‘Parvati was a mountain of an image to break’ ...says actor Sakshi Tanwar, who has put the iconic character behind with her soaring popularity as ‘Priya’

‘Parvati was a mountain of an image to break’

...says actor Sakshi Tanwar, who has put the iconic character behind with her soaring popularity as ‘Priya’

Your serial Bade Acche Lagte Hai started out as a love story and now things have changed drastically with the leap… Yes. Ram (Ram Kapoor) and Priya discovering love and getting married was the first chapter, now the relationship has reached a new level and post the five year leap, the second chapter has begun. It’s a gradual progression. There are new equations and dimensions to my character. Earlier she was a daughter and wife and now she is a single, working mother. I am really excited with the new role. The best thing about Priya is that she is not an organised woman and makes mistakes just like anyone, which is real and people identify with. Even my look is contemporary, designed keeping in mind that I am managing a book shop. From Parvati of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii to Priya how has your journey been? Parvati was an iconic character. She upheld the values of the joint family system, which was the backdrop of the show. Though most people dubbed serials of that time as regressive, let me clarify that they were not. Both Parvati and Tulsi of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi were strong characters. They spoke their minds and fought for their rights. Parvati was a mountain of an image to break. I was humbled and overwhelmed when people accepted me as Priya, a contemporary urban woman completely different from Parvati. Frankly, if Parvati and Priya meet they will completely disapprove of each other. You also played a negative role in Balika Vadhu. Was that a way of breaking Parvati’s image? It was not a deliberate move, but I liked the role because it had a different shade and a psyche. It was a challenge to be able to justify that. What is happening to your film Mohalla Assi with Sunny Deol? Well, that is something that the producers will be able to tell you. I have finished my work for the film. I am very proud of my role as Savitri Pandey. I play a typical Indian wife but I have dealt with it differently and it is bolder in certain aspects. Among your contemporaries, you were one of the lucky ones to have come back for a second innings after Kahaani... I believe that talent always survives, stardom is transient. And I do see actors like Neena Gupta doing something or the other on TV. Lastly, your bold lovemaking scene in Bade Acche Lagte Hai created a lot of controversy. What is your reaction? Enough has been written... Let’s move on.