Twenty-five years into her career, Anita Hassanandani is still choosy about what she signs on for, and a paycheck is not what tips the scale.
A rare positive role
Hassanandani has recently joined the cast of Tumm Se Tumm Tak, a show that also stars Sharad Kelkar and Niharika Chouksey and has been performing consistently on the TRP charts. Her entry as Rajnandini marks a shift for the actor, who is playing a positive character on television for the first time in a while. Speaking to Variety India, Hassanandani said, “She is a nice, classy, sweet and simple woman. At the same time, she is intelligent and self-aware. When you play a vamp on TV, there is not much you can do after a certain point,” she said of her role, adding that she was glad to finally play someone positive.
Reuniting with old co-stars
The new project has also brought a few surprises. Hassanandani was told by co-star Niharika Chouksey that the two had previously worked together on Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, the 2013 serial in which Hassanandani played Shagun Bhalla. “I did not remember her. Later, she showed me the pictures and she was literally a baby (laughs). She told me that it was a cameo and one of her first projects after she came to Mumbai,” Hassanandani said. She also shares an older screen pairing with Kelkar, having appeared alongside him in the film Hero (2015), the debut vehicle for Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty. “We had a pretty decent rapport and chemistry. I think we look good together on screen here as well,” she said.
Motherhood, budgets and staying choosy
Hassanandani, who won the first season of the reality show Chhoriyan Chali Gaon last year, said her five-year-old son, Aaravv, now makes it easier for her to consider such formats again once her current commitment wraps up in a month or two. On working hours for mothers in the industry, she said, “TV shows need a lot more time than films. You cannot be too rigid. I resumed work only after I felt mentally prepared.” On tighter budgets across the industry, she added, “For me, it is not about the money. I am always hungry for better roles than more money. I am ready to negotiate my fee because I know the situation of the industry.”
Asked if any show produced by her friend, Ektaa Kapoor, could be remade, Hassanandani pointed to Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii, saying its central premise never gets dated. Besides Tumm Se Tumm Tak, Hassanandani also has the Telugu film Musalodiki Dasara Pandaga in the pipeline, as she continues to balance television, regional cinema and carefully chosen projects.
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