I'm glad Ekta Kapoor likes my work : Pooja Bose

It’s a pleasant surprise to see Pooja Bose, the pretty Bengali actress in Maharashtrian garb. Wearing a nine-yard sari, Bose performs laavni in her third Balaji Telefilms offering Sarvaguna Sampanna. Catching her in an upbeat mood TellyChakkar chatted with the actress. It’s your third soap with Balaji Telefilms, how is the experience? My experience with Balaji has been good so far. I am very comfortable working with the unit and see them as my family. I am very attached to them now and I am glad Ekta (Kapoor) likes my work. Tell us more about Sarvaguna Sampanna. Sarvaguna Sampanna is the story of a lower middle-class laavni dancer. It is a different concept based on dance. It basically speaks about how laavni dancers are seen in the bad light in the society and perceived only as a mode of entertainment. Being a Bengali, was it difficult to play a Maharashtrian laavni dancer? Did you train for it? It was challenging but not difficult. I haven’t taken any personal training for laavni due to my hectic schedule. But, I am a trained classical dancer. So it has helped me a lot. How is this role different from your previous roles? My role is totally different. In my earlier shows I played a homely girl and a housewife and here I play a lower-middle class laavni dancer. Here my character is the only child from a lower-middle class family, burdened with high expectations from the family members. Ekta Kapoor recently said in an interview that Sarvaguna Sampanna is inspired by the Marathi film, Natrang. Do you agree? Natrang was a hit film. Thus, it’s not unnatural to be inspired by it. We could say that the show is slightly inspired by the film but the storyline is completely different from the film. How was the experience shooting at Kolhapur? It was good. Though it is very hot there and the locations are very far, the place has helped me giving a feel of my character. I also met many Maharastrian families here. Your fans have loved your chemistry with your co-actor Kunal Verma in Tujh Sang Preet Lagai Sajna. Do we see more of you and him in near future? Sure. If our fans like to see us together, I would like to work with him in future. You have been a Bengali film actress before getting into television…any reason for the shift? I wouldn’t call it a shift. I just believe in doing good work that makes me happy. In fact, I am extremely choosy about my scripts. I did a Hindi film at the age of 15 and then Bengali films just to get exposure. I simply wanted to test my comfort level with the camera as I always wanted to be an actress. Later, I took a break and then got into television. Tell us more about your first film, Escape from Taliban. It was my debut Hindi film at the age of 15. It starred Manisha Koirala. The director of the film was my father’s friend. Hence, he approached me with a role. It was an autobiography of Sushmita Banerjee played by Manisha. It was more like a documentary film. Any plans of going to Bollywood? Well… it depends. If I come across good scripts, I really wouldn’t mind. But for now I haven’t decided anything. I want to take each day as it comes. What’s that one thing missing in your life right now? I love travelling a lot. But due to my hectic schedules I hardly get any time for it. Even if we go on outdoor locations, it’s only for a day or two. So, I miss that in my life. Where do you see yourself five years down the line? I see myself as an established actor. I have always dreamt of being a director. So I might fulfill my desire if conditions permit.