My mother was ecstatic... Neenaji was to play my mother-in-law : Vandana Joshi

Dil Se Diya Vachan is Zee’s latest offering, a show that explores the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship but in a positive light. The channel is also ready to launch another fresh face who happens to be Vandana Joshi, yet another Dance India Dance 2 contestant. The makers have also roped in veteran Neena Gupta to essay the part of the doting mother-in-law while Gaurav Khanna plays Prem, her handsome son. TellyChakkar spoke to Vandana to know more… DID seems to have become the stage for budding actors? Yes, we are part of the Zee family and there is a contract too. What were you up to post DID? After DID, I was doing shows and also did a few dance workshops. How did the show come about? I am in a contract with Zee, so the production people got in touch with me through them. They had liked a couple of my acts in DID, I auditioned for them and I got through. For me, education was always my second priority. Extra-curricular things attracted me more, so I have always been singing, dancing and acting in school. But luckily, Dance India Dance happened first and now, this show. So dancing takes a backseat now? Yes, sadly it will. But I hope Nandini (her character in the show) gets a chance to dance soon too (laughs). Were you keen on a fiction show after DID? I didn’t want to be a choreographer as such. I see myself more on stage; I would rather be on stage than behind it. I like choreography not as a profession. I was always interested in acting so when this show was offered I agreed. So was Dance India Dance a step towards it? No. DID has always been my dream! I wanted to be in DID, that’s it. It wasn’t a step towards acting because both are separate for me. Do you think the participation in such reality shows is now more about the ‘perks’ associated with the show, and less for winning? I don’t know about others but for me it was about winning but when I got voted out, I still didn’t mind because by then I had got so much exposure, had learnt so many styles and had such good opportunities to learn under my mentor, Terence Lewis. So I had gathered and learnt a lot to be disheartened. But, yes the perks come automatically. Tell us a bit about your background? I am from Delhi. Apart from my parents, I have two sisters who are married. One’s in the UK and the other one’s in Delhi. I am alone in Mumbai. Were your parents comfortable with the idea of you acting? Initially they weren’t so supportive when I joined DID or when I took up dancing professionally. But then they were alright after DID happened. They were happy about the Zee family and now that I am part of it, they have no issues. Tell us a bit about your character in the show? Nandini is an introvert and a shy character because she lives with her married sister’s family because they don’t have parents. She knows her limit, loves everyone, and respects her family. She loves Sumati, who’s her best friend and also her brother-in-law’s sister. Any kind of grooming for the role? No, not really. Dancers have to express so some part of acting comes to you. The show is set against the backdrop of a Maharashtrian family; did you face any difficulties picking up the accent? Since my surname is Joshi, a lot of people thought I am a Maharashtrian but am a Punjabi. Now I understand Marathi because it has been six to seven months now. It is not a difficult language to understand though the pronunciation is slightly tough now. Were you scared initially what with your-co-stars being all seasoned actors? Yes because I am a newcomer but then they were very warm towards me. They gave me tips that actually helped me a lot with my performance. How is your rapport with Neena Gupta? Neenaji is very nice. She is the way she is on screen, down to earth and sweet. My mother used to love her in Saans and was ecstatic to know that she will be playing my mother-in-law. It’s a pleasure working with her. How has it been working Gaurav? Gaurav is a fun loving person. We are both Punjabis. We have fun, keep taunting each other. Are you in touch with any of your DID contestants? Yes, I am in touch with most of them like Shakti, Kruti, Amrita and Mayuresh.