Manasi Parekh who was last seen as the host on ‘Idea Rocks India’ is back after a long hiatus. She is back on a mainstream channel with her show Gulaal opposite Raahil Azam. Gulaal is the story of a young girl who has been gifted with the power to sense water under the ground. TellyChakkar spoke to Manasi to know more on Gulaal and what had kept her busy post Idea Rocks India. How did Gulaal come to you? I had done India calling on Star One, followed by Four on SAB and then I got a chance to do Remote Control on 9X. I have never done anything on a mainstream channel like Star Plus or Zee mainly because I felt most of the roles were stereotypical and I wanted to do something challenging. I was ready to wait for some time so I went to New York to study theatre in Lee Strasberg, then I came back and did a play with Mahesh Dattani. I explored a lot of things; I am a part of a band named Soul Sutra. So I was always doing something creative, something challenging. Then I got a call from Sphere Origins. They don’t believe in compromising on quality which I believe in too. It’s a role any actress would like to do. It’s a layered narrative, brilliant crew to work with. I couldn’t refuse. How close is Gulaal to Manasi? Every actor will have one or the other similar trait with the character. Like me, Gulaal loves to live her life freely. Your introductory song seems similar to Aishwarya Rai’s in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam... The only thing similar to both the songs is music composer, Ismail Darbar. Nothing else is similar. I am not the TV version of Aishwarya Rai, she is far more beautiful than I am. As far as the backdrop is concerned, people believe this because of the setting is in Rann. How has it been working with the likes of Sushant Singh and Manoj Joshi? They are very senior actors but they are wonderful. Does your singing career take a backseat? Would we see you singing in the show as well? Yes it will because now I have to shoot 25-26 days a month. Maybe I will sing, you never know. But I am part of the band, Soul Sutra which won the Idea Rocks show. I am the female lead singer and have toured all over with them. Did you prepare for the role? Yes, I studied footages of Indian rural women; I observed them, their lingo. Siddharth Sengupta, the director of the show told me that she was a girl with a spark in her. I wondered how to bring that spark out (laughs). Then I realized that he wanted to develop my curiosity level, to know more about life, to know more about people, that’s how the women there are. What do you enjoy most, singing or acting? Both! I have realized I love expressing myself. I express my voice through singing and my personality through acting. I have started learning photography too. Which shows have you been following on TV? I like Sasural Genda Phool. It’s a very well written show and I am not saying this because it’s on Star Plus. The actors are brilliant, the moments are good. I watch How I Met Your Mother. It’s a brilliant show, outstanding comedy. Would you like to be a part of the Bigg Boss house? I love to watch it but wouldn’t want to be a part of it. It is a circus of madness.