I Like Working Under Pressure Gulfam Khan

The veteran actress GULFAM KHAN of Nikki Aur Jadui Bubble , who has acted till date for over 20 years in theatre, films as well as TV tells JYOTHI VENKATESH in this exclusive telephonic interview exclusively for Mayapuri and bollyy.com tat she has been planning to produce a play for a long time

What is your role in Nikki Aur Jadui Bubble?

I am playing a warden who is very strict or at least she thinks she is very strict and very smart but she is a comic character.

Whenever she does something like punishing the children, she does end up punishing the wrong children, and not the ones who have actually created the trouble.

She tries to put fear in their mind which doesn't work because basically she is a nice person. She is also stuck in 1970's, dresses up in Manorama type saris with big flowers in her head and big bindis.

And to top this look she wears boots. Her look is also very comical and different in this. Right now she is very strict with the children and I don't know how it will shape up ahead.

But I have already done different looks in this like sometimes i get stuck up in a storm or noodles are thrown on my head. It is basically a children's show and my character is a comical.

How did you approach your role as an actress?

I got a call from the production team and got interactive with the channel too. I was auditioned for this and another show of theirs which is a very normal daily soap.

I was very keen on doing this because I had just finished Aladdin - Naam Toh Suna Hoga and was in a comical zone.

Moreover, I like working with children, and was keeping my fingers crossed. When I got a call from the other production house and was finalized over there, I was happy as an actor that another show starts once Aladdin - Naam Toh Suna Hoga ends.

But I was also a little disappointed that it didn't happen here. After a couple of days I got a call saying that I had been selected for this and ultimately they wanted me to do Nikki aur Jadui Bubble and not the other daily soap.

Which was that other show?

I do not know which was that other show and I don't even know whether it’s on air right now or still in the process but it was a daily soap, a normal Saas-Bahu kind of a show.

That was also for Dangal TV. I was swinging between two shows, like a tug-of-war was going on, but am glad I fell on this side.

Besides TV series, you have done films also. Like Ek Haseena Thi and Talash. So what difference do you find between both the media?

Yes, I have done many movies. There is a lot of difference especially in shooting as we have got a lot of time while doing a film.

It’s not going to be released next week and so you have enough time for preparation. Also the budgets are different.

The roles written are different and the way you shoot is also different. But in films you can never be sure of how much you shoot and you might end up with just a section of it on the screen.

But in TV shows you know, whatever you shoot you are going to be on the screen for that much time, unless there is an absolute necessity and on the editing table your scenes are chopped off. There is this difference when it comes to films, but time constraint in TV is more.

Can you elucidate?

There is a lot of pressure when you work for TV. And may be that also keep some people going like mine because I am ok with working under pressure, I just love my work.

I love all the media, and in fact had started with theater. I did theater for a lot of years and now I don't find time for theater in between which is such a sorry thing because I really love theater.

I have films, ads, web series and I am also doing TV for so many years but I did start with films. I first faced camera for the film Ek Haseena Thi.

I started with films and I did ads and then came to TV. But it’s a wonderful experience anyway whichever way you take it.

There is a lot of time and the budget is different, the interactions are different. There is so much reading and preparation that goes in making a film.

With TV we are short of time but again the popularity level is different. You are much more popular even if you are doing small roles in TV.

You will get much more popular if you do a very good film. But no one remembers a little role even in a big film but on TV popularity is different.

In pursuit of money and popularity, has theater taken a back seat?

With TV and films if you have regular work coming in, then money is like a regular flow of income, especially when you are doing TV.

But also there are times when there is no work in between two shows. I am from Mumbai and don’t have problem of work because I have basic necessities like a house of my own and always had a house of my own and basic income has always been there.

But otherwise people who have come from different cities don't get shows in between so they are at home for 6 months.

Last year with the advent of the pandemic, there are so many actors who have fallen with hard times because there were no shoots and whatever shoots were there we were given 2/3 rd of the money or 30% or 10% was cut from per day.

Then also when you are an actor you live up to certain standard in life. Your lifestyle becomes a little more flamboyant than other people, some more or some less.

But yes, when it comes to money people choose to do TV over films for the same reason because TV gives you a stable income.

Still it’s become difficult as 60% actors are sitting at home and only 40% actors are working.

It is the same thing with the crew, cast and other people of the industry, besides office goers.

It’s a difficult time for the industry and these phases do come but if you are wise you can save a lot by doing regular TV.

Yes, I am still interested in theatre. I am also giving a thought to produce a play since a long time.

Let’s see how that goes as it is just a seed right now and I don’t have anything concrete. But I love doing theatre and enjoy watching them too.

I used to go to Opera House in Mumbai to watch plays, performances, etc before the pandemic hit us. I believe the adrenaline rush that the stage gives you is unmatched.

How many TV shows have you done and which are your top 5 shows?

I don’t honestly remember the number of shows I have done because it has been 20 years since I entered the industry.

But the ones I enjoyed working the most in is ‘Betiyaan’ as it was my first negative character and I got to do a lot in that show.

Then ‘Do Hanson Ka Jodaa’ where I played an old lady who was very nasty and bitter to her step son and daughter in law. ‘Hi! Padosi… Kaun Hai Doshi?’ has to be one of the best shows for me as it was hilarious but sadly it didn’t get a lot of attention.

I loved ‘Naamkarann’ as my character was based on the beautiful real life character of Mahesh Bhatt’s real life nani.

I enjoyed being a part of ‘Aladdin – Naam Toh Suna Hoga’ also. It was also a negative comic character and I have seen kids copy my hairstyle.

It was the biggest compliment for me. And I am looking forward for ‘Nikki Aur Jadui Bubble’ too

How many movies have you done and which ones are in the list of your top 5?

I have done a handful of 16-17 films. My first movie was Ek Haseena Thi where I played one of the inmates in the jail.

I had a small character but working under such an amazing team was wonderful. I did 4 movies with Nagesh Kukunoor. I then did Dolly Ki Doli, Talaash with Raj Kumar Rao. I also did web shows.

In the span of 20 years, how will you evaluate your growth as an actor?

As an actor I have evolved within myself. I know my shortcomings as well as misgivings. Every day you get to learn new things especially when you are working with newer talents.

In Aladdin - Naam Toh Suna Hoga, the lead actors were both influencers so I learnt alert about social media and how you can reach out to people and be more interactive with your fans, every time you do a new show, like the one I am currently in.

We have 10 kids and I am sure I will learn a lot more from them. There is a teaching streak in children that we don’t know and they end up teaching us many things.

In these twenty years, I have come a long way as an actor but I believe there is a long way to go.

As an actress, I have become better at emoting and now I know my best profile to show in front of the camera.

Do you think you are getting stuck/typecast in similar role of the stereotyped comic villain?

I have only done three villain roles to date. Otherwise, it has always been negative or good mother roles.

But I have also played different characters from different states like Gujarati, Kashmiri, Tamilian etc.

Name some of your upcoming shows!

At the moment there is only Nikki Aur Jadui Bubble as I do not take up more than one show since I like to focus only on one thing at a time.