Only a handful might be immune to the rib-tickling act pulled off by Ramesh Pisharody, Mukesh and Dharmajan for the show Badai Bungalow. But amongst these seasoned actors, there is one artiste who rose to shine with her tongue-in-cheek counters — Pisharody’s onscreen wife Arya. Arya Rohit’s evolution was out there for the crowd to see. “I guess nowadays I have gotten better at giving counters on the show and off screen too,” she laughs. Speaking about her years at Badai Bungalow, she says, “It has been over three years with Badai Bungalow family. Never in my life did I expect to receive the spotlight I am enjoying now.”
“It was definitely not easy to pull of the humorous character I was given. In fact, I’ve had no connection with humour whatsoever. Badai Bungalow is my first attempt at humour. During the initial days, I was not performing well. I was the weakest link when compared to the other artistes involved in the show. I think the saying ‘practice makes a man perfect’ holds true in my case. So whatever improvement can be seen in my performance is through continuous effort and advice and help from seniors. Now by God’s grace, Badai Bungalow has become a part of my life,” she adds.
Arya gives an insight into her other projects. “My only ongoing project is Badai Bungalow. Three of my movies are awaiting release. One is Adventures of Omana Kuttan in which I have a cameo. Almarah is another project I am part of, but I do not wish to reveal much about that role. Another major project is Honey Bee 2 in which I will be seen in the role of Sarah, previously played by Archana Kavi.
Arya with Ramesh Pisharody and Badai Bungalow director Diana Sylvester
Speaking more about her experience working with Lal and the Honey Bee 2 team, she says, “I still do not know how I was selected for the role. One fine day, I received a call from the production control team enquiring whether I would like to play the part. The minute I heard Honey Bee, I grabbed the offer without asking much. The experience was so amazing and I am speechless. The Lal sir I had in mind was someone extremely serious. With his physique and basic nature, I was expecting a very strict person, but he was the exact opposite of my expectations. Even Jean (Jr Lal) is such a jovial person and it was so much fun to work with all of them. In fact, it was only after the first day of shoot that I found out about my character and learnt that it was one of the major roles.”
Arya started off with mini screen daily soaps. But unlike many actors who graduated to big screen and refuse to return Arya does not shy away when asked about returning to daily soaps“ Our field is hugely unpredictable. It might not be possible for a person to hog the limelight all the time, or they might not get work all the time. The thought of putting a stop to acting does not cross the minds of those who are continuously involved with the craft. For me, this profession is more like an addiction. It would be very difficult for me to sit at home without work. So in future if I am offered a good role in a TV serial I will definitely take it.”
Arya is not new to controversies either. Like many of her contemporaries, Arya too has experienced the wrath of the key-board warriors. “There was a time when online negativity used to affect me emotionally. There are comments that have hurt me. But today I have learnt to ignore them. But for those who rub me the wrong way too much, I make it a point to give them back instantly,” she laughs. Does her five-year-old daughter realise that her mom is a popular star? “I really do not know about that. She does watch the show with me. When we go out together, we come across people who either stare at me or call out my name, smile at me, and at times approach for a photo. She observes all these and at times, points out and says, ‘Mummy they are smiling at you’.”
