IT IS VERY EASY TO DO A SAAS BAHU SEIAL BUT TOUGH TO BE A PART OF A SERIAL LIKE BLACK - AALIYA SHAH

Is Black your first serial as an actress?
It is my first Hindi serial as an actress. I had earlier acted in the English serial Bombay Talkies which was on air on Zee Café.

You bear a striking resemblance to actress Manisha Koirala
Though I have managed to have an identity of my own now, initially when people used to tell me that I looked like Manisha Koirala, I used to get irritated because I felt that I was losing my identity when I was compared to Manisha though I did feel flattered at the same time with the comparison because she is a good actress.

Tell me about your background
After spending my childhood in Kalimpong in Darjeeling, I was in Delhi for quite some time. It was seven years ago that I left Delhi and landed in Mumbai. I even did a hotel management course in Mumbai and joined Jet for a month, when I realized that I was not cut out for a job as such. For some time I went to Bangalore and was part of an English theater group too.

Go on
The acting bug bit me more and I decided to leave the theater for the small screen and landed in Mumbai, where I did quite a few ads and music videos. A chance meeting with the ace photographer Jayesh Sheth changed the course of my life. Jayesh suggested my name to Sunil Agnihotri, who is directing Black and I landed the plum leading role in the serial.

What is Black?
Black, which is on air on 9X, to put it in just a nutshell is the journey into the unknown dark world that exists around us, and is the story of pure evil’s thirst to take over human lives. The serial revolves around the story of two special officers Ranvir and Aaliya, as they chase an awakened demon. The serial is being shot in exotic locales of Diu, Shimla and Mahabaleshwar.

What is your role in Black?
I play Aaliya, a special investigating officer, who works in tandem with Mamik, who plays the role of Ranvir. We discover the existence of a demon when we come across a case where a 12 year old boy is the common link between several; unexplained deaths. It is mystifying to note is the fact that this demon has the ability to pass from body to body and destroy everything that comes in its path and can possess any one, whether it is a child, a priest, a protective m other or a psychotic mad man.

How tough is your role for you as an actress?
I confess that initially I did find my role quite tough and intimidating as an actress but both Sunil Agnihotri and Mamik were very helpful, especially when I had to do some scenes where I had to break down. I will always remain thankful to both of them for their suggestions and acting tips, which helped me as a rank new comer.

For a new comer, you seem to be too choosy since Bombay Talkies was on air almost two years ago. Why?
I do not want to do each and every serial that I am offered. I did get quite a lot of offers to do saas bahu serials but I did not want to do them because I have always craved for challenging roles. It is very easy to do a saas bahu serial but quite tough to take up a serial like Black.

What do you think is very essential for a new comer to click in this industry- Luck or Hard work?
To click in this industry as an actress, you need not only luck in an abundant measure but also the will to work hard, because I know for a fact that there is a lot of frustration in this field

Can you cite an example?
I think that more than even hard work, you need luck. Even people who come from a filmy background do not always get a proper break in films or television. Take for example, Ronit Roy. Even though he knew Subhash Ghai, he had to struggle hard by working in a lot of C grade films till luck beckoned him and he ended up as a super star on television.

Tell me frankly. To what extent did your parents encourage you when you expressed your desire to take up acting?
Frankly speaking, my parents encourage me a lot even now though they are happy at all with my decision to pursue acting.

How happy are you with whatever progress that you have made with your career till date?
I know I have a long way to go as an actress and make it big in Bollywood after proving myself in TV serials but I am happy that when there are scores of young girls who are still struggling to get that elusive break in this field, at last I had acted in an English serial earlier and am working in a Hindi serial now