Deepika Singh, better known by her household name, Sandhya of ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’, is enjoying what she is doing and the phase she is going through. She credits her supportive husband, Rohit Raj Goyal, and in-laws for letting her fully focus on playing a super cop cum dutiful bahu in reel life; even though she confesses being not at all like Sandhya in real life. Counted amongst the best actresses on the Indian television today, Deepika is far from any starry or celeb-like attitude. For those who are interested in knowing more about her, here are the excerpts of the conversation she had with Pinkvilla.com recently. Read on.
Did any preparation go into playing Bengali maiden Sagarika?
No. The minute I came to know that Sandhya is going to be a Bengali girl in near future, there was hardly any time left for any prep. I had only four to five days left for the shoot to begin. I was suffering from laryngitis at that time. Although the production house provided a Bengali language teacher, due to the pain in the vocal chords, I could seek her help much.
On top of that, I had to wrap up the shoot of the former track and the schedule got hectic. The doctors did not advise me to speak much, yet I pushed myself hard to do my job well. I watched Youtube language training videos to prepare myself for playing a Bengali girl.
When the shooting began, the pressure forced me to give my best and I am a person who believes in giving my best. I was told that Bengali is similar to Sanskrit so that helped me because I was good in Sanskrit in school. Moreover, because my director knows Bengali, I sought help from him to get the diction right. Being a North Indian, I picked the accent well. And if you are hardworking, nothing is impossible, I believe.
For how long the ‘Mission Mahabali’ track will last?
I want it to last for a long time as I am thoroughly enjoying playing Sagarika Das. I am thankful to Shashi ma’am for writing my character so well and having faith in me to do it well.
Of the entire cast of ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’, how would you describe:
Neelu Vaghela (Bhabho) - She is a friend and an amazing person. It is a blessing to work with her. As a person also, the way she leads her life, she speaks to others and conducts herself is admirable. She is very patient in real life.
Ashok Lokhande (Bhabhasa) - He is so fun! He is like a big brother. You can talk easily talk about your boyfriend or husband with him. He is very open-minded.
Pooja Singh (Emily) - She is sweet!
Anas (Suraj) – Very moody! Sometimes, he is very good. At times, he is sensitive also. Unse baat karne ke liye dekhna padta hai unka mood kaisa hai. (you have to gauge his mood before initiating a talk with him). Bu otherwise, he is a good person. I like the way he plays his character Suraj. Because of him, Suraj and Sandhya’s chemistry became so popular.
Kanika (Meenakshi) – She is a good friend. You can rely on her. She is a person who does not bother whether anyone is there by her side or not. She does not fear to speak her mind and is not diplomatic - a rare quality in people is these days. Even I am not diplomatic.
Ved (Devansh) – Oh she is so sweet! I remember the day when I was about to leave to shoot at the outdoor location for the current track. Devansh came to me with his eyes filled with tears. Earlier, I bought him chocolates; but on that day, he brought a chocolate for me and said that it is for me because I am going to shoot outside. He said, “please don’t go..please come to meet me.” He was so emotional that day. I was surprised to see how a child could become so attached to me in two months. Even now, he stays in touch with me on phone n says “shooting nahin karogi saath to kya milne bhi nahin aaogi’?
How are you in real life?
Only others can tell how I am. I don’t know how celebs are. I am a normal human being who goes to work daily. I aim to work so hard that I get fatigued by the end of the day and fell asleep effortlessly. I work out – I worship it. When I was in Delhi before doing show, I used to closely watch police officers and admire them. That’s how I developed the will to have that shapely body. I have worked hard for it and even till this day I enjoy it. Honestly, I only do what I like doing. Jo pasand nahin aata main nikal leti hun wahan se. I am blessed that I am able to do my work well. I don’t log in on the social network as a celeb but as a normal girl.
Your body has changed over the years and looks more toned, muscled and fitter now. It is more evident when you wear sarees. How did you get into fitness?
I don’t go to gym. I do cross fit functional training, TRX suspension and use my own body weight to work out. I have been exercising intensely for one and a half years. To challenge myself, I do tougher exercises with passing day. I love taking pain when I exercise. I am a very lively girl in real life but when I work out thoroughly, I remain active throughout the day on sets.
Do you take any supplements as well?
I am a very natural person. I don’t want to get involved into any unnatural thing be it machines or medicines. But, if anyone wants to take it, it is a matter of personal choice.
source: pinkvilla
