When opportunity beckons, make the best of it - Mouni Roy perhaps embodies this phrase. This 20 something petite girl who hails from West Bengal was chosen among thousands of applicants to play the character of KrishnaTulsi in Kyunki...and this, when the girl had no intentions of joining the entertainment industry.

Ekta Kapoor's latest find, Mouni Roy talks to Tellychakkar.com's Sameera Kapoor about life in the industry.

Did you always dream of becoming an actress?
It was destiny. How else can this be explained - a first year Mass Media student of Jamia Islamia lands a plum role when the only thing she was upto was fun? I was waiting for some friends who were late and decided to have some fun by going to the audition being held in Noida....I was lucky to bag the role!

How does it feel to be the chosen one….
It certainly feels great, but at same time I feel lost. So much is happening and that to at such a pace that I don't even have the time to sit and enjoy it.

Has Ekta given any reason for choosing you?
She didn't give any reason in particular. She just stated that the moment she saw me she could visualise me as a part of the serial.

Did you audition particularly for Tulsi?
Interestingly, no. As the audition was for both the good and the bad characters, I had auditioned for the part of Bhumi as I couldn't memorise the lines of Krishna Tulsi which was written in pure Hindi. However, Ektaji said that she found all the positive qualities in me that which she was searching for in Krishna Tulsi.

How was it to be facing the camera for the first time…
I was not nervous the first day of shoot because I was the only one shooting that day! Therefore I didn't have any scenes with the senior actors. But the second day of shoot I was really nervous and had butterflies in my stomach - I was to share the screen space with Smriti Irani.

So how was it to act with Smriti Irani…
It was really a great experience for me. I was a nervous wreck, but Smritiji made me feel easy. She explained to me about the nitty gritties involved. She is an adorable actor. She can emote any given scene at a given time and switch to her real self with equal ease.

Prior to joining Balaji, have you ever watched the serial…
No, I haven't watched Kyunki...before. I used to say, 'how dumb these serials are', but it's a cliche now!

If not an actor then….
I would have done something in the field of theatre, puppetry shows.

Don't you feel that it's a huge responsibility of having to play the character of Krishna Tulsi?
Yes absolutely. Infact right from the day my character was telecast people began o compare me with Tulsi.

How are preparing yourself to match to the expectation?
Well, am I trying to get into the skin of the character. For this I must thank my directors, writer and all those who are helping me.

How have your parents taken your fame…
My parents were not keen on this. Not that they didn't like this profession. It's just that they wanted me to complete my studies first and then pursue a profession. My dad is indifferent. But my mom is totally agog!

Don't you miss being home?
Don't even remind me about my home! I get very emotional if I think about my family. Yes, they will be coming over to meet me but they cannot shift just for me as my dad is in the West Bengal Civil Service.

So, were do you stay in Mumbai…
Balaji has provided me apartment in Oshiwara. But soon I will looking out for a more comfortable place to stay.

How do you cope with the grueling shooting session..
I believe it's for the best. After all it's we who are presented before the audience and therefore it becomes necessary for the production house to get the best out of us. Besides, it's a part and parcel of an actor's life. So it's best to accept it rather than crib about it.

Any future projects….
No, I cannot even think of another show right now.

Pics by Satej Shinde