When I see Sriti and Mrunal, I get reminded of my daughters - Supriya Shukla

She’s bubbly and ever-cheerful, and her sheer screen presence makes the scene lively and enjoyable!! We are talking about actress Supriya Shukla, who has been excelling in her role of Sarla in Balaji Telefilms’ recently launched show on Zee TV, Kumkum Bhagya. The actress first tasted success with Ekta Kapoor’s Tere Liye, and now plays mother to the two female protagonists, Sriti Jha and Mrunal Thakur in the new Zee TV presentation. Says Supriya, “Ekta knows my potential and I have full faith in her. I always knew that if she offered me a role, it will have all the meat in it. I am thoroughly enjoying playing Sarla; the lady has her emotional moments as well as the lighter ones. The bonding and chemistry that Sarla has with her two daughters is amazing. And to top it all, it is always a nice feeling to work with good actors.” On the kind of preparation she had to do for the role, the lady explains, “Well, I never did prepare for this role, as playing a mother will come naturally to me as I am a mother in real life. When I see Sriti and Mrunal, I get reminded of my daughters. They are very much similar to Sriti and Mrunal, and they have been a great support to me.” Talking about her personal life, and the contribution of her family towards her successful career, Supriya states, “When you are a working woman, it is always important that you have enough support of your family members. My husband has always supported me in my career decisions. My elder daughter is more like Sriti, and is very calm and composed. My younger one is a complete brat. And I see my daughters in Sriti and Mrunal.” She goes on to say, “Television would not have been possible without my husband and kids’ support. Five years back, when I thought of getting into TV with an offer in hand, I asked my family whether they are ready to suffer along with me (smiles). They willingly gave me the nod. Everybody does their bit in order to help me. My elder daughter has taken over responsibilities at home so that I feel free. I usually keep thinking about home, so she sees to it that she messages me or Whatsapps me that she has finished all the chores. My family wants me to work without having the baggage of home. God has been really kind, and I am enjoying my work.” Supriya has few nice words for Sriti and Mrunal. “Both of them are extremely professional. They do not even get their cell phones to the shoot spot. They come prepared with their lines and script, and do not even find it necessary to bring the script to the set. This confidence in them motivates me to give my best. In fact, since we are so very well-versed with the lines, we get that extra time to add up to the scene and make it more impactful. We are thankful to Ekta for giving us the freedom to play with our characters. Many a times, I feel that our house operates like this, and there is a camera which has gotten inside our house. This is the realistic feel that we get while shooting. We have become like a family and this appears in our scenes.” On her family in Kumkum Bhagya which is completely ruled by women, she expresses, “Sarla gets all the support from her daughters, Pragya and Bulbul. All the women in the house are strong enough and have lived their life without the help of a man. But if a man comes to help them, they appreciate the person’s efforts. Madhuji’s (Madhu Raja) character is also strong enough, who lives her life in her own way. Suresh comes as a whiff of fresh air in the lives of the ladies. Though they are not used to getting help from a man, Sarla and Pragya like the way Suresh helps them.” Talking about the family that she has found in her work place, Surpiya states, “Sriti and Mrunal call me ‘maa’ even off the screen. And even when I have a scene where I cry for my daughter, I see my daughter in her and cry naturally. I love operating like that as I feel Pragya is my baby. And I am doubly happy when Sriti too responds the same way. Usually, the younger actors do not want the senior actors to get into their boundary. However, it is not like that in the Kumkum Bhagya family. Sriti, Mrunal, Madhu aunty, and Faisal have got into the groove and we look one happy family on screen. Ekta was also telling me that she has been getting feedback of us looking a real family.” Way to go, Supriya!!