The not-so fair and lovely Parul Chauhan

Parul Chauhan aka Ragini from Sapna Babul Ka-Bidaai is a happy girl these days. She couldn't ask for a better serial to launch her career on television. Parul came from Lucknow to Mumbai in 2005 leaving her engineering course half way. She was motivated by her brother's friend to try her hand at modelling and her first attempt in the world of acting got her the serial Sapna Babul Ka-Bidaai and rest is all history. In a tete-e-tete with tellychakkar she gets un-plugged on-screen and off-screen. Indians are obsessed by fair skin why did you choose such a deglam role for your maiden serial? You know when the serial started and people who know me saw my look in the serial, they got startled. They started telling me that if I appear like this on television then it will be very difficult for me to get other roles. Actually I am not this dark; it is all done through make-up. The role was so challenging that I couldn't resist taking it up. I believe as an artist your job is to work, and you appearing dark or fair should not matter. At the end of the day your work is all that matters. How satisfied are you with your looks and would you go for a make-over later in the serial? See, I just don't care how I look in the serial. But people are liking my character for its simplicity and innocence. My look is as per the demand. My look is very Indian. I will have a change in my looks but it won't be a drastic change or a complete make-over, they will not make me fair-skinned all of a sudden but yes, there will be changes in my looks, hair-style and my dressing. What is the best compliment you have ever received? I just received a call from a small girl from Jammu. I don't know how she got my number. She told me that Ragini didi I just love your work and I am a very big fan of yours. That was so sweet of her. I think this is the best compliment so far. What made you choose this serial? It is a very simple serial and there is no drama in this serial. I just loved the concept and my role. How did you get this offer? I dropped in my photographs at Rajan sir's office. He liked my pictures and called me for the auditions and finally I got selected to play Ragini. How much do you believe in the character and the serial? I totally believe in the serial and my character. You would not find such things happening in big cities now-a-days. In small villages and small cities things like this still take place. There families do differentiate between the fair and dark girls. If a girl is dark then nobody will select her for marriage let alone her good looks, but if a girl is fair and not so good-looking they will choose her on the basis of her fair skin. Don't you think that the storyline is a bit similar to that of Saat Phere? There is no comparison between the two serials. In Saat Phere, Saloni is the main character and the whole story revolves around her. But in our serial Sapna Babul Ka-Bidaai both the sisters are an inevitable part of the story and both the tracks are moving simultaneously. In Saat Phere the sisters have differences amongst themselves but here we love each other a lot and can't see each other in trouble. How do you like the atmosphere on the sets? Oh! The cast of the show is like my extended family. You know when I have to give those emotional scenes I do not glisten my eyes it just comes naturally. I remember once I was supposed to get my eyes just moist for a scene and Alok ji was to say a dialogue. But as he started speaking his lines I was in tears. I told him that he was speaking like my father and so I could not help crying. Alok ji always encourages me to give good scenes. How do you relate to Sara(Sadhna)? We are like friends cum sisters. I treat her like my younger sister and slap her at times when she is wrong. At times she also scolds me and behaves like my elder sister. We gel very well. How similar are you to Ragini in real life? Oh! I love wearing traditional costumes. I love sarees, salwar-kameezes. I am not much of a jeans lover, but I love to look cool. I would say I am cool. So in that case you may say that I am similar to Ragini in real life.