Deepshikha Nagpal’s role as Nilambari has got the audience hooked to Main Bhi Ardhangini.&TV show Main Bhi Ardhangini has been garnering a positive response from all quarters. While the show stars Avinash Sachdev and Aditi Rawat in the lead roles, it’s Deepshikha Nagpal’s portrayal as Nilambari that has got the audience hooked to the show.
In an exclusive chat with indianexpress.com, Deepshikha spoke about her role, shifting base to Jaipur and comparisons with the original Tamil show.
Here are excerpts from the conversation:
Q. What made you choose Main Bhi Ardhangini?
Honestly, I was blown away by the role. They even gave me a reference of how it will be projected, somewhat like Aruna Irani’s role in Beta. While I liked what was on paper, I wasn’t sure how it will come out on screen. But when I met the team I was sure that it will be a Nilambari driven show. She is the mastermind in the story.
Also, the way it has been shot and presented is something not seen on TV. Everything was perfect for me but the only glitch was shooting in Jaipur for 20 days. I did not want to leave my kids alone. So there was a constant battle between the mother and actor in me. Eventually, the actor won. While my children are better settled, I am still having teething issues moving base to Jaipur.
Q. You don’t look like a mother to Avinash Sachdev. Was it a challenge to play the character convincingly?
I don’t even look like a mother to my own kids (laughs). Nilambari has a complete ‘chammak challo’ look. She has a personality and aura of a lady boss. So they took me on the show because of that. I am really happy with the way my career has shaped up. While I thank my parents for good genes, one thing that helped me survive was my determination to not give up. Other girls who came during my time, got married and left their career. But I did not want that. I always consider myself as a phoenix, so the more I got churned, the stronger I came out.
Q. There’s a surge of horror and supernatural dramas on television. Do you feel your show, which is a mix of romance and horror, will connect well with audience?
To be honest, people turn to TV and cinema to experience larger than life, something that’s different from their real life. Also, I think the TV audience’s taste has changed in recent times. The phase of saas-bahu sagas is gone. Now they enjoy such genre. Also, our show not only has a mix of romance and horror but also doses of comedy, drama and action. It’s also very pacy, and I am sure the audience will enjoy it.
Q. Main Bhi Ardhangini is a remake of popular Tamil show Yaaradi Nee Mohini. Does that act as a pressure for the team?
It is a very big hit show down south and is still doing good. But we haven’t copy-pasted the content. It’s a remake with some innovation. We have also added a lot of glamour quotient keeping in mind our audience. I think people are always curious about remakes and it helps in creating a buzz. While I won’t deny that it can be daunting for makers to live up to the expectation, it’s not the same for actors. My challenge was instead on becoming Nilambari, who is so different from me.
Main Bhi Ardhangini airs Monday to Friday at 9 pm on &TV.
