Pallavi Pradhan has no qualms about her STAR Bharat show, Jiji Maa, going off air.
“Every product has a shelf life and we ran for a year and a half, which is quite a big thing. I am not only taking home a lot of name, fame and money, but even my first award in over 25 years of acting.”
Pallavi has been a stage actor for years. She first found TV fame with Bahu Hamari Rajni Kant, and now this negative character in this Jay Mehtaa production. She has also done several Gujarati films.
When asked about the credibility of awards, she says, “Gold awards is a well-known brand. Today, only very popular actors and shows get felicitated, for most voting is done online. The jury awards bring about the critical appreciation.”
Here Pallavi adds, “I am very lucky to have come at a time when social media rules; where you are not judged solely by your on-screen avatar, but also on the personal info that you post. Although Uttara Devi did a lot of bad things, fans understood that I am just playing a fictional character and I was not attacked for the same, as would happen earlier with most negative genre actors.”
Looking ahead, Pallavi says, “Although I want to be different, I have to accept that Indian TV does not look at women my age beyond good and bad mother, and I have already done both. So let’s see what comes my way next. Ideally, I like to give myself a six-month break between shows, hence have already turned down one project, for it will start very soon.”
Ask her if she would now want to work with bigger channels and she says, “For me, the platform is not important; rather, my character, production house, and yes, timely remuneration are higher on my wish list. Also, sometimes one show can change the fate of a channel, for example, Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai.”
Besides TV and stage, Pallavi is also ready for web projects. She would not mind doing an older woman-younger man love story, “If it does not propagate wrong values in society.”
In closing Pallavi says, “I just have one dream that huge billboards of my future shows dot the city landscape.”
Best of luck, Pallavi!!
