At a time when most of the television shows are banking on crime, supernatural and social dramas, &TV starts a new series around the issue of gender equality.
Starting this evening, Waaris is a story about a family in a Punjab village where a girl is raised as a boy since her parents need an heir. With land holdings shrinking and property disputes becoming common, the makers have a fertile ground to build the Aarti Singh and Iqbal Khan, the main protagonists of the show, who were recently in the city, sound optimistic about it. “Amba is a loyal wife and an equally loyal daughter-in-law. She is a very innocent woman who becomes bold and assertive because of the harsh circumstances,” says Aarti about her role. She felt at home while essaying Amba as she related with the character. “Just like her I am very strong when it comes to my beliefs and principles.” She feels that for those actors looking for an opportunity to display their acting talent, this serial is apt. “I am an actor who craves for meaty parts enacting Amba is one such opportunity.”
Playing the character Charan in the serial, Iqbal feels that its inherent message is bound to touch the audience. “I know it will succeed because no matter how open minded we are, there still are many daughters across the country who aren’t treated the way they ought to be.”
Agreeing with her co-actor, Aarti adds: “A lot of shows start with a social issue but go haywire as they start delving deeper into the story. This show, however, will surely make an impact because the very basic concept is the issue itself, which is the reason it interests me as well.”
Iqbal says, “Charan is the epitome of goodness in a human being. He is compassionate and loves all the people he interacts with. No matter what situation he is stuck in, he chooses the right path. Such people are hard to find, and that's probably one reason why I like the character.” In fact, so impressed he is with Charan that he states, “I have been trying to become like that for quite some time now.”
Talking about her experience on the sets, Arti says: “I have always admired Iqbal even before I entered television industry. I still remember, I had one of his pictures as my phone wallpaper.”
Feeling nostalgic about his home state, Jammu & Kashmir, Iqbal says, “There is unrest in Kashmir because of outside forces but I feel the situation there could have been handled better.”
Published - May 15, 2016 06:32 pm IST
