Single 'n' happy!

There's a tribe in the industry that refuses to bow to convention and proposes to stand tall and resolutely single on a day marked my mush and moonlight romance!

These are the stars that shine in their own glory and say they don't really need emotional props to pep up either their personal or professional lives.

Peppy Mauli Ganguly, last seen in Saakshi and now in Kkusum, says she is happy to be a free bird. "I see my friends who are married, have a husband and in-laws to account to and can't even go for a movie. I live alone in Mumbai and have no responsibilities as such. When my mother comes to stay with me, I have to do nothing at home as everything is taken care of," she points out.

Aashka Goradia, better known as Kumud of Kkusum, too has no cumbersome boyfriend to worry about. "The biggest advantage of being single is you can flirt with anyone, anywhere and anytime," she laughs.

"You don't feel you are ditching anyone and you are not answerable to anyone." On a naughty note, she adds, "You learn new things from different people rather than learning the same shit from the same man!"

Point taken. Mauli agrees, ""I am cent percent focused towards my career. I have more time to explore life." Even the single guys in the industry seem to be in tandem with this line of thought. Says Shabbir Ahluwalia, otherwise known as the flirtatious Rishi in Kahiin To Hoga,

"The biggest advantage is stress free focus on work. I am working for a daily show in an industry, which is too fast moving, so being single is advantageous. A relationship requires a lot of time."

That's practical thinking for you. Tina Parakh too is equally practical when she points out, "I work in an industry where work schedules are quite hectic and it would be very difficult for a non-industry guy to understand this." She also argues the other side of the debate when she says, Of course, when you are a married woman, it's ok to talk to five men but if you are single and talk to five men, people will talk about you." That however hasn't deterred Tina from being her own person, she says defiantly.

Another flamboyantly 'single' person in the industry, Akashdeep Saigal has no time for girlfriends as he is busy shooting another soap for Balaji Telefilms. He uses the 'extra personal space' he gets to spend time with his family. "I don't need to worry about - "I forgot to call her up", he says wickedly.

Sangeeta Ghosh, veteran of many a soap, also points out that while a husband can be a continuing presence, parents fade their opinions into benignity after some time. "In television, women have a say in everything. I have mostly worked with female producers and I am doing only lead roles so perhaps I have not faced any problems."

Pondering her single status, she adds, "Single is not married but available. Moreover even married people are available, aren't they?!"

By PRASHANT GOLECHA