She’s short, thin and weighs only 51 kgs. It’s almost unimaginable that 23-year-old Swati Taldar has her roots in Afghanistan. However, the petite Swati is quick to say, “I’m only 51 (kilos) and may be very thin but I’m very fit. I work out two hours a day at the gym.”

Fitness will truly be a key for Swati as she sets foot as an army cadet in SAB TV’s Left Right Left. What’s striking about her character is that prior to marching into the army, Purvi Bisht (Swati) walked left right left on the ramp. A supermodel-turned-army cadet!

Defending her character Swati says, “Yes, a super model-turned-army cadet. A first of its kind on television and it’s also my debut role. Perhaps one can say that it’s a super debut for me.” (laughs).

Adding further she says, “Models often are perceived as dumb blondes. They aren’t taking seriously. Purvi wants to break this myth. So, she decided to join the army. She’s very strong, straight forward and one who wants to serve the country.”

Acting in this show also demands a lot of physical strength. The frail Swati has a tale to tell. “I had to slide under the mud with heavy artillery on my back. It was too much of a load for a skinny girl like me but there’s also lot of fun in doing it.”

As viewers get emotionally attached to characters a change is likely to affect viewership.

“I’m fully aware of this but it will be completely unfair to be compared with the earlier cadets. After all, this is like a school, wherein you graduate to another level. The previous cadets have graduated and now it’s our turn to takeover.”

So is she not comfortable with the saas-bahu sagas? “No, I’m comfortable doing any roles. I never dreamt of being an actor. I was working as a PR in a software consultancy firm, dealing with clients like Microsoft and Intel. However, soon I realised that I didn’t belong to the corporate world. I took a break from work and gave myself three months to try and get a foothold in the TV industry. Luckily, I bagged this role in two months and had to quit my job.”

Continuing on her TV journey she says, “I’ve many friends in the industry. Sakshi Tanwar is a dear friend. Besides, there are others who’ve tried real hard but have struggled to even get cameos. Seven years ago, I moved from Rajasthan to Mumbai hoping to enroll myself into IIT but destiny charted another track for me.”