People don’t look at your skin color, it’s all about the performance: Parul Chauhan

She’s demure, she’s beautiful and she has her head on her shoulders!! She rose to limelight as Ragini in Bidaai, and her on-screen nature of being a girl with a beautiful heart showed across in her real life too.

Even today, she’s fondly remembered for her on-screen brilliance in Bidaai. She’s Parul Chauhan for you!!

In a frank and open chat with us, Parul talked about her career, her return to Director’s Kut, on her nature on the whole and future plans…

Excerpts:

Back to Director’s Kut. How’s the feeling?
It’s like a homecoming to me and I feel good to be back with the people I started my career with.

How do you describe the role of Swarna in Yeh Rishta? Does the character reflect your real self in any way?
Swarna is a simple bahu who finds happiness in the happiness of the family. She’s simple and a person who is concerned about her family’s happiness. I am able to justify the character because I am simple too in real life and I have a confidence factor in me. I am satisfied with what I am doing and it’s quite challenging.

You could have got lot many roles that reflect your age. Why did you think of taking up the role of a mother to a grown up boy?
It doesn’t matter what age you play on-screen. What really matters is the character you portray. For me, it was Rajan Sir’s call and I had to say yes because he is my Godfather and if he is bringing me back on YRKKH after Bidaai, it’s a big thing for me.

When you were offered this role, what was your thought process? Take us through the manner in which the decision was made?
He asked me to meet him and narrated the scenes and role. He said that I was so much like the character and suited the age ratio. He was very sure that I would justify the part and no one would do it better than me. This talk with Rajan Sir gave me all the confidence to play the role with conviction. Above all, Director’s Kut is like my home production and I am not restricted on anything and I am treated with so much of love and care.

Are you not apprehensive of not bagging a lead role post Bidaai?
I work professionally. I have done lead roles after Bidaai in Punar Vivaah, Rishton Se Badi Pratha. I did a sister’s role in Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi; it was different with a grey shade. While choosing a project, I usually don’t see if it’s the lead role or not, but I do roles that are challenging.

How has life treated you over the last few years?
Life has treated me very well. Whatever I did was for myself and the happiness of my family. For me, professional work matters the most and that’s what I am doing.

Have you been busy pursuing any hobby or passion?
I love dancing, cooking, singing, traveling and I try singing at home. I watched a lot of Hollywood movies and learnt a lot from them. My aim is to learn so much that people are able to point out the difference in me, and say that Parul has changed for the better Also, the audience should be able to see the maturity in me as an actor.

How is your association with Directors Kut and Rajan?
Rajan Sir is like my father and Director’s Kut has proved the turning point in my life. Till date, I have considered his suggestion before taking up any new work. I can share anything and everything with him. He knows it when I am happy and when I am sad.

Are you in touch with your Bidaai co-actors? How often do you talk to them?
Not much in contact but yes, we do meet at parties and talk on texts and call each other because everyone is busy in their own lives.

What does this role in Yeh Rishta mean to you?
YRKKH means a lot to me as I want to justify my character, especially because the show is at a crucial phase wherein Hina Khan and Rohan Mehra are not in the plot and there’s a lot of responsibility on the new faces. With all the love of the audience, our tracks have been doing well. Touchwood, the TRPs have gone up. It’s not only my hard work, but of the whole cast and crew who work hard to maintain the show and for increasing the TRPs.

Do you think your dusky tone has kept you away from lead roles post the success of Bidaai? Your take…
There’s nothing that dusky tone keeps you away from. The era has gone where the colour was a main concern. If you see, it’s not necessary that every fair actor acts good. He/she has to be good by nature. In fact I feel proud of my dusky tone, as I am going long in my career owing to this. As for me, people do not look at your colour, but at how well you perform.

Do you think having a fairer complexion is an added bonus for an actor? How do you arrest the thoughts regarding this?
I would give you a straight example of Bollywood actresses wherein in order to enhance their features, they tone down their skin shade. According to me, dusky tone looks quite good onscreen. No one cares about the complexion and tone of the skin. As I said earlier, all depends on how good you work.

You have had a makeover of late. So how do you explain this?
I started my makeover from 2007 and when you have nothing to do, there’s no better thing than to take care of yourself. So after Bidaai I tried grooming myself for good. Every person loves to have some changes in him /her, isn’t it?

What kind of a person is Parul Chauhan?
Everyone says that Parul is good at heart and I would like to believe so. It’s been years of working in the industry and people tell me that there’s no change in my attitude. I call Rajan Sir’s mother my mummy and recently when there was a hawan on the sets of YRKKH, I met her and touched her feet seeking her blessings. During that occasion too, I heard Rajan Sir tell his mother that Parul has not changed at all (blushes). Trust me, I never wanted to change myself and will not want to change myself in future too. I just want to live happily and want everyone’s happiness and the show to work well.

Yeh Rishta has gotten through lot of controversies with the exit of Karan Mehra and Hina Khan. What do you have to say about this?
There’s nothing to comment on this because everyone has his or reasons and manner of dealing with a situation and that’s what they did. I am no one to comment on anyone’s personal life.

Unhappy that you are not part of Yeh Rishta during its prime?
Things happen to a person when it’s written in his or her destiny. So I am happy with whatever is happening now.

How well do you know Hina Khan? What do you think about all the controversies she was into? Do you miss Hina on the sets?
I have shot a few promos and have done few dance performances with Hina in the past. She’s a nice girl and I wish her luck for her bright future.

How is it working with Sachin Tyagi?
Sachin sir is good and he brings about a lot of fun on sets. We talk a lot and he shares many things and there’s a lot to learn from him. So, I think that our personal chemistry is showcased on-screen too. He makes us laugh all the time.

How do you feel when you share screen space with the younger generation actors?
It’s fun working with them.

How well are you gelling with the Yeh Rishta team?
The team is not new to me. I have known them for eight years and they have welcomed me warmly and we work having lot of fun.

Now after Yeh Rishta, don’t you think you have limited options of playing your own age?
I don’t think that would be the case. Everything depends on your work and capability. If I get a good challenging role, I have no issues in working. I want people to watch me on television and tell me that I have improved.

How important is the style quotient for you?
You should have your own style and not copy anyone. It’s not necessary that you should be bold and do whatever you want. There is a limit and a line that one should not cross, even when you have the style of your own. I feel I should look cool, confident and pretty.

Do you believe in looking good or being a good individual in public?
When a person becomes an actor, he thinks that he should look good and that’s what they do to keep themselves going. I prefer to keep it simple and sober. Your style becomes your statement. So it is important that you should be well-behaved and when anyone approaches you, you need to be polite. More than your look, viewers should like you for your nature.

What do you think are your plusses and minuses as an actor?
My work is to act. Any drawbacks in my work will be corrected by my team. I am still learning, but yes I have groomed myself a lot and I can understand much better about what is required of me. I want to be learning forever and learn from whatever I observe.

What’s your relationship status? Any thought of marriage?
No thoughts on getting married as of now. I am not in any relationship, and if there’s any, you would know (smiles).

Finally, message to your fans…
My fans have loved me immensely and they have known me as Ragini. Now that I am playing Swarna, I want them to keep up the love and relationship with me forever. One of my fans from Albania wants to come to Mumbai to meet me on sets. The planning is still in process, and she will come to meet me soon. I want to thank all my fans, Rajan Sir, Star Plus for the trust and belief they have in me.ze