Educational
Experience
I've done my B.A. (Economics & Sociology)
from St Xavier's College. Then I went to New
York and did an acting course from The School
for Film and Television and also from Weist
Baron. I've learnt dancing from the Broadway
Dance School.
After
coming back to India, I joined the Kishore
Namit School of Acting and also the Shakur
Sheik Dance School. Everyone in the film industry
from Hrithik Roshan to Vivek Oberoi have learnt
dance from him!! He's the best.
Professional
Experience
I have done a lot of theater since I was six
years old. I was actively involved in it right
through school. The credit goes to my mom
because she has always been involved with
theater. She has a theater school called SPEED
which stands for "Speech Personality
Evolution through Educational Dramakinetics,"
and I have trained under her.
I
played the character of Mother Teresa in a
play called God Is My Banker. The play
portrayed her life from childhood till death.
It was a great experience to play a young
girl and a dying old lady in the same play.
 |
 |
| Playing
the character of young Mother Teresa... |
...and
also the character of the aged Mother
Teresa. |
Then
I also played the part of Beauty in a play
called Beauty and the Beast. Both these
plays were under the banner of my mother's
theater school.
The
other plays that I have enacted in, are Rendezvous
with Guess Who and My Best Friend's
Wedding, which is directed by producer-director-actor
Sundeep Sikaand.
My
last performance was at the Abby Awards where
we enacted a spoof on all the ads. It was
a great experience.
On
television I'm doing Deepti Bhatnagar's daily
soap Kabhi Aaye Na Judai which airs
on Star Plus. I play the character of a girl
called Raveena who does not believe in salwaar
kameez and sarees. She's a hard-core
American return with tank-tops and spaghettis
and a whole lot of attitude!!
I
have also shot a pilot for Gurudev Bhalla's
Rishto Ki Dori, which will be aired
on Sony. The shooting for the serial should
begin by the end of April.
Five
years ago I started teaching the students
at my mom's theater school SPEED and
I really enjoy it.
Theater
& television as career choices
Acting has always been in my blood. I was
exposed to a lot of theater since childhood
because of my mom. Theater is my life and
I am very passionate about my work.
One
thing that I believe in is that if you enjoy
doing something you are definitely going to
make a success of it. And I really enjoy acting.
Current
Television scenario
Well, honestly the current television scenario
has nothing new to offer. The same saas-bahu
dramas are being shown on television these
days and believe you me it's not going to
work in the long run. You can't fool the Indian
audience by showing them such dramas. The
Indian woman is not as weak as is portrayed
in these serials and I don't think any woman
relates to the characters shown in such soaps.
Television
is such a huge medium and has so much scope
for performance, especially for new actors.
There are so many talented actors in the industry
right now but they need the right kind of
role because for actors, serials are the best
way to grow and also show their potential.
Right
and wrong about current television scenario
There is a dearth of good stories in the industry.
We NEED good stories and more intellectual
growth. But sadly, it's not happening.
Indian
women are not weak and mean like they are
shown on most of the soaps aired on television
today. They are not submissive to their husbands'
atrocities like is shown. That needs to change.
I
will never choose a role in which I don't
believe. I don't think I can see myself playing
the saas-bahu kind of roles. The characters
of Tulsi and Parvati are definitely
very popular and they have gained immense
fame and popularity, but I'd rather not do
those kind of roles. Fame, money and popularity
are important for me but not at the cost of
doing what I don't believe in.
I'm
acting today because I love it and it's a
passion.
Five
years from now
Five years down the line I see myself extremely
happy in what I'm doing. I want to be a great
actress and it's always been my funda
since I was a kid that I will work only in
serials or movies that are in the A+ category...
nothing less!
Hobbies
I absolutely love dancing and teaching kids
in my mom's theater school. I enjoy singing
and have trained to play the harmonium. Books
are also my passion. My favourite authors
are Danielle Steel and John Grisham.
Idea
of enjoyment
My idea of enjoyment is being with people
who I vibe with. My friends and family fall
in that category.
I'm
a very adaptable and flexible kind of person.
I can mould myself to the kind of people around
me. I love meeting and interacting with people
because I believe that that's how one keeps
growing.
I
am definitely not a loner and I'm extremely
restless. I need to be around people all the
time. That's my idea of enjoyment!!