Tell us about your television stint, which started with Shanti.
Shanti was the first ever daily soap which played in the day. It was a show that broke the mould. I'd already gotten a job at O&M (Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency) when Shanti was offered to me. I went to the screen test for a lark, and got the role.
Shanti became very popular, and it took me Extra Innings to shrug off the Shanti image.
Then I signed Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi because it gave me my first negative role. But I did not enjoy the experience so much. Doing a negative role on TV is bad because people start relating to the character very strongly. Sadly, the character was also called Mandira. So here I was playing this character that isn't me. I enjoyed in the beginning but later, I found no conviction in that role. I wanted to give this character some dignity but that was not to happen. So I opted out.
There was a time when I thought TV was a reflection of the society and was closer to real life than films. That USP is no longer there, so I don't think I will do a lot of TV unless I get to play a real character that is aspirational, and not regressive.
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