N A T A S H A S I N HA
"I was destined for
television"
Bollywood is her past; Tellywood is her present.
A Dev Anand discovery, hers was a case of came and gone. Not because she
was not a glam-babe or lacked histrionics, but because her films bombed.
She retreated from the make-believe world of Bollywood for a few years and
finally television, like in the case of many a cinema failure, came to Natasha
Sinha's rescue and gave her name, fame and due recognition as an
actress.
Meet Natasha Sinha, who came in to the limelight 12 years ago with Ramesh
Sippy's rivetting soap Buniyaad. "I was destined for television," says Natasha,
who has reworked her priorities after going through plenty of lean phases
in her career and life. "My life has been full of ups and downs," she confesses.
"But then that's life. Some years were bad and some were good. But I never
lost hoped because I am an optimist."
Her optimism gave her the strength to live through
the topsy-turvy days. She considers Buniyaad a turning point in her life
and career. And it remains her best performance to date and the best serial
she has done so far. "Doing Buniyaad was also a memorable experience because
I got to work with a brilliant technician who was at his best then."
After the high, the low. Just when one expected her
to hold centre-stage, Natasha once again dropped oit of sight. "I did stray
episodes of Kashmakash and Stree, which went unnoticed," she informs. "Actually
I was looking out for good and meaty roles but nothing exciting came my way.
So I was without work for a few years." Life was tough because she couldn't
come to terms with sitting idle. But being an optimist, she didn't give up
hope of making a comeback.
She worked in serials like Reporter and Sansar but
again went unnoticed. She had high hopes on Agni, but she failed to make
waves. Not in the habit of soliciting work, she preferred to remain without
work for nearly two years.
But she was bound to make a comeback and 1998 turned
out to be a good year for her. Though not many heard of Devi Chaudharani,
in which she played the lead role, Natasha was noticed in Zanjeerein (Zee
TV, Saturday, 9.30 p.m.) in which she plays one of the key characters. "It
is a nice role of a strong woman who is emotionally attached to her family.
I have got some really powerful scenes to perform. The character has shaped
well and I am expecting a lot from the serial as it is going to remain on
air for one more year."
The strong woman of Zanjeerein is a typical softie
and obedient housewife in Viraasat which premiered on Zee TV on January 4.
And coming on air from January 28 on Sahara called Cinemascope, a talk show
on films, filmmaking and film celebrities which Natasha is anchoring. This,
of course, is subject to the channel going on air by that date.
With three shows on air, life should be hunky-dory
for Natasha, who has matured a lot as a person and actress over the years.
"It's comfortable," she says. "But I would like to be little more busy. Ideally,
I would like to do five serials at a time. But I am happy that things are
looking bright for me on television."
The leading lady of Dev Anand's Anand Aur Anand and
some other forgetable Bollywood flicks doesn't miss movies at all. "What
will I do in films now," she adds. "I am enjoying myself on television because
I am getting good roles to play."
She is happy when she is working "because I am an
actress and without work I am incomplete. I like to be in the limelight."
Though she likes to be in the limelight, Natasha is not an ambitious person.
"My basic trip in life is to act and get due recognition that I deserve.
I want to do good work to satisfy myself and I am certainly getting there,"
she concludes with optimism |
