EXCLUSIVE: Kasautii Zindagii Kay Actress Shubhaavi Choksey Opens Up About Playing Characters Older Than Her Real Age

We often see younger actresses having to romance older actors, some actresses play mother to actors who are just a few years younger to them. The film industry is replete with such examples. In the same line, Shubhaavi Choksey who plays Anurag Basu’s mother is just a few years younger to her on-screen son Parth Samthaan. The age difference is not much and yet she is playing the character with an adeptness that is unparalleled! She doesn't quite have any qualms about her decision and is absolutely unapologetic about it.

We exclusively got in touch with the actress and tried to understand her mindset and her thought-process about it.

In fact, when Shubhaavi started off her television career, with some commercials and then eventually Kyuki, after a few episodes the show took a leap and she had to start playing a mother and she did! “When I started off Kyuki I was 23 and the leap happened. I started off with Kyuki because I wanted to try television plus my father passed away, I was then the sole breadwinner of the family also because I was the oldest. I had to take care of my family and that is the reason I started TV. And then when the leap happened, I was like It is okay. I will try this too.”

She feels it is almost a norm with television to take leaps and put young people in much older characters. “You know television is like that! When I was doing commercials while I was in college, I did it because it was fast money and it was way more than what my pocket money used to be at that time. At that time, I couldn’t understand why 18- and 19-year olds play mothers to 5- and 6-year olds. I think that trend is going out now, gradually.  Women in their forties are playing their age or even younger. But back then, it was like the younger you are, you would have to play the mother and I was okay with it.

Choksey asserts that she took up the role of a mother to Parth because of her comfortability with the production house. “This time when I got the role of a mother to Anuraag (Parth Samthaan), I did it because it was Balaji and I am extremely comfortable with them. Moreover, I am a mother right now, I get my Sunday’s off, there are hours which have to be worked out. I remember I left two shows before Kasautii because it wouldn’t give me a Sunday off. That is the reason. And besides that, if the role is great, even if it is of an age group that is way more than what I am in reality, I don’t think I am looking that old. Therefore, it is fine!

The utmost concern of the actress is whether or not she is comfortable doing the role. She doesn’t want to do something she has to get out of her comfort zone. She further feels that what people think about it is the least she would be bothered about. Quipped she, “When I was doing commercials, there were a few people who were doing ads, including Vidya Balan who too played a mother while she was just 18 or 19, so I thought it was okay and I was fine with it. Though I would love to play my age. I should be comfortable. For instance, in a role like this where I wear a saree and I can show my skills and I am okay doing whatever is being expected of me as an actor, it works for me perfectly. What people think about my age, and what I should and shouldn’t do is all great and I take it as a compliment. I just enjoy my work, I want to go work in a comfortable environment, I want to come back home because my real and my reel life are very different and I don’t want to mix the both of them. I wouldn’t want to go beyond my level of comfortability because I like to wear a certain kind of attire and doing a certain kind of a scene and if this is it, it is fine.

Well, whatever it is, we hope, we get to see more of Shubhaavi and we wish the actress all the very best for all her future endeavours.

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