"Choodiyan was a very powerful role…it took a lot out of me" The characters she has played don't flow out of an assembly line. They are built in flesh and blood. Her ongoing Krishna Arjun soon goes off air, but she has Cinevistaas' forthcoming Saathiya in her kitty. Meet Shrraddha Nigam- upclose and personal. You left your very first serial Parivartan after just a few episodes and tried films? (Laughs) I went and did a couple of South Indian films. Then I met up with some filmmakers but things didn't work out. Was it a good experience meeting the filmmakers? Not all of them. I was too dumb and somehow felt that I was getting into dangerous waters. You mean you were not ready to 'compromise'? Yes. Wherever I felt that my whole persona was threatened, I fled. I decided to complete my studies, which I had left midway. But I am open to doing good roles with people who I am comfy with. I have been getting offers that haven't been worth taking. Will you do a Jism or a Murder? I will not do a Murder, but I can't say about Jism because I haven't seen it. That way, I did a first night scene in Yatarth but it didn't include a full blown kiss and body exposure. Your first major break on the tube? Choodiyan. The story revolved around Rushali (myself ) who experiences a childhood trauma and blames herself for her mother's death. Time freezes and she stops growing. Years later, on the shores of womanhood, she's still a child as far as her mental abilities go. It was a very powerful role and took a lot out of me. Your role in Saathiya? I play a small town girl but mind you, I am smart, intelligent, creative, untouched by the complexities of urban life. Traditional, yet not conservative. Simple, but not boring! My take on love? Faith is the over-riding emotion attached to love. You and your boyfriend called it a day after nine years? Yeah. We realised that we were growing apart. Two lovely people started bringing out the worst in each other. Tell us something about him. Is he from the entertainment industry? I won't name him. He married last year and seems to be happy. Yes, he is from the entertainment industry. And then you went into another relationship? Yes. I won't name him either, but it was a relationship with someone who is a friend. It lasted for just two months. I guess it happened because post break-up, I was feeling a void. It happened on the rebound, let me put it that way. When I realised that it was not love, I decided to come out of the shadow of the man with whom I was in love for nine years. So, how did you explain it to your friend? Well, I felt very guilty and didn't explain it very well... but it was taken very well.