POOJA GOR, who plays Pratigya Krishna Singh in Star Bharat’s Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2, tells MUSBA HASHMI about her excitement about this season and how the prequel had taken a toll on her eating habits
How does it feel to be back on TV with Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 2 after about six years?
It feels great. I am a workaholic and shooting every day is something I love. Not that, I wasn’t shooting for the last six years. I was, but it was more relaxed. I used to shoot for 20 days with a few holidays, I loved that, but I laid back. And as soon as I started shooting for Pratigya 2, I realised how much I love being grinded up. I am excited for the Season 2 of the show that has made me what I am.
Do you have more pressure for this season or are you relatively relaxed since the character is already well-established?
No, there is no pressure. In fact, as you mentioned, I feel comfortable and relaxed because the character is already established. It is a character that I don’t have to create. As an actor, when you start a new show you have to sit and spend time with the character in order to get into its skin. I didn’t have to do this. When I gave my first shot, the character was inside me. It didn’t feel I was doing it nine years later.
Some memories that you can share from the sets of Pratigya 1?
There are tons of them. In fact, every single day, not just me and but the whole cast and crew of the show gets reminded of something from the previous season. It is a great nostalgic feeling to look back and make more today. I can’t choose one memory because it will be unfair since we have spent three and a half years with the show.
A lesson that you took back home from the sets.
When I started the show, 12 years back and till it ended, our shooting schedule was erratic. We were shooting day in and out till the last episode got over. It was aired on October 27, 2012 at 10:30 pm and we packed up for that episode at 7:30 am on the same day. And because of which my sleep had gone for a toss and I could do very little about it since it was the demand of the show. Even my eating habits were horrible. I would eat a lot of junk or eat at wrong times or don’t eat at all. I was about 18 back then, I didn’t realise but it took a toll on my health. That was the lesson that I had learnt that your eating habits have to be right. I will make sure that I don’t repeat it on this or any other show. Apart from this, there are a lot of lessons that I have learnt over the years about how I would approach a scene. I am learning on the job.
You are also a part of SIT’s web series. How hard will it be to juggle between working on TV and also a digital platform?
It will be a little hard because I have to manage time for both of them. But once the show is set up and we have a bank of telecasts for Pratigya 2, the production is going to help me manage my time. They will spare me for SIT too because it is also extremely close to my heart. It is a different world and I enjoy it equally. I look forward to being on the sets of SIT. The good thing is both the production houses have been kind enough to help me manage it all.
How did Kedarnath happen?
It was simply through auditions. I received a call from Mukesh Chabra Casting Company about a film that they were casting for.
At that time, I didn’t know what that movie was. They gave me a scene and I tested for it. Later on, I was called again for another test and then I was told that it was for an integral part of a big movie. It was not before my third test that I was told it was for Kedarnath. I was given insights into the script tested with Sara Ali Khan for a scene. A few days later, I got a call from the team that I have been finalised. That was it.
From Kitani Mohabbat Hai to now Pratigya 2, how would you describe your journey?
The journey has been colourful and enriching. I can say that I am a much more refined actor now — rich in knowledge of the technicalities of how to stand on your mark or how to look into the camera. I have done a lot of varied roles. I have been choosy in terms of the kind of work I take up because I want to do new things every time. I don’t want to get typecast, which did happen after I did Pratigya and Savdhaan India. I was offered the roles of a strong woman, which is fine, but I was looking for something that I haven’t done. Thankfully, that happened with Roshni. It is definitely challenging to have patience and wait for the right project. But, utilised that time in learning new things. I call it ‘I was updating my software’.
In between all this, did you have any regrets?
Not at all. The reason is before making any decision, I sit and think about all the pros and cons of it. And if I will have even the slightest of doubt about that decision, I will not go ahead with that. I never take or won’t be able to take up a project because I have to. I should feel happy going to the sets.
