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EXCLUSIVE: Shilpa Agnihotri on taking up Shrimad Ramayan and facing mom guilt: 'I used to cry in my vanity'
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Shilpa Agnihotri who's seen in Shrimad Ramayan talks about leaving her toddler daughter home while shooting, taking up the show and more.
Shilpa Agnihotri has made a stunning return to television with the widely-watched Shrimad Ramayan. In this show, the skilled actress portrays the role of Kaykai. Although Kaykai begins her journey on a positive note, following the mythological storyline, her character takes a darker turn when she insists that King Dashrath send Ram into exile, as she desires her son Bharat to become the next ruler.
Pinkvilla got in touch with Shilpa and in a long chat, the Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi actress spoke about taking up the show, leaving behind her young daughter, and more.
Why did Shilpa Agnihotri cry in her vanity?
When asked about deciding to take up the show with a young daughter at home, Shilpa said, "Well it is definitely not easy. It is now that I have come to know what a working mother's guilt feels like. The first few days were extremely difficult for me because I used to sit in my vanity van and cry, missing my daughter. It is never easy for anybody."
She further mentioned moving with her family near Umbergaon for her shoot days and thus her daughter stays ten minutes away from the sets. She said, "If and when need be, it takes only a few minutes for me to go meet her or call her on the sets. This has really worked in my favor."
Have a look at Shilpa Agnihotri's post on Instagram about Shrimad Ramayan-
How is Shilpa Agnihotri managing to shoot alongwith a baby?
Shilpa Agnihotri said, "I am managing my guilt part. The actual management is done by her super father and a super help named Plista, she is pretty much like my elder daughter now. So these two are the ones who are managing everything very beautifully for me. I think without them, this was not even possible for a day."
She added, "I do my part by making sure that I cook before I leave in the morning. I make sure that my daughter eats the food made by me. I lessen my guilt by doing so. It has been three months now and collectively, we've managed well, I suppose. Fingers crossed, hopefully, it remains this way."
Shilpa Agnihotri on response for the character on social media
"I am not quite into social media. I limit my time on that platform. It doesn't excite me, doesn't interest me. So I don't get first-hand feedback from fans. However, whenever I travel to Mumbai and come across people in general, they give a very positive response and show a lot of love to me which is heartwarming. Every human being that crosses my path stops by to congratulate me for the character and the show."
What made Shilpa Agnihotri sign Shrimad Ramayan?
She said, "God made me sign the show. I was extremely vehement to take it up because I have a one-year-old daughter and I was not keen on doing but god has its own plan and I was actually persuaded by my dear friend Siddharth Kumar Teewary for almost four months. They saw something in me that I didn't know about. "
She added, "They were very sure that I could pull the character off as per their expectations. There was a long chase and they were very adamant about me taking up the offer. After four months, when I finally heard the narration of the character, I was floored by what he narrated to me in the first meeting, and the next day, I accepted the role. I'm truly thankful to God and to Siddharth for making sure that I do this character."
Shilpa Agnihotri on filming an important scene for Shrimad Ramayan
In a recent episode, Kaykai requested King Dushrat to banish Ram. Shilpa, while discussing the filming of this crucial scene, mentioned that some actors were asked to join the Creatives, Directors, and producer Siddharth Kumar Teewary for a brainstorming session. As this scene marked a pivotal moment in the show and set the stage for the future of Ramayan, Teewary ensured his presence on set to co-direct with the director.
She said, "Shooting for the scene was a herculean journey for me because three months of being the perfect lover, best friend, best wife to Dushrat, this is the point where she loses it all and all hell broke loose. This was the point when a crack between Kaykai and Dushrat happened and led to what Ramayan was all about."
She added. "Also, it was difficult to shoot for the scene where Kaykai says a lot of things to Ram whom she dearly loves in life, maybe as much as she loves Dushrat. It was very difficult for all of us to shoot, to portray all those emotions. Be it me, Aarav (Chawdharry), or Sujay (Reu). We were all crying while performing."
Shrimad Ramayan also stars Nikitin Dheer and Prachi Bansal in prominent roles.
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