Juhi Babbar, the daughter of the legendary Raj Babbar speaks about her plays, her debut in Television and compromises she was told to make in the Bollywood Industry. She gets into a friendly chat with us, talking from the bottom of her heart.
Q. You are a fashion designer by profession then why didn’t you take that as profession rather than opting for Bollywood and now television?
A. I am a fashion designer by qualification not by profession. Initially I started designing clothes for my theatre group and there I started getting small and then big roles and now television. This deviation is quite natural as the acting was in my blood.
Q. Why tele-world and not more of Bollywood?
A. I was unsuccessful in cinema since I didn’t give it a chance to prove myself. After my debut film, I completely stopped doing cinema as the kind of roles and compromises I was offered were against my morals. I was shocked that they even I was told to compromise.
Q. How come now you decided to make your debut in television?
A. Frankly, I never wanted to do television but it was obviously because of Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Idiot Box that I said ‘yes’ to this show called ‘Ghar ki Baat Hai’.
Q. Have you got some other offers on television too?
A. I got many offers prior to this show and now also I keep getting offers but I am seriously not interested to do the Saas-Bahu type of serials. I did this one because it was a comedy and I really liked my role in it.
Q. ‘Kash aap hamare hote’ was your debut film opposite Sonu Nigam. Unfortunately it did not work. Do you blame your acting or the script? What exactly went wrong?
A. I think it is all about your luck and not about script or acting. Many a time the worst of acting and script works. So I believe it is all about your sitaare (luck) and off course hard work too.
Q. What about play ‘ekjute’? Will you continue doing plays?
A. I love doing plays and I think I can never leave it. It’s the place where one can show one’s real talent and potential. I got satisfaction from my work not by any other thing but by doing plays.
Q. Are you the same shopoholic like your character in ‘Ghar Ki Baat Hai?
A. Yes, I am a shopoholic and I love shopping like every woman in this world does.
Q. Amongst your two brothers Arya and Prateik which one is closer to you?
A. This is a very funny question. Both of them are dear to me and really close. The difference is that Arya is elder to me so he is more like a friend while Prateik being younger is like my child. We share a very sweet mother-son type of relationship, although he is my younger brother (laughs)
Q. Your upcoming Bollywood projects?
A. No projects for me now. I don’t want to do Bollywood anymore. I think one was more than enough for me.
Pratik Maheshwari
