Garvita Sadhwani has in no time, emphatically proven that she is gifted as a performer. Her laudable performance in Rajan Shahi’s Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si, gave her the bigger gift of playing the complex and layered character of Ruhi in Directors Kut’s long-running and successful Star Plus show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.
She started as Ruhi in a tricky situation and immediately got the audience to appreciate her wide range of performances in the role of Ruhi. This experience has made her a confident actor!!.
In an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Garvita Sadhwani talks about the challenges involved in playing Ruhi, and how she has grown as a performer in this beautiful journey.
Read on.
How has the role of Ruhi shaped the performer in you?
I can confidently say that I have learned a lot as an actor and performer through this show. When I joined, I don’t think I knew much about expressing emotions on camera or delving deep to find those feelings. But with Ruhi, I have had to explore such intense, complex emotions and layers at times that I have discovered something new within myself. Amazingly, I can channel those feelings on screen. And yes, I think that’s the beauty of portraying a complex character—you learn so much.”
Back to back impressive roles to play in Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si and Yeh Rishta, did you expect this big limelight so early in your career?
Touchwood—I want to say this is all God’s grace and my parents’ blessings. I know it seems like it’s just been two years since I was in Mumbai, but the journey to get here was very long and tough. Once I got in, I knew there was no going back, and I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t keep a Plan B because I didn’t want one. I just wanted to go for it. So, I have worked hard to get where I am. I am very grateful, but there’s still a long way to go.
What has been the biggest challenge playing Ruhi? Do you feel the pressure of not looking monotonous in your anger and frustration that Ruhi is undergoing? How do you tackle it?
That’s a great question. Honestly, I do worry about monotony sometimes. But thanks to the writers, the scenes are always written so well and with clear descriptions that make it easy for me to understand. Since I have been living this character for about eight or nine months now, I have started to understand Ruhi as a character—her frustrations and her triggers. I take a lot of interest in understanding the character deeply. I believe the most important work an actor does is building and understanding the character. I think I have laid a strong foundation, so I don’t worry much about being monotonous anymore. Every time I approach a scene, it feels quite interesting because I have worked hard to make Ruhi feel real.
You come across as a natural performer. What is your forte as an actress? Where do you think you need to work more to up your potential?
I come from a school of thought where I need to genuinely feel what I am going to portray on screen. I don’t have an on-off thing. In most scenes where I have to cry or show deep emotions—like the scene where Ruhi loses her child after Ruhi wakes up from the coma—we shot that over two days, and I stayed in that zone, fully feeling it. It can be mentally taxing because sometimes I carry those emotions home, feeling sad or upset. But when I see it come alive on screen, it’s all worth it. I like to immerse myself in the emotions, go deep inside, and imagine how it would feel. I draw inspiration from performances I have seen, and I think about them. Anger comes more naturally to me, so when I need to perform angry scenes, it flows quite easily. But with other emotions, I listen to songs, reflect on moments in my life that made me cry, and sometimes it can get quite dark. Despite that, I just want to give my absolute best.
The loyal viewers saw the confidence with which you and Rohit Purohit entered the show midway. There has never been a low phase. What did this testing phase teach you?
When I first joined, there was a sense of responsibility, and I was quite nervous about whether people would accept me or not. But now, after nine months, I feel like I have been accepted. There hasn’t been any chatter about the replacement. Whether I started at the beginning or midway doesn’t matter. I have taken it upon myself to fully read this book, no matter where I began. I am committed to reading it anyway, and it’s great that I have been accepted—it feels like the cherry on top. As I mentioned, I am working hard. I know it’s very easy to hate a character, but there are a lot of sleepless nights behind the work we do. Sometimes, the comments people make can be hurtful. Of course, I do receive negative comments, but I try to take them in stride and move forward. My mom once told me something: Samundar ko kisise farak nahi padta (The ocean is unaffected by anyone). I like to think of it poetically—that I am like the ocean. It does affect me when there’s negative chatter about the character because I play Ruhi, and I feel connected to her. I feel like I am Ruhi. But I take all of it in stride and keep moving forward, which is why I believe I have been able to win people’s love and truly become accepted as this character.
