'A grey-haired Parvati bhabi wouldn't work'

Sakshi Tanwar is not your regular television bahu. For starters, she is Ekta Kapoor's favourite bahu. Secondly, the actress has had a stunning makeover by Manish Malhotra when her serial, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, went through a generation leap.

So instead of an older, greyer woman, Sakshi's Parvati bhabi looks more glamorous now.

Srabanti Chakrabarti spoke to Sakshi about herself, her initial years in showbiz, and playing a gorgeous 60-year-old woman.

You have become an established actress now. Looking back, do you feel you have achieved what you wanted?

Frankly, I never thought I would become such a busy actress. I always wanted to do something creative and had an interest in acting. But I never thought it would become my career.

I took studies very seriously and wanted to become an IAS officer. I was also very active in extra-curricular activities especially acting, dancing and elocution. But I did not do it with the intention of becoming an actress.

From an aspiring IAS officer to a TV actress, how did the transition happen?

When I was in Delhi, I would do small roles in Doordarshan programmes. Since I had a passion for acting, I did some roles for Sony and Star Plus too. I came to Mumbai for one of those serials, and stayed with a friend.

As luck turned out, she had some work at a Balaji studio and took me along. Ekta's aunt noticed me and asked me to leave my portfolio. Unfortunately, I didn't have a portfolio then. In fact, I still don't have one. So I left a few working stills with them.

So that's how Sakshi became Parvati?

Yes. Ekta saw my photographs and within a month, when I was visiting the Balaji studio again for some work, she spotted me.

'You are my Parvati,' she said.

I thought she was talking to someone else. Only after she said, 'Excuse me, I am talking to you,' did I realise that I had bagged the role!

But I was not sure whether I wanted to take it up because I was just starting my career and was being offered the role of a bari bahu (eldest daughter-in-law). When I expressed my concern to Ekta, she narrated my role in detail and told me that within a week of the serial being launched, people will call me Parvati. And that actually happened.

Tell us something about the initial days of getting into Parvati's skin.

Don't ask me. When we started shooting for Kahani, we would work for 15-16 hours every day. It was like getting into a new life altogether. I hardly had time to think of anything else.

At times I would feel so low that I would call my mother and start cribbing about the work schedules. It was only after she scolded me and said that I need to stick my decision, did I realise that there is no shortcut to success.

After playing Parvati for so many years, has Sakshi Tanwar [Images] changed as a person?

Sakshi has remained the same person. I have become more confident and responsible after playing the role for such a long time. Today, I live alone in Mumbai; something I never dreamt would happen.

Being the youngest in my family, I have always been pampered. So, this is something that Parvati has taught me.

Parvati and Sakshi are different in many ways. While she is the decision maker in the family, I prefer if my decisions are taken by others.

What is Sakshi's weakness?

Sleeping! I am extremely fond of sleeping. Whenever I get some time off, I catch up on sleep. On my day-offs, all I do is sleep.

You have not been seen in other serials for a long time...

That's not entirely true. When Kahani started, there was hardly any time for me to do anything else. When I did get the time, I started working in serials like Devi, Gurukul and Sansar. But I realised I was working 24/7. I didn't want that.

Now, I am happy and content with just one serial. Besides, most of the offers I was getting were similar to Parvati.

Are you happy with your new look -- that of a 60-year-old woman without any signs of greying?

As an actor, I am never really concerned about my getup. The modern look that you see Parvati in now is a decision taken by Ekta. I have immense faith in her. Plus, I believe that you cannot judge a person by her dress.

In the last six years that Parvati has been seen on screen, she has got her share of success and failure. She was vulnerable, she made mistakes and learned from them. Now, she makes a comeback with a motto of revenge and a grey-haired Parvati wouldn't have conveyed the message properly. Thus, the modern look.