GOWRI MANICKAVASAGAM
As COLORS’ Balika Vadhu returned to television after 12 years, the leading cast of the show Avika Gor, Smita Bansal, Anup Soni, and Avinash Mukherjee connected virtually and took a walk down memory lane as they spoke about the time they shot the path-breaking show and the memories they still cherish fondly. The cast exchanged anecdotes, remembered some of their most favourite scenes from the show and spoke about the experience of acting in a show like Balika Vadhu, the narrative of which was hard-hitting and initiated a nation-wide conversation on child-marriage.
Avika Gor who played the iconic character of Anandi, exclaimed, “This is an unbelievable moment for me. I’m emotional as I watch my very first show as an actor. As our viewers are now confined within their homes, I’m extremely excited that we get to reconnect with them with our show Balika Vadhu. It made history then, and I’m sure even now viewers will be entertained by us.”
Anup Soni, who plays Avika’s father-in-law (Bhairon) on the show said he was quite amazed when he first acted alongside Avika and saw that a child as young as her could pull off complex scenes with ease. He commented, ” After I shot my first scene with Avika I knew she was a gifted actor who understood the scene so well even though she was so young. Smita and I were both amazed by the way she did her scenes.” Anup said that Avika’s confident personality shone through in her performance as Anandi.
Smita Bansal, who played her mother-in-law (Sumitra) on the show also shared some special moments that the two spent while shooting for Balika Vadhu. Smita recalled the fun that they had while shooting in Rajasthan. She said, “The outdoor shoot of Balika Vadhu was unlike any other shoot. We were so relaxed, and the entire crew bonded quite well. The memory of Avika I have is this very small and energetic girl who was full of life running around on set. I remember how, after a hard day’s shoot, when we would all gather together, Avika would be dancing away! I was quite amazed by her energy and I’m glad that COLORS has decided to bring back the show for both old and new viewers.”
Smita and Anup, both experienced actors, also spoke about how Balika Vadhu was very different from other shows when it came to performances by the actors, the way that it was written and how it was shot. Anup said, “When we started shooting for Balika Vadhu, everything was very refreshing. From cameras used, the cinematography etc. were all brilliant and ahead of its times.”
Avinash who plays Jagya, said he was very happy that the show was coming back on COLORS. He shared, “Balika Vadhu is such an iconic show. The very first shot of the show gave me goosebumps, even today I am sure that the current generation of viewers, who want to watch substantial content, will be proud after watching this show and will also understand the relevance of a narrative that broke stereotypes and had the entire country glued to their screens.”
