EXCLUSIVE: "Bhabho is like my mother, Suraj is my good friend" - Meenakshi aka Kanika Maheshwari of 'DABH'

Besides playing the award-winning character of the trouble maker Meenakshi in the much-loved series ‘Diya aur Baati Hum’ on Star Plus, Kanika Maheshwari’s life is also about playing a doting life to her husband Ankur and an responsible housewife. We could not figure out how the actress manages to find out time for working for 15 hours and then doing some daily chores at home, daily! Here Pinkvilla.com shares a conversation we had with Kanika recently while she was on her way to work on the sets of DABH! Excerpts:

How do you manage to find time for your work as well as personal life? How often do you shuttle from Delhi – Mumbai?

Earlier, I used to visit my husband Ankur in Delhi every week and then stay with him for another full week. But now, thankfully, Ankur has moved to Mumbai as he will be working in a TV show with Sony TV. The show is untitled yet.

What inspired Ankur to take up Television?

He got really inspired by doing ‘Nach Baliye’. After working in the show, he started getting offers from TV channels. He wanted to bag this acting project. This way, we can also stay together in Mumbai as we have tested out love by living apart for a long time. Now, God has shown kindness on us and allowed us to share the same space.

Being a native of Delhi, don’t you miss being in the city?

I am more of a Mumbaikar now than a Delhiite. Mumbai is a city of dreams, there is passion in the air. I love the beached and the weather of this city.

Would you wish shifting to Delhi with family in future or do you want to work in TV forever?

I don’t plan. I take life as it comes to me. I take every day as it comes. If I have to move to Delhi, I will be happy to do so.

How is the atmosphere on the sets of DABH? Who are your close friends in the cast?

It is nice and pleasant to be on the sets of DABH. Bhabho (Neelu Vaghela) is like mother to me. Suraj (Anas Rashid) is like my very good buddy. Vikram (Gautam Gulati) is younger to me, so he is always cracking jokes when around. He is full of life and keeps showing me nice videos on phone, his animation work or at times talking about his girlfriends etc.

I and Gautam enjoy doing scenes together. As for Sandhya (Deepika), I don’t interact much with her as she is involved in doing separate scenes most of the time.

What do you all do during break on the sets?

We don’t get too many breaks. During lunch hour, we sit together and have a good time. Bhabhasa (Ashok Lokhande) brings paan and bribes everyone with it. So, there is fun on the sets as everyone keeps fighting with each other to grab a bit of the paan.

Do you love playing Meenakshi?

Yes, I enjoy playing Meena. This character has given me recognition and praises. I have been awarded many times for the role and anywhere I go people appreciate me and comment like this - “how do you do this role? My in-laws laugh whenever Meenakshi comes on-screen.”

What do you do to make the character of Meenakshi look so real, unique and humorous?

A Little bit of practicing is needed by me every time. When I started, I used to pick proverbs and different things from the people around me to add flavor to my role. I have spoken to Marwari women to know how they live. I provide input to my creative team to make my character look real and funny.

We have seen you pull off a great performance in Nach Baliye. Would you like to do a reality show like Bigg Boss?

No not Bigg Boss. It is not my type of show. There are so many cameras to invade your privacy which I don’t like. It is a torturous environment where the celebs are asked to live. I can’t do that even for lots of money as ultimately I will be losing my peace of mind which is dearer.

Can we see Meenakshi’s character going for a positive change after the baby swapping incident?

I don’t think so. She has sought an apology for her wrong actions and has sobered a bit. Meenakshi does not want to give the message that she is shameless and wicked. Hence, the change in her demeanour. However, she will get back to being her original self after some time.