The day I slumbered so exhausted that I couldn’t wake up

A page from the personal diary of Gungun Uprari It’s but obvious that an actor’s first day at shoot goes down his memory as his most memorable day but in my case I’ll put it the other way. It was the day I went to bed so tired that I just couldn’t be up the next morning! Reason, I had packed in so much work and had pumped in all my energy for canning many episodes in a single day! It still can’t believe that someone like me can do so much in 24 hours. But it was the excitement that challenged my capabilities. The shoot was for my maiden show Yeh Bandhan Saat Janmon Ka which took place sometime last year in Lucknow. All the cast members had to report on sets by 4.30 am. I just couldn’t catch some Z's and was ready to leave by 2.30 am. I was very anxious but the only thing that kept me going was that every actor of the show was a fresher but the director, Sapna Joshi calmed us. We reached the spot which was near Gomati River and Vishal and I gave our first shot with the first rays of the sun which was okayed in one take. From there on it was no looking back and I was on my toes all day. It was very hot in Lucknow and I had to shoot bare feet throughout as there were many temple shots and pooja scenes to be canned. I was so edgy that I unintentionally skipped my lunch. I kept on shooting without indulging in a single break in spite of my producers asking to rest for some time. After a tiring but fulfilling day, we left for our hotel. Post dinner, all actors retired to their respective rooms and I immediately hit the bed. My body was aching big time. Next morning I had dived so deep in my sleep that even constant alarms and phone calls could not wake me. Nevertheless when I was out of my slumber I realized I was late but the excitement to shoot dragged me to the sets as fast as I could. I gave my best again with the same enthusiasm and enjoyed it. But this time I made sure to fuel myself with regular meals and rest. The pattern continued for some days and my hard work did finally pay off when my show really clicked with the viewers. At that time Colors was newly launched and I was wary about the fact that Yeh Bandhan Saat Janmon Ka was to be shown on it. During that phase, many channels had entered the scene but weren’t doing well. But Colors broke the pattern and became a huge success…and so did my show. I consider myself fortunate to bag a lead role in my debut show and that too on a prestigious channel. Now I am not known as Gungun, but as Jhanvi.