She may not be everyone's favourite bahu, but there's no beating her steady popularity over the years. Shweta Tiwari, as Prerna and as herself, has always been in the news, for one reason or the other.
In an exclusive chat with Prashant Golecha, Shweta speaks out about herself, her personal life and career.
As a person
I am friendly but at same time, I prefer to be a loner. I am an optimistic person who loves to take life as it comes.
On marriage
I have been married to Raja Choudhary for six years and have a five-year-old daughter Palak. I am very clear about my priorities. I go to work only after my daughter goes to school and try to come home before she goes to bed.
Raja is the most co-operative husband I could have hoped for. He trusts me absolutely. I don’t go to parties unless I am accompanied by him. I have faced all controversies with a smile because of my husband’s moral support and trust!
My character ‘Prerna'
I don’t relate much to Prerna. I am a good mother and wife like her but the similarity ends there. The kind of sacrifices Prerna makes don't happen in real life. I have been playing Prerna for four years, but I am not yet bored of her, as I get to play a variety of shades.
Brush with fame
All the ads and shows I do, happen on my merit - I hardly lobby for myself. I have been mobbed many times, but I take that as a reward of four years of hard work.
Fame actually works to my disadvantage - like, I can’t take my daughter to Water Kingdom or to a park. I can’t enjoy my life fully with my daughter.
When I go to her school, Ryan International, I am a special parent. If I am called to distribute prizes, my daughter may resent my paying attention to other children!
Food n Fitness funda
I don’t do a single thing to look good or to stay in shape. I don’t exercize. I eat whatever and whenever I feel like. I guess I don't put on weight, because everyone in my family is slim and fit. I weighed 54 kgs post pregnancy, and I am just 55 kgs now. I don't even bother to drink lots of water; I can't stand bhindi and Kaddu. I love ghar ka dal chawal the most with lots of ghee, onions and pickle. I love my mother’s fried dal and my mother in-law’s chawal. She makes even simple rice excellently.
Controversies
I am unaffected by them. People who matter to me know me. My family and husband have never asked a single question about any gossip or controversies surrounding me. I do my work and mind my own business.
On Cezanne Khan
When I started working on Kasautii... I was new to the industry, and friendly with him. With the passage of time, layers of his personality unfolded and he turned out to be an artificial man whom I can’t even like. I don’t talk to him.
Cezanne Khan is the only one person on the Kasautii sets who invites controversies. He had announced that he would get married to Geetanjali to everyone on the sets but he never did. I was never involved with him. I have better things to do in life. He probably enjoyed the publicity by dragging my name everywhere.
Rapport with co-artistes
I have a professional rapport with all. But I have a life of my own. I don’t even have Moonmoon or Geetanjali’s number but when we meet we are together and enjoy working together. I often share my make up van with Geetanjali and we share our Tiffins, but that doesn’t mean we are best friends.
On Ekta Kapoor
Balaji Telefilms is the safest production house for girls. Production values are the best. It is Ekta who started the trend of taking units abroad. They are lavish in every sense of the word. Ekta keeps a tab on the creative aspects. She herself works without a break, so who are we to crib if we are asked to put in an extra hour or two?