"Like Mahi, I am candid about my feelings and possessive about people I love"

Silky hair, peaches and cream complexion and those enticing curves. It's a potent combination and a rare one on Indian television. Sangeeta Ghosh, that petite stunner is back on Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chaand - this time as Mahi, a dancer, after the serial took a 20-year leap. And rumour has it that, with her return to the long running series, Sangeeta is now among the highest paid artistes on the tube. "Wow, this is news to me," she laughs. "I have been associated with Aroonaji since three years and it's not that I have suddenly hiked my price. Every year or so, all artistes hike their fees and I am no exception." "I have enjoyed every moment on television," she reminisces about her television sojourn. "Being an actor has helped me keep an eye on every little detail from my dialogue delivery to make-up and outfits. I have evolved as an actor and as an individual. Acting has given me the platform to exhibit my talent and develop my own inimitable style." With serials like Daraar and Mehndi Tere Naam Ki, she delivered a power-packed performance but it was with Des Mein… that she not only broke the norm of the typical sacrificing bahu but also enhanced her character by making it convincingly real. "Des… is a romantic sitcom, unlike the saas bahu sagas and the reason it is so popular is because both Pammi and Mahi are women of today," she insists. "I identify with Mahi"… Her role as Pammi in Des… in fact won her so many fans, that even after the serial leapt 20 years, she fetched the role of Mahi, an entirely different character. "Pammi became a household name and now I am enjoying playing Mahi. Pammi and Mahi are two separate characters. Mahi is a strong- willed girl, full of life and a go-getter. Pammi was shy and na?ve and unlike Mahi was more homely. I identify with Mahi because like her I am too candid about my feelings and possessive about people I love." An important aspect for Sangeeta is to identify with the role she plays. "I really do not prepare for my role. When a particular role is narrated to me, I just imagine myself as that person and try to identify with that character." While enacting a role, she envisages the body language of the character. "That's why, while playing Pammi I had to develop a subtle, shy and a delicate body language. Whereas Mahi is a very boisterous character, hence her characteristic is more energetic and lively." "I am my own critic"… Sangeeta's biggest strength lies in the fact that she derives satisfaction from her work. "I just love this profession because it's a creative art to react and respond to imaginary situations and make an unreal character seem real. And perfecting this art gives me a high." On the other hand, a very meticulous person, she believes her only weakness is that she is her own critic and feels that she could do a particular scene better. For any television actor, films would be the next step, but for this Bengali lass, it is quality that matters the most. "I've received good offers but I would like to do sensible films, even if they are directed by a debutante. I don't want to rush into anything. My serials are doing great and I would love to continue my work on the small screen." Marriage proposals…. Sangeeta is quick to remember a hilarious and embarrassing incident that happened on her sets. "Two elderly women came to me with marriage proposals for their sons and were actually putting forth their sons' profiles. It was so embarrassing and awkward to see them ask me to wed their sons. Nevertheless, it feels great to be loved by people." So, what does she think about love and marriage? "Love is a very beautiful emotion and it is the most unpredictable. You can fall in love with the person you never imagined. I guess it's beautiful because it's unexpected." What next? A trained Bharatnatyam dancer, Sangeeta wants to go back to this form of art once she tones down her work. "I love dancing because it not only rejuvenates your spirit but being a composite art, it sends positive messages not only to the senses, but to the soul of the performer and the perceiver."