‘I don’t intend to take long breaks’: Simone Singh returns to TV with a daily soap 5 years after Ek Hasina Thi

Simone Singh, best known for her titular role in Heena, has been missing from the small screen for the past five years. The pretty actress was last seen in Ek Hasina Thi, in which she impressed viewers as the shrewd and powerful Sakshi Goenka. She will now be seen in a Muslim drama, Bahu Begum, in which she plays the main protagonist, Razia. Was the sabbatical deliberate? “I don’t intend to take long breaks. But something has to move you to take on a TV project as it can be demanding,” she reasons.

About returning to telly with Bahu Begum, the actress jokes that the makers flattered her into taking it up. “They told me my voice, look and dialogue delivery suit the role the best,” she laughs. On a serious note, she adds, “My character is the one who influences the plotline and other characters. I felt it was a role worth doing. Also, interestingly, I found that Razia and Heena (the role she played earlier) have had a similar experience in their lives. I used that experience to enrich this character. They are at two different times in their lives but I got the perception of how I should play her — Heena was many years ago and now it is Razia.” 

Though she was away from the TV, the actress, known to play strong characters, embraced the digital platform. Simone did two web series — Haq Se and Four More Shots Please! “Fatima, the character I played in Haq Se is the polar opposite of Razia. She is a completely free spirit, makes her own decisions and lives on her own terms. And if they are bad decisions, she lives with the consequences. Razia is a woman in a position of power, but she wears it lightly. She is a single mother who has raised her son with progressive values in a traditional society. Sneha of Four More... is constrained by how a person should live, but the second season is about her rediscovering herself,” she says about the characters she played in the recent past. 

Talking about the difference between TV and the web platform in terms of content, she says, “TV is a family medium and there are places you can’t go in terms of the writing. However, on the web, the characters that are written can be completely off the charts, which is a gift for actors. On web, you can say any story from any point of view and be as cutting edge as you like, and you will find an audience.” 

Simone Singh

Besides TV and web, Simone is also making a comeback to films with Love Aaj Kal sequel and Laal Kaptaan. But all she is willing to tell is that she has interesting characters to play in both. With the trend of old serials like Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Sanjeevani being remade, we ask Simone if her popular soap Heena has the potential of a reboot. “Retelling of characters in a different journey will make it interesting enough as there is nostalgia. It will have an audience if it has genuine values,” she points out. 

What about supernatural shows that are holding sway on television? Will she be a part of it? “The trend of such shows is not specific to India; even abroad shows like Game of Thrones, the Harry Potter and Twilight series are doing extremely well. Every culture tells such stories through their own prism. The fantasy genre has really captured the public imagination. But that’s not a real draw for me to do now,” she signs off.