‘LUCKNOW IS MY FAVOURITE CITY’

Lucknow lass Pankhuri Awasthy, who is best remembered for her last show Razia Sultan where she portrayed the role of the first woman ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, was more than elated to be in her hometown promoting her new show.

“It always feels beautiful to come back to Lucknow as it is my favourite city and then my family is here. My early childhood was well spent here when I went to La Martiniere Girls’ College till class 1 before moving out of Lucknow. Then we came back here and I joined CMS, Gomti Nagar, for intermediate,” says the young actor.

Talking about the changes that Lucknow has undergone, she says: “A lot of work has been carried out but there is much more that needs to be done. I have been to Chandigarh, Bangalore, and Mumbai and still feel there can be more options for the youth here. Though the state has evolved on the scene for film making in the last few years, still it is not enough. Youngsters here have every limited scope be it for studies or jobs for that matter.”

Presently, Pankhuri is busy essaying the role of a rape survivor in a new finite series ‘Kya Qusoor Hai Amala Ka’.

She says the upcoming show will feature her in an unconventional avatar. “Kya Qusoor Hai Amala Ka is an adaptation of popular Turkish drama Fatmagul, which ended its Indian run on Zindagi channel just last month. It will air on Star Plus.

The story deals with the complex emotions and a sensitive subject of violation of a woman’s innocence,” she says. The young actor considers herself lucky to have played meaty and diverse characters. “It feels amazing to be a part of this show. I’m really happy to have this opportunity of playing the lead again. In my last show, I played a fierce queen where challenges were different.

I had to learn horse riding though diction was no issue for playing Razia as I belong to Lucknow and I’m well versed with Urdu. But for Amla the challenges are different because it is an unconventional character and a huge responsibility as the way such shows are perceived in the Indian society. It is very sensitive, hence the makers have kept in mind the Indian sensibilities while creating it,” Pankuri says.

Coming back to her initial days, she says, “I was always interested in acting but I didn’t know how to go about it as I didn’t have any connection with this industry. While studying in Lucknow and Delhi I did a lot of plays. This helped me. I got my first break on TV with Yeh Hai Aashiqui’s episodic. After Fanaah Season 2, I got Razia Sultan and the rest is history.”

On a lighter note, Pankhuri recalls her family outings in Lucknow. “It was a fun ride when my father took us out to some eatery like we had ‘chaat’ outings at Mini Mahal, and for family lunch and dinners we visited Royal Cafe and Aryans. It was such a fun. I miss it at times. The food of Lucknow is exceptional and unrivalled at any given point of time. This is what I miss the most in other cities,” she says.

The food of Lucknow is exceptional and unrivalled at any given point of time. This is what I miss the most in other cities PANKHURI AWASTHY, ACTOR

HT PHOTO