Sumona Chakravarti started out as a vamp with a good heart on TV, but is now better known for the comedy show she's part of. However, the Lucknow girl refuses to part ways with Bade Acche Laggte Hain, even thoug her onscreen character Natasha, has very little to do on the show. "Because I am an important part of the show ever since it started, I am there in BALH, just for the sake of being there," says Sumona, who was in Lucknow to attend a family wedding. "I agree that I don't have much to do in the show. My creatives (directors) use me, whenever, they feel the need. I have done BALH for good two years, so mere liye bhi achha hai if I am not shooting regularly, I am getting a break from the hectic schedules," she adds.
But how wise it is to be a part of a show which is not doing good, even TRPs wise? "Bade Achhe... was catering to the urban audience when it started, but at the end of the day, it shifted
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to a regular saas-bahu storyline, as it had to cater to the masses too. The show might not be getting great TRPs, but as a matter of fact, there are only a few shows that rise above TRPs. People still sit and watch them for the brand that they have created. BALH ka break-even point ho chuka hai. Now, it is not about profit-making from the show," rationalises Sumona.
Apart from having no substantial track in the serial, Sumona is also shown as much older. "Currently, I am being shown as a 43-year old woman, though my real age is 25. But even among my group of friends, it is like that even though I am 25, I talk quite maturely. Mentally, in real life too I am not my age. So, I play the character with ease," she says.
I am not stereotyped "I am not someone who watches Indian television. I only love watching American shows. I would like to do more Hindi fiction shows on TV, but not the regular saas-bahu ones. I am open to the idea of working with production houses other than Ekta Kapoor's (with which Sumona has done some five shows) but koi approach toh kare. I was approached for just one serial after BALH, which I refused. That's it!" says Sumona adding, "Whatever I have done till now on TV has been very different. Even though I do family based shows, yet my character is not sterotyped. I would love to be part of a show like Anil Kapoor's 24."
'Kapil Ki biwi' Sumona is recently making news for her comedy stint in Comedy Nights With Kapil. "I am an actor, not a stand-up comedian. It took me a long time to get the hang of comedy even when I did Comedy Circus with Kapil. I am so surprised that people think that I can do comedy by myself, but it is not so. It is so funny that I keep getting calls to do public shows. With Kapil, our chemistry is so brilliant, that we've just clicked together and now people love us together. Not many people know that Kapil had initially done a mock shoot with some other actress for Comedy Nights With Kapil. But when Kapil saw the shoot, he was like 'Please mujhe meri Sumona laa do'. After this show, people actually think I am married to Kapil. Wherever I go, I am addressed as Kapil ki biwi."
But there are benefits of doing comedy too. "Earlier people used to hate me for my character Natasha, now they love me. Comedy happened when I was not playing a good girl on screen. People realized after watching me on a comic show ki yeh utni bhi buri nahi hai," she laughs.
'I miss Gutthi' Recently, her show was also in news with Sunil Grover quitting it. But Sumona says she is not aware of the reason for this. "I don't know what has gone wrong between Kapil and Sunil Grover, but I miss Sunil on the show. I miss Gutthi," she says.
Barfi! was a crash course in Bollywood Sumona made an entry in Bollywood recently withBarfi!. Quiz her on what next in Bollywood and she says, "Barfi! I didn't do as a Bollywood debut. I did it thinking it was a fantastic crash course before entering Bollywood. I used to just sit on the sets and watch the working of the industry. I didn't treat it like, 'OMG! My first Bollywood flick!' Also, nothing has happened post Barfi! I am ready but kisi ne kuch offer hi nahi kiya abhi tak Bollywood mein."
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