‘Freshness’ in Karan and me worked in favour of Mehak: Samiksha Jaiswal

Samiksha Jaiswal, the girl from Indore has in no time made it to the hearts of the TV viewers with her cute and adorable portrayal of the lead character in Zee TV’s Zindagi Ki Mehak.

She is loved for her simplicity, just like her character, and her onscreen chemistry with co-actor Karan Vohra has simply created magic.

In an exclusive conversation with IndianWikiMedia.com, Samiksha opens up about her personal life, her childhood, her passion for acting and above all, on her dream role of Mehak. Excerpts: 

Zindagi Ki Mehak has been a success story for all involved. How has this journey been?

The character design of Mehak has been so beautiful, whether it is the way she talks or her simplicity. For me, these are mainly responsible for the success story of Mehak. Simplicity is the first attribute that has connected with the audience. Also, the biggest reason for Mehak’s character to have connected with the audience is her family, the Sharma family. From the start of the promos to the launch and beyond that, the character of Mehak has been beautified by her family. The way Kanta Chachi, Jeevan Chachu and others kept talking about Mehak has indeed made a place in audiences’ heart. And today, the value of Mehak has increased leaps and bounds.

You received instant fame, which started as soon as the promos of the show broke and you have gotten popular with every passing day. What is it that connected you so well with the audience. Your thoughts…

Definitely, Zee TV has given me a huge platform with Mehak. I feel very lucky and blessed to be part of the show. I have been utilizing the opportunity completely with my acting skills. During the journey, I have learned a lot. It’s been a year now since we started shoot for Mehak. It has been a great learning curve working with 100 people on sets. I have understood how to deal with everyone, with situations and how to be in good terms with everyone. I have learnt a lot from my Producers; they have been very patient towards me, and understood me. I have gained patience and learned to be calm and composed.

How different was it to be part of a show which dealt with the culinary skills as its main concept? How did you react when you were offered the show?

I guess it is a very unique concept. Mehak brought in a new concept; it was for all the home makers. A home maker makes the home beautiful. However, the home maker never gets valued. So we emphasized on this. People always talk about achieving something or the other professionally. Nobody talks about home and about housewives. Nobody talks about stories related to home. So we tackled this in our show. In the very first episode, when Mehak is asked what she likes to do, she answers it in a very simple manner that she likes to cook and eat. It was a very different content and I am happy to take the concept ahead.

How is it to work with Producer Saurabh Tewari? 

Working with Saurabhi Sir is like a blessing. I have been lucky to work with him. He is a really humble person and very supportive.

Talking of culinary skills, how good are you in cooking in real life? What do you cook the best?

I know how to cook and I can cook. But I will not say that I can cook very tasty food. I make Maggi noodles well and dal tadka too (smiles).

Your onscreen chemistry with Karan Vohra has been appreciated a lot. What do you think is the reason for this…

Basically, my chemistry with Karan is good onscreen I guess, because we both are new and fresh. We wanted to give our best. Viewers have loved our freshness and we have taken the chemistry to the next level. We are good friends and we are capable of tuning in to a scene very well.

The show which started as the journey of a home maker has somewhere down the line lost its plot as audience prefers to see more of your and Karan’s chemistry. What do you have say about this?

Well, I will say that it is all about what works!! Till the time the concept of ‘food’ worked, it was going on. When we started with the romance, viewers loved it. Hence, the story now revolves more on the romantic part rather than food. The basic underlining factor is that viewers will get to see what they like.

Tell us about you as a person. How was your childhood and how did the passion of acting take charge?

As a person, I am jolly-natured. I love acting. It is my passion. From my childhood, I used to stand before the mirror and try to act. I have always had an inclination to theatre, acting, arts and used to participate in the school functions. I have never felt a strain in my acting field. I have always enjoyed it. From childhood, I have been a typical outdoor person with a zeal to play, do pranks and indulge less in studies.

Tell us about how you got the lead role in Mehak…   

I was in Indore when I got this lead role. Well, it took them a while before they could decide whether they wanted a chubby girl or not. I should thank Saurabh Sir for sticking with me as he thought that I will be perfect in the role of Mehak.

What are your likes and dislikes?        

I like food, especially street food Indian. I love chocolates. I like to swim. Swimming has been my favourite sport. I like to sketch even though I am not good at sketching. Above all, I like acting. Also, I like to sleep, watch TV and movies. I don’t like to do household chores. I don’t like to eat salads. I don’t like to exercise. Also, I don’t like to get up early in the day.

Who do you gel with very well on the sets of Mehak?

Shiny (Dixit) and Vidushi (Kaul), who are playing Nehal and Sonal, are the ones I gel with the most on set. Otherwise, there is a bonding with everyone on the set. All are so very nice. We always hang out together and enjoy our free time on set.

Would you have taken up this show if it was shot in Mumbai?   

Well, I would not have had any problem doing the show if it was shot in Mumbai. Mumbai or Delhi, does not matter to me, as it is not about the shoot. It is about the story line that attracted me towards it.

In the long run, will you want to settle in Mumbai to have a good future as an actor?

Yes, in the longer run, I wish to be in Mumbai. But if you ask me, honestly, I have not thought about what I will do after this show. But yes, Mumbai has been in my mind.

What is the kind of attitude you possess in real life? Are you jovial or a serious person?

As I said earlier, I am a jolly-natured girl. I like to have fun. I am never the serious girl. I like to be jovial. I like to take things lightly. And I work with a calm head.

How is your off screen rapport with Karan Vohra? 

Karan and I talk to each other in a very casual and jovial way always. I like to irritate him and he too enjoys when I am upset. We share a good healthy bonding. And that is why our onscreen chemistry comes out good. Hence we appear cute together. Above all, we respect each other.

Any memorable moment on the sets of Mehak that you want to share?        

I have had a lot of memorable moments on the set. However, I don’t remember any specific moment though. Each day is a new day for me, and every day on set Mehak excites me.

Are you active on social media? Do you interact with your fans? Explain.

Yes, I am active on social media. Fans interact with me. I always like to share my photos and thoughts. I end up with less time on my hand, so I don’t reply to the comments I get. But I do read each and every comment. Yes, I do know my fans by their names and Ids, and I know who like my work and who are there for me.

How do you all spend time together on set when you are not shooting?  

We sit and talk and have fun. We make videos. We crack jokes, eat together. When we are all together, you never realize the passage of time.

What are the pros and cons according to you, of shooting away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai?

I will like to talk about the cons first. It is always a problem to send out the footages from Delhi to Mumbai. We don’t have the settled environment of the industry in Delhi, like what we have in Mumbai. So all this gets tough. In the beginning, we had lot of challenges, but now we have gotten used to this style of working.

Talking about my personal pros, we do not have the hustle bustle of Mumbai. Life is not that pacey in Delhi. We have a lot of greenery around the place we shoot. So for the actors who like to work in peace, Delhi is the right place.

How have you bettered yourself as an actor after you have been in the limelight of Mehak?

Obviously, with time and if you are acting every day, there is bound to be an improvement. Yes, I guess I have improved a lot. The character of Mehak and the challenges she faces have made me stronger and more confident as an actor.

What are your future goals? What is the genre you would like to explore in the future?

I don’t think I can decide on future goals as of now. Whatever comes my way and if it is good, I am going to take it. Be an opportunist is what my take is as of now. There is no particular plan for the future.

Are you game for reality shows? If yes, what kind? 

No, I am not really up for reality shows like Bigg Boss. I would like to keep myself private. Acting is a different thing for me and coming in reality shows is not what I feel is being an actor. I would like to follow my profession and I don’t think I am keen on reality shows.