Toral Rasputra, aka older Anandi of Balika Vadhu, is enjoying her stint in the Sony devotional show, Mere Sai (Dashami Creations).
Says Toral, “It is going good so far. The channel is also happy with the numbers as per the time slot. What I like is that it is not your daily story. My real life character is very inspiring. Byaza Ma and Sai shared a special spiritual bond. Her family still lives in Shirdi; so we had to be careful in depicting things, not wanting to hurt any one’s feelings.”
Talking about her personal connect with Sai Baba, Toral says, “I always make it a point to visit Shirdi before starting something new. You get a feeling of bliss and peace out there. Sai’s precepts of Shraddha (devotion) and Saburi (patience) are very important in today’s fast-paced life. I feel fortunate to have got this role. There were elements of his great life, which I was unaware of.”
For Toral, who has done other shows like Dhoom Machao Dhoom, Kesariya Balam Aavo Hamare Des and Ek Nayi Chhoti Si Zindagi, Balika remains her best outing so far. “It was in a different league altogether. Post that, I got a number of historicals, which did not see the light of day. There were several normal daily soap offers, but none really interested me as a performer. After Balika, I constantly need to up the graph.”
Compared to other actors, Toral is not very aggressive on social media or on the party circuit. “I prefer to let my work speak for itself, and neither am I a party animal. The most important thing is to do varied stuff. That is the reason I have also tried theater. I love travelling with my ‘I Love You Two’ troupe for shows.”
When pointed out that many TV girls are doing dare-bare shoots for the Web, she says, “I don’t have the confidence to carry off certain types of clothes. Even in my personal life, you will never see me in hot pants etc. I don’t like wearing such stuff. Also, I believe that most TV gals are always dressed in saris or salwar suits on screen; hence, can’t get the drift to wear bikinis to get work. Having said that, if you have the body, and can carry it off well, there’s no harm in doing it a!!
Wish you luck, Toral!!