun shooting for it."

ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE THE SHOW DIDN'T WORK OUT

"When the show took leap for the first time and when these kids grew up and we started with another chapter, it was then when as actors we felt that it was stretching somewhere and the story was not reaching somewhere. Maybe they tried to breathe a new life into the show by introducing a new cast, but it didn't work out. Also maybe because there was a change in the slot and you have a particular audience for the show for that slot. When it changes, it definitely affects TRPs.

Every show comes to an end. Unfortunately it is too soon for the new cast. They started shooting in April and they are wrapping up within three months," says Toral.

The actress says that the characters will live on even after the show is over and that is the biggest achievement for the people associated with the show. "I feel honoured to be part of the show."