EXCLUSIVE: Will Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi's new season impact Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai? Samridhii Shukla responds

Samridhii Shukla has been impressing audiences with her portrayal of Abhira in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. Recently, Pinkvilla exclusively spoke to her to hear her thoughts on various topics. Samridhii Shukla discussed the speculation surrounding the new season of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and its impact on Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai's ratings, her views on reality shows, how she was almost rejected for Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and more.

Excerpts from the interview:

Will Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi's release impact Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai?

Samridhii: Not at all. I don't think so at all. The show that has been running for almost 16 years has its own cult audience that has been watching diligently. There are so many people that I meet every now and then, who say that 'We have been watching Yeh Rishta since the time Hina was there.' They have grown up. Their kids have grown up watching the serial. I think this show has a cult audience that remains loyal to it, no matter what. 

Of course, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, I am sure, is going to get its own viewership, probably from the previous ones or the new ones. That we will find out. 

The time at which both of our shows will come has a lot of gap. We come at 9:30 and they are coming at 10:30. We are not even like consecutively coming after each other. So, I think that's not a botheration. 

You were almost rejected for Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

Samridhii: I was almost not selected for Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. The call on getting me on board was very last-minute. Because another girl was almost final. I think they were about to do the contract, but she was almost finalised. 

Instinctively, they thought that they wanted to go for a second round with me. I came in and I did the second round and that's it. They found what they were looking for. Luckily, I got the chance. 

Your thoughts on Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai ranking 1st on TRP chart

Samridhii: One aspect of it is when we get TRP numbers, of course, it makes us happy. That's a security, that's validation. We know the show will go on if the TRP is good. Another aspect of it is - We don't work for TRPs as such. I don't work so that my show will come number 1 on TRP. 

I work so that I do a good scene, we have a good story, we have a nice chemistry or camaraderie with the other people, and the overall product is good. I do it for that. This is something which is not in our hands. Of course, when it comes, it makes us happy. I focus more on my performance."

Challenges you faced in playing lead role

Samridhii: It's safe to say that I work without any breaks. With that, I mean I don't get any offs, script-wise. I shoot 30 days a month, and if I am lucky, then 12 hours a day; otherwise, we also extend shifts. It is definitely taxing because, as a human, as a performer, you need time to recharge. I used to feel I needed time to recharge, and I needed more time to relax, and I would love that.

The medium is such that it doesn't allow that much time. Since the story revolves around and from the perspective of the main lead, specifically the heroine so it's difficult for them to give me a leave. I understand where they are coming from. So it gets taxing in that way since it revolves around the heroine. I usually don't get off. The hero (Rohit Purohit) also works a lot, but he does get off sometimes. 

Was Garvita Sadhwani's exit pre-decided?

Samridhii: I honestly wouldn't know if it was predecided or not. That is something that I know would have kept confidential from us, even if it had been pre-decided. Only Garvita (Garvita Sadhwani) can tell. But many people are a part of our show, but they are nowhere to be seen currently. I am still hoping that they will be back somehow. 

Apart from Charu (Saloni Sandhu's character), it's shown that she has passed away. Apart from that, I think the writers would keep it open for all the characters to re-enter, like they did for Mohit. So I think there is a great possibility of everyone returning. If Garvita is confirming that she is exiting, then probably it must have been intimated to her, which I don't have any idea about. 

Will you do Bigg Boss or Khatron Ke Khiladi?

Samridhii: Honestly, right now, I don't think so. I would be up for doing Khatron Ke Khiladi, but I really think that I am scared of too many things, and I will probably chicken out. I don't know, we will see about that. 

But for Bigg Boss, I am somebody, I don't want to be somebody who people know everything about. I don't know if that is going to change in the coming time. Right now, this is what I feel. Maybe 5-10 years down the line, I do feel that I want to be a part of it. This is what I feel currently. 

Did you experience the casting couch?

Samridhii: First of all, I never wanted to become an actor because of all the stories that you hear. So, I was very apprehensive. I think my father saw how talented I am because I used to voice, and I think he thought that I could prove my mettle here also. I think that's the reason he pushed me and said, 'I'm there. If there's anything like that, I'm there.' So that kind of gave me an assurance that, okay, I have somebody to rely on. 

Honestly, I have never faced anything like that. But I remember a meeting with a coordinator of a South movie. I had gone there with my mom because I was very young. I must have just turned an adult or something, quite a few years back. And he referred to something as 'This is how it works in the South industry. Comprises and all, you have to do it.' 

I was like, that's not going to work, that's not what I am here for. It was for a Telugu movie. Of course, I was not up for it, so I dropped that. 

I think most of these things we hear are from the Telugu industry because that's the most commercial part of the South industry. I don't know if it happens to everybody, but I know they hinted that like that. It's a thing that happens to people, depending on their choice whether they want to or not.

Stay tuned to Pinkvilla!

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