Rubina Dilaik is back with a bang!! From getting introduced as the girl next door in Colors’ Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki (Rashmi Sharma Productions) to going through a major transformation in character, to facing the harsh reality in life of being a ‘kinnar’, Rubina Dilaik has lived up to everyone’s expectations. As an actor, she has managed to stand up to the challenge that she undertook of playing this complex character. 

In an exclusive conversation with Tellychakkar.com, Rubina speaks about her biggest risk in life, on her sleepless nights, the humiliations faced, and above all the huge appreciation she has bagged on taking up such a character. 

Let’s relive the Shakti journey along with Rubina Dilaik right here... 

Rubina, so happy to be back after a long time with Shakti?

Yes, I am thoroughly enjoying the phase. And the role I have got back with, is worth all the wait. 

Take us through your Shakti journey. 

Well, the journey has been very interesting considering that were lot of highs and lows involved. To know that my risk has been appreciated, accepted and acknowleged has made me happy. And the role is worth taking the risk. See, getting such an opportunity and plunging into it without giving it a second thought, was actually the greatest risk I took in my life. And the risk was taken with the sole intention that it gave me an opportunity to prove my mettle as an actor. 

So did you seek any guidance from family or friends when you were offered this strong and complex role? Who were the ones who guided you to light?

It was a very difficult decision to make. As a normal human being would react on getting such a strong role, I had my own apprehensions. The very first person I talked to once I was offered the role was Abhinav Shukla. The moment I told him of it, he urged me to take it up. He was of the opinion that I should take it up without a second thought, and this role would actually change the course of my journey in acting. I very well remember that the next people that I sought advice from were my very close friends, Sharad Kelkar and Keerti Kelkar. They were also of the opinion that I should cease the opportunity got. Even after all this, I was stuck with duality of thoughts. And that was the time when Abhinav stood strong by my side and asked me to have faith and lap it up. 

Tell us about your parents. How did they react to you performing such a character?

To be honest, I never disclosed to them the major mystery of this character. It was not because they would not support me. In fact, they have always supported me in my life. The idea was that since I was very much convinced about my character, I wanted to give them a surprise. I wanted to make them feel proud of my commitment towards the challenge I have been into. I wanted my work to talk, and the acceptance to come from them when they really saw it onscreen. Afterall, my family has been my biggest critics. And being the most honest people in my life, it was very important for me to know their reaction. And for me, their reaction and the way they see it would determine whether the challenge was worth taking or not. 

How did your parents react when they knew of the revelation?

Well, when the news broke out in the media, my mom read it and immediately asked me whether this is what is going to happen. I did not tell her anything, but told her to watch and see it for herself. After that, she did not intervene or ask anything more. And on the day the revelation was telecasted, she opened up to me and told me that she already had a faint idea of what was coming. She told me that she never knew that things would change so beautifully for me, after the revelation happened. And my biggest success lies in getting appreciated and applauded by my parents and close friends. Their positive reactions came like a sense of relief to me. I am stressing on this because till then, I was leading a life which was very risky. 

Now that the mystery has unfolded, the real journey of you as an actor starts? How has this phase of the challenge been for you?

Yes, as you rightly said, the sensitivity of the concept chosen is very high. And automatically, the responsibility of handling it doubled up for me. To carry out such a character, one needs lots of guts and sense of maturity, and I suddenly felt the pressure on my shoulders. For me, the idea is to keep the character fresh and untouched as possible, and that is the toughest job before me now. I should say, I am enjoying it very much. And the joy of performing such a character is bigger than handling its sensitivity related to the character. So when you are actually enjoying, your work becomes fun. 

Does the thought of the complexity in character bother you whenever you are about to deliver your lines?

See, I have always been an actor who will react to situations. I do not believe in method acting, the switch on and switch off mode etc. For me, reaction to every scene is very important and I don’t think of how I will do it. When I am in a scene, I am in the scene. The thin line I have drawn between my character and myself is always maintained. 

How have your fans supported you in this challenge of yours?                     

My fans have been really supportive, and their acceptance of my character has been a big success for me. The faith that they have in me, that I will do every role with utmost conviction has really helped me grow as an actor. And their acceptance of my character has been the greatest reward for me. See, I have seen both sides of it. There have been people lashing out at me, laughing at me, criticizing my decision. At the same time, I have got great support too. I have taken both of them in good spirit. I have taken lessons from the bad and worst, and have taken appreciations from the good and positive. In other words, I have kept it very simple and non complex and that has always helped me. 

Have you had sleepless nights after taking up the show?

Yes, to be honest, I have had sleepless nights after signing the show. The struggle and nervousness to come to terms with the risk taken always kept me on the edge. And I had no other choice but to perform and give my 100 percent to it. Every time I thought that people should not misconstrue my decision. I felt that people should not feel that the faith restored in me was not right. I wanted the character to turn out to be a path-breaking one for me. So there were hundreds and hundreds of thoughts running daily within me. Fortunately for me, once Chhoti Bahu happened, none of my next characters had been repeatitive. My roles in Saas Bina Sasural, Punar Vivah, Jeanie Aur Juju, Mahadev have all been so very different. But I always wanted this role to take me a step ahead. 

So how differently will you tackle the role now?   

I believe there’s a long road ahead, and life is very uncertain. And change is the only constant thing. So with all the change, how my work will continue to be talked about and will continue to be appreciated is the challenge before me now. And I am open to it. I want to strive with the same intensity and sincerity and even more. This is the time and phase I have been waiting for as an actor. And this is when I need to up my ante and showcase my acting talent. 

How did you keep yourself high on morale all through the process? Give us some tips...

Well, the only goal was to not move away from the step taken. Yes, ridicules did come through various mediums, but I always told myself that the risk has been taken and it is important to continue doing it. There were times when time and again, I had to tell myself the exact reason why I took up the role. This attitude of mine is the only reason for me to bounce back after a huge break. Yes, we tend to forget, tend to get negative. This is a vicious circle remember, and I could not just doubt my decision at any point of time. And all this has only made me stronger. 

How do you visualize your character going forward now?   

My character of Saumya is only going to grow further, now that the realization has struck her deep down. She will eventually come to terms with the reality and accept it the way it is. She will then have a whole new different life before her, with changed perspectives. According to me, beauty of this character lies in its growth, and also in the manner in which the audience will walk along with the character. The story and characters in the show have been so very well written and crafted that I fall in love with all of it every time I read or portray it. To my knowledge, Colors has invested really well in bringing to life this new concept. 

And how’s personal life with Abhinav Shukla shaping up? When is marriage on cards?

See, I believe in balancing my personal as well as professional lives. As for the personal front, things are going great with Abhinav. If you are asking about marriage, I guess that will take a little while more. We both want to enjoy being together. And when we feel we are ready to take the next step, we will take our relationship to the next phase. 

You have had your highs and lows in your personal life. So how do you sum all that up now?          

Well, I am an absolute ‘NOW’ person. I will never look behind or think about the future. The most important aspect for me is that I am building the right things around myself and being in the right environment. As they say, the environment you stay in is your reflection, and I see it that way. 

Rubina, may the best happen to you!!