Ashnoor Kaur has been a popular face on television for years now!! But we have seen her in her adolescence, playing child roles on television. Jhansi Ki Rani, Na Bole Tum Na Mainr Kuch Kaha, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Patiala Babes etc are a few of her noteworthy roles.
Ashnoor is now taking the next step as a performer and has bagged her first lead role on the small screen with Colors’ show Suman Indori, produced by LSD Films.
In an exclusive talk with IWMBuzz.com, Ashnoor speaks at length about her first lead role, her planned break from acting and this transition phase.
Read on.
It is a great feeling to see you back on TV. Will you be juggling now with work and studies?
Being away from acting was a planned break during which I enjoyed my college life. I have graduated now. I am a year ahead academically. Suman Indori came my way, so I wanted to give it a shot. Masters are in the pipeline, but I am just going with the flow as of now.
What are the factors that prompted you to make a grand comeback, with Suman Indori?
As I told you, this was a planned break. After Patiala Babes, I was at a tender age. There were no teenage dramas that were being made, and all of them were married shows that were being offered. I had a personal choice that I would not do married roles as a teenager. Now that I am 20, I am fine with coming back to TV and playing a married woman.
But what prompted me more to choose Suman Indori as my comeback show, is on seeing how strong a character Suman is. This is not a typical saas-bahu drama. It is about how this one girl, who is the breadwinner of her family, who hails from a lower-middle-class family, progresses in life. She owns a chaat bhandar. It is a very empowering journey, and how Suman hits politics but ends up with a politician will be interesting. We also have the tiff between Devika and Suman. It is a compelling story, a coming-of-age story. Suman is a strong character, who stands up for her rights. The show sends out a good message.
There is a tinge of comic flavour also as per what we have seen in the promo. Tell us more about the show.
Our show is literally like the Chaat. The Chaat has the perfect blend of spices, sweetness, bitterness and all other flavours. This is how the show is going to be. It has very high drama, comedy, fights and aggression, and romance. It is a full-packed family entertainer which viewers of all age groups will enjoy.
What do you think about the new concepts coming into TV? How important is it for them to do well?
I guess it is nice to have something fresh to serve to the audience. TV a medium will progress with such newer concepts. Why are people switching to OTT? It is because they want something fresh. But if we provide something fresh on the platform of TV, they will sample it and love it. It is a great initiative that Colors is taking forward with different concepts, and looking at not typical storylines. I feel that this will resonate with today’s audience, who want fresh content, but also want something they can connect with.
There is a trend with young girls coming in as leads of shows. Youngsters in the sense, girls who have had oodles of experience as child actors, and now transitioning as leads?
As I told you, I took a break as there were no longer roles that I could take up. This break was also important for me to wash out that child image of mine. Otherwise, viewers would not have accepted me as the young lead. I am happy that actors are getting opportunities as youngsters to play leads. It is also a responsibility on us, as we are entrusted with the big responsibility to carry forward the show on our shoulders. It gives me a lot of thrill and excitement to be a part of something like this. I want to give my 110 per cent. I pray that people accept me in the same way they have accepted the child version of me. This is a new phase for me as a grown-up person.
With all the experience that you have, does this transition become smoother for you?
It does give a little bit of advantage. Along with this, also comes the responsibility. People have a lot of expectations from me. They would have an image of mine, as they have seen my work as a child. They might judge me more than a fresh face. So there are two sides to a coin. But I guess I am all in for this. I am excited.
How have you changed your perspectives with time?
The three-year break I took and enjoyed my college life was very crucial. I have no regrets about doing it. It has helped me and made me explore Ashnoor as a person. Ever since I can remember, I have played characters. I am much more self-aware now, I am better ready to take up newer work and forge forward into the industry. Till now, my mother used to accompany me. Now is the time for me to get independent, and take my own decisions. In the break that I took, I explored global cinema, I got time to analyse different mediums.
How are your parents seeing this transition?
My parents pushed me and supported me to go forward with this decision. I was sceptical about taking it. But with my parents’ assurance, I took it up. They are very excited. They have been supportive.
How is it to work with Anita Hassanandani and Zain Imam?
We have bonded well. I have been friends with Zain for a while. I met Anita for the first time. She is a sweetheart, I call her An. It is good to have people with such positive energy. Work does not feel like work when you vibe well with co-actors.
Best of luck, Ashnoor!!