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Amna
Sharif, one of the most beautiful stars on the small screen, has moved
to a new house, which is next to Oberoi Skyhigh in the Meghdoot Towers
building in Mumbai. "I'm
busy doing it up right now. I appointed an interior decorator but most
of the work was done by me. My family and I have shifted into the new
place though the work isn't complete yet. It's a huge house. But it
doesn't feel like home as yet. My room is much too glamorous," Amna
told IANS.
The actress, who became a popular as Kashish of "Kahiin To Hoga", has a family house in Bandra.
"But
I always wanted a place of my own. I'm a very self-dependent person. To
have a place of my own gives me great deal of satisfaction."
She's weary of scandals and controversies.
"I
don't like talking too much to the press. It takes away from people's
curiosity about you? I'd rather let my work prove my worth. I hate
being written about. If every day there was a story about Amna doing
this or that, why would people be interested in watching me?"
Amna comes from a very conservative Muslim family.
"My
folks were totally against my career. But from childhood I was fond of
dancing and acting. I was a big fan of Madhuri Dixit. I made a tape of
my dances. Though I knew my family would oppose it, I had to follow the
call of my heart."
Initially, Amna worked in a boutique.
"For
a while I was into designing. Eventually I got around to modelling. It
took me a year to convince my mother. Even today I know my dad wouldn't
have approved if he was around. But I know I'd never do anything to
shame my family.
"My mother let me do one ad film. I was
thrilled because I was paid what I felt was a fortune - Rs.25,000.
After that there was no stopping me. I did a lot of ads and music
videos. Finally, Ekta Kapoor offered me 'Kahiin To Hoga'."
Amna
is one of those rare TV actors who had resisted the temptation of
working in more than one serial. She's not too happy with the erratic
schedules on television.
"I'm constantly fighting the clock.
The way of working isn't quite what I had hoped for. But I'm not
complaining. I don't blame anyone except the actors. I think television
actors have become big now. They need to project themselves
accordingly."
Still, she's doesn't want to work in films.
"If
I do a film, it has to be bigger than my character in 'Kahiin To Hoga'.
I can't just play a Christmas tree. It has to be a performance-oriented
film. I don't mind facing the camera without make-up, though I'm very
particular about my looks and presentation in my serial."
Amna is known for glamorous self-projection.
"I
take a great deal of trouble over my looks. The first thing I do on the
sets is to organise my look and costumes for the scenes. It has paid
off. Everyone comments on my looks."
She's now doing another serial, "Hum Do Hamare Do", with her "Kahiin To Hoga" co-star Rajiv Khandelwal.
"Frankly,
at this stage of my life I don't want to do another daily. Now I need
to move ahead. I've made sure I do a lot of things other than the
soaps. I do a lot of live shows. I keep on experimenting."
She's not perturbed about the fact that she's become a popular pair with Rajiv.
"I
don't think it ever bothered Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol that they were
considered a popular pair. Now that I'm doing another serial 'Hum Do
Hamare Do' with him, people have bombarded me with enthusiastic
responses.
"It's a completely different character. I'll play a
bubbly character, completely different from Kashish in 'Kahiin To
Hoga'. I've reduced my dates for 'Kahiin...' so dates will not be a
problem for the new show."
She admits she shares a great on-screen chemistry with Rajiv, but all other insinuations are annoying.
"It
was really embarrassing for my family and me. But now I'm used to it.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I don't share the kind of rapport with my
mother where she can question me directly about such rumours. But she
trusts me. Explanations aren't needed.... I'm very comfortable working
with Rajiv. He's a brilliant actor."
And did she share the same chemistry with the Gurpreet Singh, who played Sujal in "Kahiin To Hoga" after Rajiv's departure?
"It isn't really important to be friendly with co-stars. But I was friendly with everyone on the sets."
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service
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