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It
feels nice to be a winner -- Reena Wadhwa
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Chaya
Unnikrishnan
That her serial Aatish would be nominated in the Best Drama
category was something Reena Wadhwa was always sure of. She
was also expecting a nomination for Best Actress. What she
hadn’t expected was to actually win the Screen Videocon
Award for her power-packed performance in this sister vs sister
strife. "It took 24 hours for me to accept the fact that
I had won. I’m elated, it feels nice to be a winner,"
she says simply, disbelievingly.
Who wouldn’t
be considering that it has taken her just three years to be
acknowledged as an actress? When Reena entered the show world
she didn’t know a soul. And was too self-respecting to
go around asking for work. So she did the smart thing and
produced a serial, Neeyat to realise her dream of becoming
an actress. She was lucky she had a rich and supportive husband
in Ashok Wadhwa who was only to happy to start a production
company for his wife. In the three years, since Karnik Communi-cations
has produced six serials.
Reena
started with Neeyat that sparked off interest thanks to its
intriguing subject. It took us behind-the-scenes into the
lives of glamourous film stars and detailed their love-hate
relationship with journalists. Reena played the role of a
promising actress, Shefali Rane and was encouraged by the
success of her small screen venture.
Neeyat
was followed by Ek Mulaqat set against the backdrop of colourful
Rajasthan. Though the serial was lavishly mounted and shot
in location in Rajasthan and Gujarat, it was not well received.
"Perhaps it was too Rajasthani in its feel at a time
when serials like Amaanat set in Punjab were in," reasons
Reena.
However,
the unexpected failure of this serial didn’t deter her
from producing two more, Arth on Zee and Aatish on STAR Plus.
Arth depicts
the contrasting viewpoints of two women. While one believes
in live-in relationships, the other women is all for commitment
and ends up tying the knot with a much married man. Reena
who’s usually so very glamourous opts for a change of
image and plays a docile, middle-class, saree-clad housewife
in the serial. However, despite her deglamourised appearance
Reena hasn’t really managed to break out of the mould.
"That’s probably because of my commanding voice,"
she laughs. "Also I am basically very strong-willed and
that makes me seem pretty aggressive."
Interestingly,
the serial that has got her recognition as an actress is the
one in which she plays an assertive, aggressive, glam-glam
go-getter. Aatish is about a girl born under the influence
of Saturn whose sole aim in life is to destroy her grandmother.
Reena’s enjoying herself playing this evil character.
What very
few people know is that when Zee launched Sawaal Dus Crore
Ka to counter STAR’s Kaun Banega Crorepati they decided
to stay with Reena’s mega fantasy, Thief of Baghdad on
Wednesdays. "It was a compliment to the serial’s
quality. "I knew it was a good product but I wasn’t
very comfortable about it being pitted against KBC,"
Reena admits. Thief of Baghdad did well in the time between
8.30-9 pm but in the latter half when it was up against KBC
the ratings started falling. Now the serial is being aired
on Sunday morning and the ratings have picked up, says Reena
sounding much relieved because she’s spending almost
Rs 9 lakh per episode on the serial.
Reena’s
latest offering is Panaah that began telecast on DD1 last
week. It’s about two women who share a strong bond. Ironically,
it is their friendship that ruins their lives. Reena plays
Prerna who shelters her friend Shreya when she’s trapped
into a loveless marriage only to stumble upon her having an
affair with her husband.
Another
serial that Reena has lined up for the near future is Kahin
Jiya Jale, Kahin Diya, a daily soap that has Reena in "a
very different role".
The actress
has only been acting in her own productions. Is she averse
to working with outside banners? "Not really, but I don’t
want to get bogged down with too many projects because I want
to devote equal time to my children," says Reena, who’s
balancing her act as a mother, wife, producer and actress
perfectly. Films are on her agenda too but only if the role
is similar to Renuka Shahane’s in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
or Shefali Chaya’s in Satya. "I want to do strong
character roles," she asserts.
For an
actress who began with a small role aeons ago in the laugh-riot
Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and then got married and quit working for
several years, it’s been a remarkable co-meback. "This
award has made me so happy but my husband is happier,"
she says with a fond smile, basking in her much-deserved glory.
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