It isn’t as though we have not heard of overworked actresses fainting on the sets. But what happened on the sets of Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 3 should serve as an example of what actors should not do.

Parul Chauhan of Bidaai fame fainted at the end of her performance on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3. She spoke to Tellychakkar when she was on her way to the doctor for a follow-up. “I was already unwell. I was running a temperature of 103 degrees,” says Parul. “I have been working day and night and have hardly had any rest. In fact, I am still feeling dizzy.”

It is a well-known fact that she is overworked. “Only I know how I have been pulling along,” she says.

There have been several occasions, either on sets or during rehearsals, when Parul has been on the point of fainting. But she has remained standing through sheer will. “I gather all the positive energy that I can manage and pull through my demanding schedule. Many times, I have not eaten more than a couple of mouthfuls of food,” she reveals. “Most often, it so happens that I always think ‘I’ll eat later’ and then end up not eating.”

After this latest bout on the sets of Jhalak, it was found that Parul has low sugar. Parul would apparently faint during rehearsals as well, but her commitment to both her shows was so intense that she would not cut corners on either.

“I want to give 100 percent to everything that I do,” she says. “Bidaai is very important to me but I am also totally committed to Jhalak. I am doing the best that I can. On Bidaai, there is no fixed time for pack up – there cannot be because it’s a daily. And so, if it is too late and I cannot go over for rehearsals, I call Deepak to the sets for rehearsals. We need to rehearse for at least three hours. On Jhalak, some changes were made to the song also. So, we had to revisit the steps. Obviously, we wanted the best steps for the song. But it has been physically draining. This time was very bad. When I was dancing, during the final, I was seeing dark patches; I was blacking out. But I resisted as much as I could before finally fainting on stage. When I opened my eyes six hours later, I was in my room. I have no idea about how the judges reacted or who carried me to my room, but I am told that Ram Kapoor and Hanif Hilal carried me off the stage.”

For the first time in many months, Parul slept for around 10 hours at a stretch. She is off today and has to return to the grind tomorrow. But despite the present condition of her health, Parul is all praise for the production houses of both her shows. “Hats off to them. Both Bidaai and Jhalak Dikhla Jaa have really been very caring,” she says. “They treat me like a baby on the sets. My spot boys on both shows are always present around me and keep insisting that I have juice at regular intervals. After I give a shot, I am usually surrounded by people who are ready to hold me in case I fall. They have been really sweet and I want to do my best for them.”

Meanwhile, on Jhalak, the judges expressed concern over overworked actors and why they cannot opt out of one commitment while taking on another strenuous one. It was left to anchor Shweta Tiwari to explain to the judges that Parul did have the option of quitting her daily soap, but Bidaai had made her a household name and her loyalty towards the show made her continue with it. The judges, Saroj Khan in particular, were reluctant to even give her marks for her performance. But she was persuaded by Shweta to do so.

It now remains to be seen how long Parul can continue on Jhalak. One hopes that her stint is a long one. After all, she is not alone in this. The fate of the talented Deepak, who was winner Prachi Desai’s choreographer, hangs in the balance as well. We tried contacting him as well, but he remained unavailable.