She became a household name when she did the title role of Kumkum that remains one of the longest-running soaps on TV. Apart from having several serials like Shaheen, Virasat and Devi to her credit, Juhi Parmar has been part of many reality shows including Comedy Circus 2 and Pati Patni Aur Woh. In fact, she is the winner of Bigg Boss 5, that turned out to be her last show before she took a maternity break. Five years later, the actress has returned with the mythological show Shani, and that too in a double role! Juhi, who shed close to 20 kilos before taking up the show was seen sometime back in Santoshi Maa alongside her husband Sachin Shroff, for an episode, a prelude to her big comeback. Here, Juhi talks about being away from the limelight and her return to the small screen.
Taking a break
I took a break because of my baby girl Samaira. I didn’t want to leave her and go to work. I wanted her to grow up and understand that her mother goes to work. Now, that she is grown up enough I have decided to get back to acting. Still, if it was not for my parents who have agreed take care of her 24/7, I wouldn’t have started working. I can’t thank them enough.
Choosing Shani
I couldn’t have asked for a better show. It’s the story of a God who everybody is scared of and at the same time wants to know about. The serial presents a side of his life which nobody knows. I am playing a strong character — in fact it’s a double role. I play Sangya, who is Surya Dev’s wife. She makes a clone of herself, Chhaya, who is Shani’s mother. She protects Shani against all odds — she is his anchor and plays the most important part in his life.
Before doing the serial, I also had no clue of Shani’s personal life. I had heard stories about this God, but now that I am part of the serial, I realised most of what we hear about Shani is a misconception. His story was an eye-opener and now I see the God in a different light.
Playing a double role
Not only do I have two distinct looks as Sangya and Chhaya, even their characteristics and body language are different. The major difference is, one is a goddess and another is just a clone made out of her reflection. While one has everything going for her, the other is just doing her duties. It’s challenging playing the two roles, especially in a mythological which involves a lot of VFX as one has to work more hard compared to daily soaps.
Losing weight
I had put on a lot of weight during my pregnancy, which was inevitable. I was completely focused on my baby and her nutrition for which I had to eat properly. Once she was of a certain age, I started concentrating on my health. I hired a personal trainer for workouts and followed a proper diet. I did simple cardio exercises and basic weight lifting. I ate right, and never starved myself. I did not want to go on a crash diet but wanted to lose weight organically.
Back under the arc lights
It feels fantastic to be back where I belong. I always loved acting and it feels great to be part of such a huge production. As far as shooting goes, things haven’t changed much. The pressure of deadline was always there. But yes, I have not done a show of this grandeur earlier. I hope after this people will remember me as Sangya/Chhaya and not just as Kumkum!
