In this on-going lockdown when many iconic shows are being rerun, EKta Kapoor's first TV show Hum Paanch is also entertaining the audience Monday-Friday on Zee TV. Recently we brought to you Meenakshi (Vandana Pathak) and Sweety (Rakhi Vijan) talking about the show- and now it's Kajal Bhai aka Bhairavi Raichura who's here!
Excerpts from the conversation:
How do you feel about Hum Paanch returning on Zee?
I got the news a few days back and it instantly took me down the memory lane. I must say that Hum Paanch gave me my identity and I share some very fond memories with its cast. It’s pretty exciting a deal, the comeback I mean- and I am seeing it everyday.
Could you share some memories of the show? How did you feel playing a tomboy-ish character?
I still fail to understand how and why Ekta and Kapilji cast me for that role. I still remember when I first met them, I was very flustered. They briefed me on how they wanted a petite, timid- looking girl to exhibit the typical tomboy-ish attitude. I was completely clueless, but the crew members helped me develop the character- teaching me how to walk, talk and conduct myself to get into the skin of that role. I also got constant support from the King of Comedy, Ashok Uncle and I can't thank him enough. Comedy as a genre is very difficult to adapt, and my role was daunting too- but eventually everything fell in place.
How did your parents react when you got the role and achieved so much fame?
I come from a very rooted family, so it (the fame) was very strange for my parents, my younger sister and even my friends for that matter. I must say that my family has always been very grounded and stardom is an alien concept to them. Thus, I never let any of it enter my home. All of them were very supportive and my family was very proud of me- and I’m thankful for that. I remember we did not have a cable connection before Hum Paanch, but my parents finally gave in and got one only because my show was on air!
Your character was very strong. Didn't you start getting similar roles as Kajal Bhai, after Hum Paanch?
Thankfully not! I was doing a couple of shows on Zee at the same time and those shows depicted characters which were vastly different from what Kajal was. However, while I was playing the character of Kajal, I often used to miss the feeling of dressing up like my other co-actors. Unlike them, I would need just 5 minutes to get into my character and often I would wear my costume from home and come to the set. At times, I felt quite the urge to look like a girl. But then, I would remember the importance my character added to the show.
Are you in touch with your HP colleagues?
I do talk to them on and off and whenever we do, we connect from where we left off. We all shared a phase where almost every small secret and even a breakup was discussed and sorted as well. Ashok sir and Shobha ma’am cared for us like our real parents, so much so that it has been hard to disconnect.
If there were a Season 3 to Hum Paanch, would you like to play Kajal Bhai again?
Yes, I would definitely love to! Of course, I would need to do my homework on the character but honestly, it wouldn’t be difficult to do all that ek baar phir.
Image Source:- Wikipedia, adgully, famouspeopleindiaworld
Image Source:- Wikipedia, adgully, famouspeopleindiaworld