Aastha Chaudhary is nervous and praying hard for her show to do well. Her serial Babul Ka Aangan Chootey Na in which she is playing the lead for the first time is going to replace Smriti Irani’s high profile show Virrudh . Aastha was earlier seen doing small roles in serials like Saat Phere and Rakhi.

It is always a big challenge to play a lead for the first time especially after having done small roles. Aastha agrees, “Yes, I agree it’s a huge challenge. The production house and the channel are banking on you as you are the face of the show. But I would say that the producer Rachna ji and the director Maqbool Khan have helped me a lot to cope up with the challenge.”

The strange part is that Aastha had not planned to go for the audition. It was an impromptu decision and luck favoured her. Aastha reveals, “Initially, I was in no mood to go for the audition. Actually I got a day off from my serial Rakhi and the audition for Babul Ka Aangan.. was scheduled on the same day. I was very lethargic but finally I auditioned for the role and luckily I got selected.”

Aastha’s role in Babul Ka Aangan.. is completely different to her role in Rakhi. “In Rakhi, I play the character of a very bubbly girl who is blabbering all the time, whereas in Babul Ka Aangan.. my character is very mature. In real life I am nothing similar to Aastha. I can’t tackle the day- to- day problems in real life as I do in my reel life. Initially, I had problems essaying the role as I was in the Rakhi mode. I told Rachna ji to bear with me for a few days and she was very supportive. My director guided me and told me to be subtle with my expressions,” explains Aastha

Aastha plays the role of a middle-class girl who is juggling between her family and married life. Aastha reveals, “The story is about a middle-class girl who is working in a hotel. Later she gets married to the hotel-owner’s son. The serial talks about the dilemma that a daughter faces after she gets married. She can’t leave her parents in the lurch even if she is loyal to her husband’s family.”

The story sounds quite similar to that of other serials dealing with the problems faced by daughters of the family. “The content and the concept of the show may seem similar to other shows. We are not trying deliberately to do something different. The show is all about the problems that a normal female faces in her daily life. It is the story of a common man. Every girl has to go through this impasse some or the other time in her life. You can easily relate to the serial,” replies Aastha.

It is a huge challenge as her show is going to replace Smriti’s Virrudh which was a hit with both critics and viewers. “Oh! I am really nervous. Virrudh is my favourite show as well. I remember the other day when I was shooting for Babul Ka Aangan Chootey Na, even the Virrudh cast was shooting next to my studio. I wanted to go and meet them but I was a little scared thinking that the entire cast would blame me and say that I am the one who is replacing the show,” says Aastha.

“Virrudh is my mother’s favourite too. She has already told me that she is not going to watch my show as my show is replacing Virrudh . I just pray that my serial does well as it is going to aired at 10:00 p.m and will be competing with Kahanii Ghar Ghar Kii and Zee’s Betiyaan,” adds Aastha.

We wish her all the luck as she prepares herself for the challenge.