MUMBAI: Raam Mori has been associated with the writing team of Balika Vadhu 2 and in an exclusive conversation with Tellychakkar.com, he spoke at length about the show. Take a look:

Balika Vadhu has been a cult show so what new are you going to bring for the viewers?

Firstly, I would like to say that I am a cultural consultant and writer for Balika Vadhu 2. Earlier, the story was based in Rajashtan and now the story is based in Gujarat. Earlier the story was of 2008 and now it is 2021 so the perspective of life that Anandi had back then will be much different from the character we introduce in 2021 and the way she deals with the challenges posed before her and the social taboos will also be very different. We plan to bring forward the problems that Indian television has not dealt with so far and have not seen. Just as Balika Vadhu is 2.0, we plan to introduce a 2.0 version of Anandi as well. I would like to add that I feel extremely blessed that I got an opportunity to work with master writers like Purnendu Shekhar, Gajra Kottary and Usha Dixit. They have an art of natural story telling. 

Don’t you think the concept of child marriage in 2021 is a big too old to be discussed?

Living in a metro city, one would think that child marriages are not practiced but I say, even if you browse randomly online, you will know that there are many smaller towns which practice child marriage. Infact, even during lockdown people have had child marriages. We have done a complete research. Earlier, this was practised openly but now it is done behind closed doors as the public knows that performing child marriage is a crime. Infact, Samuhik marriages are performed and the we showcased this in the first episode of Balika Vadhu 2. So how the police is working towards stopping child marriages with the government and also how there is awareness among people is what we are trying to showcase through the show.

How has the casting been worked upon looking at the script?

Purnendu Shekhar, Gajra Kottary and Usha Dixit have been a part of season one in terms of scripting and story development and are very experienced. We have tried to cast Gujarati artists as because of this the language and feel of the scenes will come out naturally. Season 1 was based on Rajasthan so they went to the roots of Rajasthan and in season 2 also we are attempting the same by going to the roots of Gujarat in terms of tradition, language and rituals.

We have seen Avika Gor in season one and now the expectations from Balika Vadhu 2 would be higher…

I was on the sets for 20 days and when I saw Shreya Patel, in the getup of Anandi and the way she performed, she was so convincing and it looked like she is born and brought up there. At this age, with the maturity with which she performs the character shows her grace and I was so happy.

You have done so many shows, so how does it feel to be a part of a cult show like Balika Vadhu?

I have been a big fan of Balika Vadhu and I used to watch it when I was studying my engineering in Bhavnagar. Meanwhile, I got a fellowship with Whistling Woods International and after I completed my education, everybody asked me what have I done. At that time, I lied that I have scripted for Balika Vadhu because everybody, from my family, relatives to friends started questioning me. I wanted to escape the pressure so I lied and since the show was a hit, people stopped questioning me. I told them that my contract got over so I have returned home. Till date, my friends and relatives think the same but I did it to escape the social pressure. In 2021, Purnendu Shekhar and Gajra Kottary contacted me and I was overwhelmed thinking that I  made people believe that I was a part of season 1 for so many years and now I have finally got an opportunity to be a part of the show.  

Well said Raam! (Also Read: What! Balika Vadhu 2: Ratan becomes unconscious)