KETKI DAVE
Moves To Bollywood

Ketki Dave fired up the sagging small screen with her irrepressible portrayal of a scheming middle class Gujarati housewife in Balaji Telefilms' Kyonki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi sending its TRP ratings skyrocketing.

Her character 'Dakshaben' ruled the roost for over a year on the country's most talked about soap, till recently when Ketki bid her role goodbye to plunge into the big bad world of Bollywood. She makes her feature film debut in K. Raghavendra Rao's Aamdani Athani Kharcha Rupaiyya sharing the big screen with the likes of Johnny Lever in a role that threatens to keep the audiences in splits.

In a modest interview, 'Dakshaben' reveals the other side of her personality, while discussing her latest film, her family and future plans.

You began your career in theatre. What was it like?
It was an exacting experience. It taught me all I know about acting today. I've been associated with Gujarati theatre for almost twenty years now. It's really tough to face an audience and perform, since you have to remember your lines and deliver them in one go. There are no second chances. That helps you polish your act up in a big way.

Kyonki Saans… has been making waves all over the country. How does it feel to be associated with it?
Wonderful. I am so glad I had the opportunity to work with my co-stars. All of them are excellent actors. Every day of the shoot was memorable. Besides the show has brought me so much prestige and audience appreciation. I hope it continues to do well.

Can you identify with your character in the show?
I can in a way. I come from a Gujarati family. And the folks at home are forever talking about Junagadh, which is where Daksha is from. So there are undeniable similarities. But it took me a while to really to imbibe her characteristics since I had to work on the way she spoke and gesticulated in order to make her distinct. It was fun.

Did you quit Kyonki Saans… in order to join films?
I walked out of the show because I was no longer able to relate to its professional policies. I was expected to belittle other actors and shows for personal reasons and I didn't think that was necessary. My sense of justice didn't quite agree with the way things were going anymore. It was time for me to quit. I spoke to Ekta Kapoor (the producer) and voiced my opinion. She tried to talk me out of it, but I wasn't sure I wanted to stick around any further.

It must have been a difficult decision to make.
It was incredibly hard. Even my family was not very happy with the idea of my quitting the show. After all it was the question of my career. And Kyonki Saans Bhi… had brought me a lot of success. I couldn't deny that. So there were a lot of factors that needed to be considered before I made my choice. In the end my principles helped me make my decision.

How does it feel to have made the leap to the big screen?
Well, it's a new experience. The canvas is bigger. But fortunately I have the honour of working again with really accomplished actors and a great director. It makes one's job so much easier. Working with them becomes a pleasure. I look forward to every day of the shoot.

Tell us about your character in Aamdani Athani…
Once again I play a Gujarati housewife. The film is all about family problems. It's got a big star cast. I am acting opposite Johnny Lever in the movie. The two of us provide all the comic moments in the film. My character is mildly similar to Daksha, but this one is really funny.

People are really curious about what the real Dakshaben is like. For one, she is not Daksha. She is just a happily married woman who enjoys every moment of her family life.

What do your children have to say about your work?
Both my husband Rasik Dave and I have been in the acting business for a long time now. Our children do enjoy watching us on screen. I think they're quite proud of our achievements.

Would they like to join films?
At this point they are not considering it at all. They are interested in other stuff. Let's see what the future holds in store for them.

Working in movies, have you kissed television goodbye?
I could never do that. A lot of people have been asking me this. I'd like to clear all doubts here. Just because I am doing films does not mean I'm out of television. I'm just waiting for the right kind of offer to come my way.

Do you watch a lot of television?
Ironically no. Strange isn't it? The whole country watches me and I'm hardly in front of the tube. When I do watch occasionally I end up seeing the stuff that the kids do. MTV, Channel V and lots of sports, though I would like to watch more of National Geographic and Discovery…