Saumya Tandon: I didn’t want to continue what I did in Jab We Met

Saumya Tandon is quite popular for her role on Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! While the actress has been associated with the show for a long time, she has gained immense popularity with it. You might get inspired by Saumya for her fitness goals, but her approach to life, dealing with motherhood, and her ambitions will further make you look up to her. This popular lady from the small screen gets into an exclusive and interesting tete-a-tete with CineBlitz, read on…

You resumed Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! after a maternity break. We have seen in the past that motherhood has led to some actresses never returning back to shows (Disha Vakani aka Dayaben from Tarak Mehta being an example). Did you ever think of putting your career on the backseat?

I did never have a thought of not returning to acting. I am definitely going to act and work, till the end of my life. Being a mother is not going to affect my career, I am quite ambitious.  So, acting will not take a backseat, but this doesn’t mean that motherhood is not important to me. I do hope that I will be able to have a work-life balance that is my aim.

How do you manage work and the new responsibility considering the child needs you as of now? 

I am working and the baby is very small and he is feeding. So he comes in my vanity for 4-5 hours in a day. I am managing it pretty well, I have help at home, my mother is home with me and I also have a nanny. So, it is all working out quite well.

You have been inspiring many with your fitness videos, what has driven you to be so inclined to be fit?

I feel fitness is not just for actresses or for people who have to be on screen. Fitness should be a way of life for everybody. We should not let go of our body if we are married or having a baby, fitness should be a lifestyle.

Does being active on social media pressurise you at times?

Sometimes it does, because you have people demanding to post pictures of your family or with your husband or even while travelling with your near and dear ones. I am not very comfortable doing that, I feel some things should be left private. I am not very comfortable with people shooting my baby pictures or shooting me and my husband on a holiday. It’s a personal choice.

You have done a great deal of work, yet when it comes to popularity do you think the industry is yet to give your dues?

I am not very old, it’s a long journey and I have just started. It has just been a couple of years in the industry and there are many more years to go. I am here for a long haul; I call myself lambi race ka ghoda. I haven’t done anything much. So, it’s too early to say that the industry has given me my dues.

 After Jab We Met we never saw you in another film. Why didn’t you pursue Bollywood?

The time when I did Jab We Met, was not very right to be a part of the film industry. Now, there is content driven cinema and they are more open to actors who are not from a filmy background. They are ready to give meaty and lead roles to outsiders. But in that particular time, I did not get any offer which was worthy of me taking up. I didn’t want to be a part of films just for a scene or two and I didn’t want to continue what I did in Jab We Met. I got very good offers from television so I took them up. I started hosting shows and hosted 14 shows back-to-back. Also, I did not have time to look around very actively, but now the industry has much more to offer. They are very encouraging to different kinds of talents.

You have been a part of Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! for a very long time. Even though the theme keeps changing, don’t you ever get bored with the show?

I will not be dishonest; it is very challenging to continue playing the same character year on year. It is very tough; I really wish and hope it was a seasonal show. But they don’t happen in India. Seasonal shows give you a break to do a lot of different things. Now I am going to be open to doing many different things. I am going to try and balance Bhabiji and different work in the future. My team of the show is very good, so the reason why I am continuing with the show is not just because it is popular, but because my producers are very good.

How much does Saumya relate to her on-screen character Anita?

In some ways I do and in some ways, I don’t, because it’s a comedy show so the characters are very exaggerated to create fun. My character is exaggerated in many ways like she is a very dominating wife; she is funny and in some ways a little hoity-toity. The ways in which I relate to her is that I am a very independent woman and have been running my house for a very long time. Anita is into grooming and she loves fashion so do I. She is seen making her husband dance to her tunes, but I don’t know how to do that (laughs).

What is next on the professional front?

Too early to say but there are lots of plans.

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