People love to hate her but they dare not ignore her. First as the conniving Aporna of Kasautii Zindagi Kay and currently as the funny but vindictive Maya of Karam Apnaa Apnaa, Geetanjali Tikekar has found a place for herself in the list of 'most sought after vamps of the tube!'

Though like any dreamy kid she desired to be a doctor, but destiny had other plans and here she is!

Prashant Golecha chances an opportunity to converse with this pretty, vivacious and talented actor. Excerpts.

"Maya is amusing, she is an adorable vamp!"

How different is it to play Maya (Karam...) from Aporna (Kasautii...)?
Maya is amusing. She is an adorable vamp! Playing this character is a stress buster for me because of the fun element, which was absent in Aporna. I am lucky to bag this role!

What has been the response so far?
There are times when people are confused and ask me if I am the same actress who played Aporna!

It seems you miss playing Aporna?
Yes I do as is it this that character which took me to a peak. She was an ultimate vamp as she crossed all limits and had shades of insanity.

Your character vanished because Komalika (Urvashi) was making a comeback?
My character disappeared and re-appeared at various intervals as per the story requirement. Imagine if we actors decide the fate of our tracks and career moves Balaji could have not been this BIG ever.

Any memorable fan encounters?
I am generally mobbed by people who identify me as Aporna of Kasautii. Once I had gone to Hare Rama Hare Krishna temple where a cluster of Gujarati ladies gathered around me and questioned me about my attempt to kill bechara and innocent Anurag (laughs).

You share a very comfortable equation with Balaji by now, right?
Balaji is like a mother company. Since the past five years I have been associated with them and by taking extra care of us they have spoilt us in many ways. Till date I have done daily soaps only with Balaji and episodics for other production houses where I feel like a guest! Everything is well between Ekta and me as it was a mutual decision to put a full stop to Aporna's character.

Kasautii…. is known to be Balaji's most contentious unit. How did you manage to wield the controversies?
It's just me; I have learnt to handle it my way. I might be disliked but am still respected. I have never bothered to clarify a lot of things, which were reported in papers because I don't believe in giving importance to petty things. As long as my family is happy and controversies don't affect them, I'm cool!

That reminds me of your rumoured affair with your co-star Cezanne Khan. Any comments?
Cezanne is a closed file! I don't want to talk about him at this stage of my life.

"May be someday I'll write a book!"

Describe your dream man?
I will marry a man who I feel can father my kids. He needs to be very compassionate and kind. I have my own mood swings so my man needs to be extremely understanding and patient. He should also have a good sense of humour and should love pets.

Could he be from the entertainment industry?
Yes, in fact it will be convenient professionally and will make my personal life smoother.

Introduce us to the real Geetanjali Tikekar?
What you see is what you get. I am a simple person, compassionate, introvert, short tempered at times but basically amiable by nature. I am ambitious to an extent and I do crave for good work.

Tell us something about you which people don't know?
During my childhood days, I used to maintain a journal where I would pen my thoughts. May be, someday I'll write a book.

You are known to be very techno-savvy. Are you?
Yes I am inclined towards gizmos, be it the digital camera, laptops, mobile phones, computers. I am quite a net freak too! I even sketch on my mobile just for fun.

What do you do besides acting?
I have put up my garment unit in Pune and we run it by the label named Luxe. Probably by next year you will see our collections at all the Fashion Weeks in India. My brother is a professional designer and he handles the creatives while I handle administration.