'I so want to be like Madhuri Dixit' - Yashashree Masurkar

What kind of a character do you play?
I play a seedhi saadhi hasti khelti ladki (straight simple laughin' playin' girl).

How did you bag this role?
The producers of the show saw me on Laxman Resha that airs on Zee Marathi and gave me a call asking me to appear for the auditions.

So far, how is your shooting experience?
It's been very nice. I'm very happy.

Do you relate to the character?
I partially do because I'm very bubbly and always like to be active. But Kanak is born and brought up in rural Rajasthan whereas I'm mostly brought up in Mumbai. Kanak doesn't know English but she's smart in her own way and learns from her environment.

It seems you play a sort of rebel…
Well, you know, I get married to my childhood sweetheart Suraj (Harpreet Singh). And I lose him because of something that Shantanu (Karan Tacker) does. So I take revenge… and if that makes me a rebel…then I guess, yes, you are right.

How did acting happen to you?
When I was in eighth standard I was offered to play the role of a mad girl in school theatre.  I sportily took it up. It gave me an impetus to take more of drama in school. Then I participated in a fashion show organized by Maharashtra Times and won the title of Shravan Queen. This brought me into the spotlight and I landed the role in Zee Marathi's Laxman Resha and now Rang Badalti Odhani.

Don't you feel you got it all easy…without the much struggle?
Yes, but I had to struggle in…umm…other fields of life.

Is Kanak difficult to portray?
She is not much difficult to portray. All that she was, was fun. To be very frank I didn't have to go through so much research etc. Just had to learn the twang of the dialect.

Who is your inspiration?
Madhuri Dixit! I so want to be like her, but I can't dance like her…unfortunately (laughs).

Do you like wearing heavy jewelry like Kanak?
To be honest, I don't wear even a speck of jewelry when I'm at home. On any ordinary day you'll find me in a simple pair of jeans and tee with my hair all whacky (laughs).

Are you parents happy with your entry to the glamour field at such a young age?
Yes, they are very supportive and are happy for me.

How are handling the work pressure of a daily soap?
When you do something that you don't love, then work becomes mundane and pressurizing. I love every moment of being an actor so the tight schedule doesn't bother me at all!

Reporter and Author: Susan Jose