"I am happy to break my glam image"

However, when we spoke to her about this latest development in her career she sounded upbeat and all charged up, "Fiction is time consuming and after the birth of my baby girl I didn't want to get too busy with shoots. Even now I am a bit scared as I am doing a fiction show after two years so there are mixed feelings. There were always offers coming in and this happened all too suddenly. I got a call to replace Rupali and surprisingly I have recently replaced her in the play 'Marriages are made in heaven' too. Everything suddenly fell into place and I started with the promo shoot."

Barkha feels close to the character as she herself is a parent now and that is also the reason that she got interested in the show, "I have seen but hardly followed the show. Now that I am a parent I liked the concept even though I play mother to three grown-up kids, the eldest being 18 years old while in real life I have just one daughter who is two years old."

Isn't that a little tough on the audience who has seen Barkha in young and glamorous roles, be it films or Television? "Yes, I know it will be a bit tough for me as well as my fans who will suddenly see me look all grown up and mature but it is a fact that on television young actresses grow up fast. Girls younger to me are acting as a mother to bigger girls and no one can do much about it."

The show has taken a two year leap and will now be known as Parvarrish – Nayi Umar ki Nayi Chunauti, and if it takes another leap will Barkha be ready to act an older mother with grey hair? "No, I don't think I will agree to age and look older. I don't know which actor has done that so far. That is another thing on Indian Television, the shows take a leap but the actors don't age accordingly when it comes to their look and make-up."

Talking about her look, Barkha will be seen in sarees as opposed to Rupali who was seen in salwar-kameez with long hair left loose, "I will be seen in sarees and I am happy about it. Actually I look too thin in salwar –kameez and look more mature in sarees, so I guess it will help me get into the character and look it too."

Barkha is happy about the fact that she will be getting out of the glam image, "In the past, I have played an Indian bahu and daughter in many serials earlier and this will be something interesting for me too. In fact I am glad that I get a chance to change my image as I was not all that keen on being called an item girl. I have done only couple of item numbers so far. Also, I don't think it will make a huge difference in my career as films and TV are different league altogether. Films will cast you as per how you look and will not typecast you in an image."

All the best Barkha for a refreshing second innings!

Seema Khot Mattoo