For two decades, Prachee Shah Pandya has been winning the hearts of audience by delivering some memorable performances on television. She was part of Ekta Kapoor's longest-running television show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
Over the years, she has also been a part of some commercially successful and critically acclaimed films such as Student Of The Year, ABCD 2, Judwaa 2 and Mulk. Time and again, she has captured the attention of the audience with her talent. The prolific actor was last seen as a ruthless antagonist in Akshay Kumar starrer Laxmii.
The actor is on cloud nine as she has some exciting Bollywood line up. Her upcoming films include Om - The battle within, which stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Ashutosh Rana and Sanjana Sanghi. The action-entertainer film will see her playing a pivotal part.
The talented and versatile actor will also play an important role in Maddock Films' upcoming production. The slice-of-life film stars Rajkummar Rao, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal and Ratna Pathak Shah.
In an exclusive conservation ith IBTimes India, Prachee Shah Paandya spoke at length about her upcoming film, how TV has changed over the years and more.
Excerpt from the conversation:
How was the year 2020 for you?
Initially, the lockdown for me was, as it was for everyone, not a very good thought of sitting at home with no work, but then I took it positively. I worked out a lot. I danced a lot. I got back to learning Sitar.
In November 2020, I started shooting for Maddock's upcoming film, which also stars Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon. We shot in Chandigarh. The year has ended on a good note. And I started shooting for another film Om, the battle within, starring Aditya Roy Kapur in January. We just wrapped up the shoot. So all I can say is I made the best use of lockdown in a positive sense.
You have been part of this industry for the last two decades. How has TV changed over the years?
Whatever I see now, I don't think it has evolved. We had better stuff then, and I don't know, but I think we can do so much better; the audience is way too more intelligent now. I have been fortunate as I got the opportunity to work with some of the best directors. I have played varied roles from leads to pivotal roles in daily soaps. I keep getting calls for new shows, most of the prime GEC's as I had signed two films and I wished not to change. However, I am open to good roles. When you play the main lead on a television show, you have to give more days, and it becomes difficult for us to do films. It's a tough choice that you have to make. With daily soap, you can rarely manage a film.
In my last show Ek Shringaar-Swabhiman, I was the main lead. After that, whatever I do, I would like to be the main lead and ensure that the role delivers a stronger message. I believe that with films and the web, we can explore more and more roles. You don't feel stagnant and newer opportunities come your way. I think there should be a concept of daily soaps ending in maybe three months so that the story is not dragged unnecessarily.
TV is one of the widest medium of entertainment we have in India and abroad. I have travelled to places. My experience says that it is unbelievable how many people in India and abroad watch TV. All I can say is TV can do something much better than what's happening now."
[Prachee is an ace kathak dancer and an avid sitar player; being culturally rich, her social media is filled with mesmerising dance steps.]
Let's take a look below:
