EXCLUSIVE: Birthday girl Shivangi Joshi on her bucket list, stardom and onscreen camaraderie with Mohsin Khan

Shivangi Joshi, 20, in an exclusive interview with PINKVILLA revealed it will be a working birthday for her but she will make sure to spend quality time with her loved ones.

By Bhavna Agarwal

Updated on May 19, 2018 | 05:00 PM IST | 1.4M

Believe it or not, Shivangi Joshi aka Naira of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai turns 20 today. The young actor has been portraying the role of Naira with finesse for the last two years and her claim to stardom has been quite interesting.

For someone that young, Shivangi has already achieved a household name for herself in a very short span of time and commendably so. Her acting prowess has won her several awards but the actor makes sure to not let fame get to her head. "I just want to keep working harder and harder," reiterates Shivangi, as we speak to her exclusively.

Shivangi, 20, revealed it will be a working birthday for her but she will make sure to spend quality time with her loved ones. "It's my 20th birthday and it is very special. I will ring it with my family, my cousins are also here. We will have a family party and then the next day, I will celebrate with my friends, co-actors and loved ones," Shivangi said.

A child at heart, Shivangi added that birthdays are extremely special for her. "Of course. Birthdays are very special. For me, I am a person who loves and gets very excited about celebrating birthdays. That is one day when you receive extra pampering from your family and friends. I enjoy that and I think it is my age to enjoy these time. And, obviously, on birthdays, one's birthday dress is very important so yes, I am really looking forward," the YRKKH actor added.

When asked to recount the best birthday present she has received so far, she added, "I feel all presents are very special, even if it's a toffee, it is very special. All my birthdays have been very special to me as my family makes sure to make me feel loved that day. Also, I always work on my birthday. So the one special to me recently would be in 2016 when I was in Rishikesh. I had started shooting for Yeh Rishta then and I feel it was very special because it felt like a new beginning. Also, I am from Rishikesh so it felt like we have gone especially there to ring in my day."

Moving over, we asked Shivangi to describe her journey on Television so far. To this, the actor stated, "I still feel I have just started and I have to do more, a lot more than this. I have to work harder and achieve so much more but step by step, slowly and steadily. Regarding my journey, I am a hard working girl and I believe God is with me. Whatever I am and wherever I am, my family has been a constant support and of course my fans. I feel great and grateful."

Just like us, does Shivangi have a bucket list she intends to tick off this year? To this, the beautiful actor laughed saying not really but, "Our show is taking a drastic change and I have to work harder on my character now. Right now, that is the only thing in my mind that I have to work harder and harder."

There is no denying that Shivangi brings in a level of maturity to Naira which is unparalleled. We couldn't help but ask on how does she manage to bring that conviction in such a small age. Ask her that and she credited her team for the result. She replied, "I think I will give the credit to our creative writers, directors who work behind the cameras to make sure our performance is top notch. Regarding bringing in the maturity, I think many of the scenes we portray are somewhere connected with our real lives, be it love, anger, or standing with the family, and that is where we derive inspiration from. Also, I am an actor and I look forward to such scenes where I have to bring in a different personality."

She continued, "For me, I treat every day as my first day. I want to make my team and my parents proud. This is my passion, I always wanted to do this so I am just taking one day at a time." But does she feels the pressure given the entire show is riding on her shoulders? To this, she reiterated, "Not the pressure BUT I always think that I have to work hard and never disappoint anyone, be it, anyone. I always wanted to do this [acting] and now that I have got an opportunity, I am very happy and grateful."

Further, we quizzed Shivangi on her onscreen camaraderie and chemistry with Mohsin Khan. "Mohsin and I help each other a lot during scenes and we make sure to rehearse and get it right so that the onscreen understanding replicates. He is a very supportive co-star and a good actor. We both work equally hard to make sure the chemistry comes out right on the show." and added, "He is very sweet and caring on sets too."

Lastly, spilling the beans about the upcoming track, Shivangi thanked her fans for the amount of love she has received from them. "There is big drama coming up. We have just started shooting for the new episodes and are not completely aware of what is happening. But all I can say is it is going to be great."

Here's wishing the beautiful actor, a very happy birthday!