Tale of woman’s strength, limits

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 25

Centered around strong women characters, most television shows claim to depict protagonists, who face day-to-day life with a brave face.

Joining the list is the new show on colours ‘Choti Sardarni’, featuring newcomer Nimrit Kaur, Hitesh Bhardwaj and the celebrated hunk on Indian television Avinesh Rekhi. The show also stars veteran Bollywood actor Anita Raj, who has made a successful television comeback a few years ago.

Based in Amritsar, the show stands true to the fact that there is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child, and highlights the multiple facets of Meher played by Nimrit Kaur. “As a newcomer, it was a strong character to play, given that like every young girl Meher also has dreams about the way her life would go and she is ready to take on everybody and everything to fulfill them,” said Nimrit Kaur.

Anita Raj, who plays the protagonist’s mother, too vouches for the strong content. “It has strong female characters in sync with reality and without extra doses of drama. “I play an authoritative sarpanch and an ambitious woman. She wants her daughter to get married to a budding politician to find inroads into the political system and fulfill her longstanding dream of becoming a politician. It’s a very strong and interesting character and I am enjoying playing the part,” she says.

Raj, who was Bollywood leading lady in the early 1980s, said the television had given actors an opportunity to reach out to their audience instantly. “The progression of Indian television has been amazing with concept-based shows that give you an opportunity experiment with each role. Earlier, many film actors hesitated to switch to television as we had no alternative avenues like today. The digital platform has massively reached out to masses. It gives you instant recognition,” she said. She also said that many young audience do not know actors from the 1980s and 1990s and comeback platforms like television and OTT give them a chance to reconnect. At 53, she can be seen active on social media and her work out videos too have been in news for good reasons.

Avinesh Rekhi, who has previously entertained the audience with his characters in ‘Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh Piya’, dons a turbaned look this time. “I will be essaying the role of a politician, Sarabjit, who is a single parent and a loving husband. He meets Meher at a crossroad but accepts her with open arms and gives a new meaning to her life. The concept of Choti Sarrdaarni is very promising and comes with a powerful message and I am certain that the audience will love me in this new avatar,” he added.