|
As
an ideal bahu (daughter-in-law) and caring member of a joint
family that most "traditional" Indian women can
easily relate to, actress Saakshi Tanwar, who plays Parvati
in Star Plus' hit soap Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, has received
an overwhelming response from the public at large. Though
she has acted in several other serials, it is with this role
that she has come under the spotlight (literally) with huge
hoardings featuring her as one of the main pivots of the daily
soap put up in the country's metros.
A former computer software consultant, Saakshi graduated from
Delhi. After graduation, Saakshi was preparing for entrance
tests to the administrative services and mass communications
when a close friend suggested that she audition for national
broadcaster Doordarshan's film songs-based programme Albela
Sur Mela. She got selected and that marked her first entry
into Indian television. Meanwhile, her "traditional"
career graph had come to a standstill when she failed to clear
either of the tests. Looking back, she has no regrets. "If
I don't get through any exam in the first attempt then it
is not meant for me," says Saakshi.
Acting wasn't exactly a new experience for this Delhi lass,
who during college was secretary and president of the dramatic
society and had her fair share of the stage. However, facing
the camera was a new experience. The experience of anchoring
the show encouraged her to pursue acting.
Smitten by the acting bug and the money that come along
with it, she initially picked out serials that didn't require
much commitment. In the meantime, she, along with her friends
joined a computer course. For a long time Saakshi juggled
computer classes and acting. She was seen in Ehsaas,
Dastoor, X-Zone, Bhanwar, among many
other serials, before getting her first big break playing
the central role in Rajdhani.
And then came the offer from Balaji Telefilms for Kahani
Ghar Ghar Ki. Nothing's been the same since for her.
Indiantelevision.com's correspondent Harsha Khot recently
met the face behind the pallu (veil)-drawn traditional Indian
bahu Parvati that millions of television ghars (homes)
have a daily appointment with.
Excerpts from the interview:
How did you bag the role of Parvati?
I was shooting for a pilot of the serial now called Karam,
a Balaji production. It was a side role to the main lead bhabhi
(sister-in-law) and after getting dressed to prepare for the
coming scene, Ekta Kapoor (Balaji's creative head) walked
in and instantly said in a peculiar manner: "Oh this
is Parvati." I had no clue what that meant but later
on she told me about Parvati and the rest is history.
What was your reaction when you got the offer?
I was extremely apprehensive about taking the role. In part,
because when I was shooting for another pilot for Balaji nothing
seemed to be working out. I had even begun to think that workwise,
relations between Balaji and me were simply jinxed. Besides,
taking up the role meant staying back in Mumbai which was
rather difficult as I had already made commitments for the
shoot of Rajdhani which meant I would have to be in
Delhi.
It's quite strange, but at the time I preferred to play the
small role of bhabi in Karam rather than the
central one in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki (KGGK). Then again,
originally the character of Parvati was supposed to be in
her mid-thirties and her child between 13-15 years old and
I was unsure if I would be able to play that. Eventually I
did refuse the role, but by then it was too short a notice,
shooting dates had already been scheduled so it was too late
to back out.
So
how did you settle the issue?
Ekta
had told me that the character of Parvati would create a wave
in television once it went on air. She said: "Saakshi
you don't know what you are refusing." But even then
I refused it. I did not want to walk out on the commitment
for Rajdhani and neither did I want to get into this
age bracket and I conveyed these inhibitions to Ekta. The
character's age was brought down to the late 20's and even
her child's age to somewhere between 7 and 8. And the dates
schedule was reorganised keeping aside dates for Rajdhani.
But after sometime Rajdhani went off air on Star Plus
only to be replaced by KGGK. So maybe it was meant
to be the way things went.
In fact
when the character of Parvati got me the best
actress award (Maharashtra Kala Niketan's 5th annual Bollywood
Award 2000) I think back to the conversations over the character
I had with Ekta especially when she predicted that the role
of Parvati was going to be popular. Now if I find
it difficult to imagine how I could have ever even considered
refusing the role.
What
goes into enacting a character? How easy or difficult is it
to act?
It's
just the idea of living the character for some time. You have
to stop being yourself and you have to be the character. I've
realised that playing Parvati is comparitively easy. But in
another serial Yeh Jeevan Hai, I am doing a character
of a girl called Nafisa who is a hardcore feminist. She is
a single woman and doesn't want to get into marriage. She
is quite different from Parvati or me. During shoots often
what happens is Saakshi takes over "Nafisa". For
instance if the script requires the character to apologise
I would say it the way I would normally do and then the director
immediately points this out and tells me stop being Saakshi.
"You are Nafisa," he says." This character
is very arrogant. if she has to apologise, she does it in
a certain style - say a hand running swiftly running through
her hair - saying sorry with no trace of contrition and in
a confident tone."
It's very tough for me to play her role because I am very
unlike Nafisa. She wouldn't mind having a child out of wedlock.
That is not me. I am very conservative so it is very difficult.
But there are little ways of portraying an image. Playing
Parvati is still easier. For what I am in real life is very
close to Parvati, in matters of behaviour, mannerisms. Except
for her thinking of course.
 |
What is the main conflict that you have in your mind when
you play Parvati?
How can anybody be "so good, so sacrificing"
even when somebody else keeps stepping all over her. I
did not believe that such people exist. But during a visit
to my native place at Rajasthan I came across my own relative
who was very close to the Parvati on screen and that made
me get more attached to the role.
|
You
were more inclined towards a corporate career until the acting
bug bit you, which indicates contemporary thinking quite unlike
the Parvati who takes everything lying down, especially in
a scene where Parvati is shown being slapped by Pallavi (her
sister-in-law). So don't you face conflicting thoughts?
While
shooting that shot I felt very awkward, but that is the way
character is sketched. But there is a reason behind that.
In the serial the essence of showing Parvati not
retaliating to the slap is that the next time when the circumstances
are apt she slaps Pallavi for her nastiness in
the presence of other family members.
What
according to you made the character so popular for the viewers?
I often wonder how it went on to be so popular but have
never been able to really figure it out. It could be that
Indians are very emotional. Crying makes them happy. It could
also be self-pity. That they sacrifice a lot for the good
of the family and yet they get the worst deal in return. It
could even be the other way round. Maybe women identify themselves
with the way Parvati cares for the family, sacrificing her
desires without any regrets if it helps the family.
What
do you feel about the character?
Somehow, I strongly feel that many viewers get carried
away with the idea that what she is doing is good, and
in the best interests of the family. Which may be right
in a way, but that is only from one side. What isn't realised
in this process is that what could be good for the family
could be so maybe at the expense of somebody's own happiness.
But in most cases, women feel that they are doing good.
What she did to Pallavi by getting her married to Kamal
(younger brother of of the person Pallavi was originally
supposed to marry but who ran off just before the wedding)
wasn't a good decision. Mainly because Pallavi did not
wish to get married to Kamal, and this instigates her
to exact revenge on Parvati. |
|
How
do you work on the character?
I take a lot of help from my director. I need a lot of
feedback, a lot of guidance. I have been very lucky to have
worked with Tigmanshu Dhulia (director of Rajdhani)
and Imtiaz Ali (also a director) who take a lot of interest
in the characterisation. They will even tell you what is going
on in the character's mind. So it becomes much easier. If
you know what is going in the character's mind while saying
the lines then you obviously are thinking like that and it
obviously comes out like that. I go for these details.
|
Are you director's actor or actors' actor?
I
am a director's actress. Given a script I can convey
the character but it would be limited to a certain perspective.
When the director expresses what the character really
is like and how it could be brought out better then
that helps enhance my performance.
|
Saakshi
Tanwar & in tele serial 'Kahaani
Ghar Ghar Ki'
|
Does
that mean you keep going back to the director for expressing
every nuance of the character you are trying to portray?
Many times you can't even think of another way of enacting
a particular scene or shot. If you are on your own then after
sketching it out in your mind you tend to do what you perceive
the character is like. But if someone comes forth and tells
you this is how it could be then you realise yes this is more
like her and it comes though better than before. The things
that have to conveyed are now being done in a better manner
and it's so realistic. So somewhere I feel that left on my
own I'll miss out certain details.
Each time I see myself on screen I feel the shot could have
been done the other way. But if that thought crosses your
mind while acting only then it makes sense, not after the
shot is over. Of course you can incorporate that in later
performances. If at the time of acting someone can tell you
what is expected of the character then it makes a lot of difference.
And that is what has happened in Yeh Jeevan and Rajdhani.
Did
you ever have to work on your voice?
In Dastoor, which was a Muslim love story, my voice
was childish and shrill and the character needed a range in
voice that would come through as she ages from 20 to 40 years.
It was a role of a Muslim girl whose father gets her married
off to another man instead of a close relative with whom she
is in love. The role spans over 20 years beginning from Sher
Bano's (the character she plays) youthful years to the time
she stands up against her family.
To prevent history from repeating, she sides with her daughter
to marry the person that she (her daughter) desires to be
with. As the character begins aging, in order to match the
voice with her age, it had to be more rough. I would sit with
the harmonium and work on the voice, stretch and make it flow
along with the musical note.
Which
character that you've portrayed is your favourite?
The one I did in Bhanwar. The role was of a social
worker fighting for a 16-year-old rape victim. It's my favourite
because it was all about performance. No make up, no special
effects to cover up. It was all about hard work in the form
of more refined, presentable acting.
What
do you look for in a script?
Range of emotions to portray, how comfortable will I be
playing the role. I ponder over whether I will be able to
portray the character in a convincing way.
What
does acting mean to you?
Acting to me is portraying the character with 100 per
cent conviction. Whether it is true or false, your should
act in a way such that your audience shouldn't even for a
second feel that you are acting. It should be very convincing.
Like so many times while reading the KGGK script I
feel that no, no this doesn't happen.
I would be so unconvinced with the thinking of the character
that at times, I would change the dialogues to suit the conflict
going on in my mind about the way Parvati thought. But then
the director would explain why things are the way they are.
|
