Talented actor Garima Vikrant Singh is full of praise for Gul Khan, the producer of her new Star Plus show, Yeh Jadu Hai Jinn Ka. “Ma’m has the penchant to keep you guessing; no wonder audiences remain connected to her shows, be it Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala or Ishqbaaaz.”
Garima was also a part of Four Lions’ other chudail show, Nazar, where her character was recently bumped off.
Can we see your come back? “I don’t think so, for there are some channel norms about not using the same actor in two simultaneous shows.”
Coming to her tawaif character Salma, in the show Yeh Jadu Hai Jinn Ka, she says, “Here too Gul has gone against the conventional logic of presenting these now-extinct dancer women in a loud and garish manner.”
“The best part about Salma is that she has multiple layers. On one side she is greedy, yet cares a lot for lead character Roshni (Aditi Sharma), whom she had adopted as a child. There is much more to her. Just keep watching to find out more.”
“I am having a superb time shooting with lead gal Aditi Sharma. She is not only a flawless performer, but also a very sweet girl.”
Ask her whether the jinn will trouble her as well, and she says, “To be honest, we have no clue as to how the storyboard is proceeding. We ourselves are surprised by the huge twists and turns that keep happening. Coming to your specific question, whether the jinn will possess me or not, I will never hedge my bet on this glorious uncertainty called Indian TV.”
“All I can say is that I will be both loved and hated in the same breath. What more can an actor ask for?”
Looking ahead, Garima, who has done several other TV shows like Gustakh Dil, Phir Subah Hogi and Ishq Ka Rang Safed, would want to experiment with web as well. “But going bold is totally off limits.
I really don’t think you need to show nudity to tell your love story. Remember the equation between Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan in Sholay?”
“Also, if end users only want titillation, why would they go for a half-baked web series, when they can watch the entire action on po*n sites?”
“Last but not the least, everything boils down to personal choices. I am not cut out for going nude, while other actors like Flora Saini are comfortable doing it. I doff my hat to her for having the gumption to do so. It is so not me.”