Smriti wants real roles

When actor Smriti Kalra bagged a role in the new TV show, Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara, opposite Sanjay Kapoor, she was excited about the concept — a love story between a younger girl and an older man. But little did she know that the show would be axed within just three months. Talking about the abrupt end of the serial, she says, “It was demoralising. Anything that doesn’t reach its planned destination leaves you unhappy. The concept was quite interesting, and the way the story ended, the makers hinted at the possibility of a second season. Everyone is disappointed with the sudden end. More than the actors, the producers of the show took it hard, as they had been working on it for over a year.”

The actor, who has been part of popular TV shows such as 12/24 Karol Bagh and Suvreen Guggal – Topper of The Year , feels that any change in society or on television will be resisted, and one should persist in their in efforts to change the tastes of the audience. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t be persistent and carry our show on and prove that stories like these can work. We needed time. The channel gave up. I took up the show because the concept wasn’t conventional. I wait for subjects and roles like these. My character, Ahana, was a modern girl who knows her mind and makes her own decisions. I hope such real characters find their way to TV shows,” the actor says.

After the show ended, she took a brief vacation to the Andaman Islands. “It was a sudden plan and the best way to chill and relax. My friends made a plan and we decided to fly out overnight. Once we got there, we found a resort and stayed there for four days, but it seemed like it was longer. In Mumbai, you are always running around and time flies. But on a vacation like this, time slows down. You can actually just be and enjoy yourself,” she says.

We needed time. The channel gave up. I took up the show because the concept wasn’t conventional. SMRITI KALRA, ACTOR