TV beauty Aastha Chaudhary admits that at first she was uncomfortable playing mother to an 8-year-old girl in Colors show, Kesari Nandan. “The fear of typecasting did come to mind, but after listening to the entire script, I decided to go with the flow.”
“What I really liked about my character was that she is not just a crying mom. Rather, Madhavi is the link between Kesari (Chahat Tewani) and her patriarchal father, Hanumant Singh (Manav Gohil). Here I wish to add that our show goes beyond the Dangal (wrestling) comparison. Rather, we focus more on the burning issues of child education and women empowerment. I will be more than happy if I am able to contribute even a teeny-weeny bit to societal change,” says Aastha, who first gained name and fame with Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na.
Talking about the current ratings of Kesari Nandan, she says, “While it is not super high, we are doing consistently decent. And I am sure that numbers will rise even further once our tracks open up fully. Remember, it has been just one month since we went on air. The entire Contiloe’ Pictures team is working very hard to rise up to viewers’ expectations. Right now, things are quite cut to cut, but I am sure that over time, they will stabilize and we will get some breathing space.”
Her last GEC appearance was in the title role of Niyati in Sahara One show, Rishton Ke Bhanwar Mein Uljhi Niyati.”
Aastha, who had been away from GEC TV for over two and a half years, says, “I was lucky not to get hit by the out of sight is out of mind syndrome. I have been getting lead offers, but there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip. Also, you have to go with the current flow, where most leads are young girls of 16-18 years. In the meantime, I did a Doordarshan show called Udaan (not to be confused with Colors superhit show of the same name), which satisfied the actor in me but did not really get noticed.”
Looking ahead, Aastha would be open to doing web series if the character is juicy enough. However, she would not be game for bold. “I am old-fashioned and certain things continue to be off limits for me.”
Best of luck for this one, Aastha!!
