We've seen a peek of our many states through Colors shows like Balika Vadhu and Kairee. But if you pay attention to our Colors actors, they too are a lesson in Unity in Diversity. Click on to see the diverse roots of our much loved actors.
1.)Avinesh Rekhi-Chandigarh
Representing Chandigarh is the handsome Kabir Jaiswal of Chhal, aka Avinesh Rekhi. He was raised in Chandigarh before he decided to give acting a shot and landed up in Mumbai. He says that he has gotten his sense of discipline from living in Chandigarh.
2.)Shashank Vyas- Ujjain
This tall and lanky boy was born in Jabalpur and brought up in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. He turned towards acting when his original plan of doing an MBA didn't work out. After many auditions, he landed the coveted role of Jagya in Balika Vadhu, and there has been no looking back for him after that.
3.)Keerti Nagpure- Pune
On screen, she may be Siddhi Chopra, estranged wife of a Mumbai-based lawyer, but in real life, Keerti's heart beats for Pune. Her family still stays there, and she is also pursuing a course in interior designing from a Pune college. From Pune to Mumbai, Keerti is indeed a cosmopolitan girl!
4.)Jayati Bhatia-Kolkata
She may look like the quintessential Punjabi on screen, but Jayati Bhatia is originally from Kolkata. Born as a Bengali, Jayati, or Joyoti, got married to a Punjabi and has since lived in Mumbai. But she also has deep ties with Orissa, Delhi and Kolkata. Talk about a truly Indian actor!
5.)Gaurav Bajaj-Indore
This chocolate boy is a product of the quiet city of Indore. He lived there with his parents till tinsel town beckoned, and he moved to the City of Dreams. But he still admits to missing the city and flying there whenever he gets any free time. Awww!
6.) Akanksha Singh- Jaipur
Mohan Bhatnagar's new wife might be blushing pink nowadays in the show, but the real life Megha, or Akanksha, belongs to Pink City-Jaipur. She was creatively inclined in her Jaipur days too, acting in plays and on regional television along with pursuing her physiotherapy course. And then this Jaipur girl burst on the map of India as Megha Vyas, nee Bhatnagar.
7.)Vivian Dsena-Bhopal
Vivian Dsena, who plays the superstar RK in Madhubala, has his roots in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. A promising footballer in his student days, he moved on to modelling and acting and made Mumbai his home. Not just Vivian, Shoaib Ibrahim, Prem of Sasural Simar Ka, is also from Bhopal. Now we think being a Bhopali is an added advantage if you want to be a TV actor. Hmmm...
8.)Pratyusha Banerjee- Jamshedpur
Pratyusha Banerjee lived in Jamshedpur all her life, that is, until Rajasthan and Balika Vadhu beckoned. She was chosen as the new Anandi via a survey and she has been our Anandi since then. But she is still very attached to her hometown, and her parents who live there fully support her.
9.)Preeti Chaudhary- Ghaziabad
Preeti Chaudhary is pretty much like Ambi, her character in Kairee, in real life. Strong-willed and determined. That is the reason why this young girl from Ghaziabad lied to her parents and attended auditions for shows in Mumbai. Preeti successfully completed the journey from Ghaziabad to Mumbai and her parents too, are pretty happy with her choice of career. A happy ending, indeed.
Representing the capital of the country are Hema Singh, the fearsome Imarti Devi of Kairee and Alka Amin, who plays Veena in Parichay. Both these veteran artistes have lived in Delhi for a long time before they found good roles they could sink their teeth into. We're glad.
How can we talk about tinseltown and not include Mumbai? Mumbai has its fair contribution in the form of Kunal Karan Kapoor, Drashti Dhami. Kunal has lived in Mumbai all his life and RK studio, the iconic Mumbai landmark, is one of the reasons he entered tinsel town. Ditto for Drashti Dhami, who lived in Mumbai even before glamour came knocking at her door.
