Drashti Dhami, the darling of Indian television, will soon returns to the small screen with her first show after marriage — Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani. Dressed in a 1940s’ costume for the show’s launch in Delhi, Drashti speaks about her marriage. “It feels the same, the transition into married life has been smooth. I’m happy to get back to work and my in-laws have no issues at all. I make it a point to spend time with my family every evening after the shoot, so balancing the two isn’t difficult.”
In the show, Drashti’s character dreams about marrying a prince. Does she have an unfulfilled dream in real life? “I want to own this sea-facing home, above the Diesel showroom in Mumbai’s Juhu area. That’s been my dream for quite some time now. It’s owned by some filmstar, I can't wait to make that home my own,” she says.
Talking about her transformation into a girl from the 1940s’ for the show, Drashti says, “The creative team did the research for me, the clothes, hairdo, dialogues. I had to learn what words from that era I had to emphasize on. I had some issues getting those words right, like pustak and kalam. I still fumble but I’m working on that. We shot in Bikaner for 15 days.”
About the look she says, “It’s the best getup I’ve had in any show. I love the feel of cotton saris, blouses and different hairdos. The make-up is different — I’m made to wear thicker liner. It takes me just 20 minutes to get into the look. We have been shooting for 12 hours a day for the past one month.” There was a buzz that Drashti was also approached for Saurabh Tewari’s show on Star Plus, Batameez Dil, along with her Madhubala co-star Vivian D’sena. “Yes that show was offered to me before this one. I had auditioned for it but things didn’t work out, the reasons are personal but I have no regrets.”
“I consider myself really lucky and blessed to have bagged shows which gained immense popularity and played characters that have become iconic. The secret to success can only be hard work,” she says about her success mantra. “In Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani, I am playing Gayatri, the 21-year-old daughter of the state’s wealthiest money-lender. Unlike girls of her generation, she has learnt to read and write from her brother’s old textbooks. She is a quick learner, adapts extremely well and is the kind of spirited person who makes lemonade when life hands her lemons. However, I do feel a little under pressure since my previous shows were so successful. But I am also looking forward to seeing my fans’ reaction to my new show. Even my family and friends are quite excited,” she says.
Drashti adds that she is not thinking about Bollywood right now. “If I decide to do films, I will speak about it.” The actress was hosting Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa last season, which she had previously won, but was replaced in between. Is she still following the show? “Yes my bestie Sanaya Irani is in it this time and I make sure to catch her performance. I really hope she wins and want everyone to vote for her.”
