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Mansi comes age
Preeti
of Aashirwad has grown up. She’s no longer content toeing her papa’s
lines, a sense of rebellion has set in. In real life too, Mansi Salvi
has started spreading her wings. A year ago, this newcomer
had just one serial Aashirwad, to her credit, in which she plays
one of the many protagonists. But now, this teenager has bagged a pivotal
role of a lawyer fighting injustice in a Marathi serial Saudamini. “Most
people know me as Saudamini,” she says giggling over the phone.
| My friends can’t believe that a girl like me used to attend college studiously - I used to carry all the books according to the time-table while they carried just one book - could turn out to be an actress. Even my college principal is very proud of me |
For the Hindi viewers however, she’s still Preeti, an ambitious but
obedient girl who’s sacrificed her love and married a man of her
father’s choice. “Wherever I go, girls tell me that they can
relate to the character because that’s what happens to them most
often,” reveals Mansi. She herself is surprised at the response this
character has evoked . “When I did the first episode I was so hesitant
and unsure that I almost called it off. I could never get the continuity
shots right and consequently the director would lose patience with me,”
recalls the pretty actress.
She was so embarassed that she refused to watch her first edited episode.
It was only when producer Manish Goswami rebuked her, saying if she didn’t
watch it how did she expect the viewers to watch, that she gave in and
saw her work on the screen. “I was surprised at the results, even
my mother didn’t expect me to do a good job,” she confesses.
The intital hiccups were soon taken care of and Mansi started enjoying
herself on the sets.
Aashirwad was followed by Lekh Tandon’s Kahan Se Kahan Tak but it
was taken off the air after 27 episodes, so not many would remember it.
Next came Rakesh Chowdhary’s daily soap Intezaar Aur Sahi in which
Mansi’s playing the main lead as Vishaka Ganguly.
Her role seems to be similar to that of Preeti in Aashirwaad because in
this serial too, she belongs to a conservative family. Only unlike in
Aashirwaad she doesn’t have an overbearing father in the serial.
Her uncle and aunt take over that role. “Vishaka is in love with
a middle-class guy but her uncle and aunt get a rich proposal for her,”
informs Mansi. The other serial in which she’s seen now-a-days is
Kartavya which doesn’t have her in a prominent role.
Since she has just started, Mansi doesn’t seem to be unduly worried
about the characters she plays. She’s however, very particular about
not doing a role with negative shades. “I want to do only positive
roles especially those which convey a message,” she says profoundly
and then spoils it all by bursting into a bout of giggles.
This giggling trait of hers is indeed endearing - it shows that Mansi
is 
unaffected
by her success on the telly. How have her friends reacted to her fame?
“They are very happy. They can’t believe that a girl like me
who used to attend college studiously - I used to carry all the books
according to the time-table while they carried just one book - could turn
out to be an actress. Even my college principal is very proud of me,”
she informs with unbridled pride.
| I was reluctant to do even Saudamini because
I thought doing a Marathi serial would affect my career in Hindi serials.
But my mother told me it wasn’t right on my part to refuse a
Marathi serial especially since I am a Maharashtrian. Also, the role
is very good and the serial has all top Marathi stage actors in it.
I am learning a lot from them |
For a girl who just wanted to do commercials, the small screen has come
as a good break. “I had done an ad for Vim bar which Rakesh Sarang
happened to see. He knew Meena Naik who was also a part of the commercial
and contacted me through her. At the same time, Manish Goswami called
me for a screen test. I was extremely reluctant but my mother convinced
me to go. As soon as Manish Goswami saw me, he selected me for the role
of Preeti,explains Mansi. And now, Mansi is looking forward to her new
serials, Apna Apna Style - a comedy and Hukumat based on the underworld
dons, to be aired. Waht about Marathi serials? “I haven’t signed
any yet. In fact, I was reluctant to do even Saudamini because I thought
doing a Marathi serial would affect my career in Hindi serials. But my
mother told me it wasn’t right on my part to refuse a Marathi serial
especially since I am a Maharashtrian. Also, the role was very good and
the serial has all top Marathi stage actors in it. I am learning a lot
from them,” she says unabashedly and adds that it is popular amongst
the Marathi audiences.
Her tryst with the small screen has
made Mansi more ambitious. She is aiming for the silver screen but that
will be “much later.” Her immediate worry is giving her final
year exams which will commence from April 22. I can study on the sets
and I will also have the whole of April because my shooting will be completed
by March,” she informs.
If not for an actress, Mansi can be easily mistaken for any teenager full
of beans and dreams. It’s probably the Capricornian trait of practicality
that makes her stand apart.
C U