Mahhi Vij was asked to hide her identity, for her character of Nakusha in Laagi Tujhse Lagan.
Explaining why she restricted herself to talk to the media and even her friends she says, "It was the channel's policy, that I don't reveal anything because the viewer will otherwise lose interest in watching me on screen. It was entirely the creative team's decision."
It takes Mahhi one hour to get ready every day, "My make-up and creative teams worked hard on my look. She was meant to look unkempt and ugly as the storyline demanded it; that her mother put kajal and raakh (ash) on her body every day. On the first day, no one really recognized me but later on, they did due to my sharp features."
Mahhi confesses she agreed to do this show because of the story and the channel. "They narrated the story to me and even said that it was based on a real story. They did a photo shoot with me. I found it interesting, it is realistic. The channel is good, they handle every social issue very well; they are not doing just for the sake of it. Our show is already a much talked-about show. My family hardly watches any shows on TV but this time they did and they were thrilled to see
me like that. Even my friends have been appreciating my work, so I am happy. The publicity for this show was done well."
She says Nakusha has made her change her perception towards good- looking people. "Beauty should be within and no one should just look at a pretty face! I know that all matrimonial columns have a condition that they want smart girls. But in reality no one wants a smart girl or girl with no heart and sentiments. They want a down- to- earth person. No one should undergo any trauma only because they are not good looking."
Mahhi is getting a hang of shooting in the slums, "I have shot in a slum earlier too for a music video. Now when I am shooting here for longer hours I am getting to learn lots of things about the slum people's day to day lives, what they eat, the problems they face."
Chinmayi Sumeet (Babi) helps Mahhi to learn the language. "All actors are good and we all had a workshop together. I don't think about other actors but I only concentrate on my performance. However on the sets we have fun and at the same time there are lots of things to learn from Kali. Chinmayi teaches me all Marathi words. It is difficult for me to pronounce it as I am a hard core Punjabi, but I am managing it. We gelled very well and often discuss recipes on the sets."