Anchal Sharma chats up Ritu Barmecha aka Neema and Hitesh Bharadwaj aka Ravi, the main protagonists of Agar Tum Saath Ho that airs on Zindagi
Ritu Barmecha
Are you similar to the character you playIJ
No, there are no similarities as such between me and my on-screen character Neema. I’m very different from Neema as a person.
Did you have to prepare for your roleIJ
To be honest, nothing much apart from the rehearsals I did with my co-actors and director. But I think staying in Delhi over the period of eight months for shoot did the trick, it helped getting me in the character and staying in it. Also, I have studied in Delhi so playing a local girl was not that difficult.
This is your first TV debut in Hindi, how excited you areIJ
Yes, this is my first TV show in Hindi. I have acted in Telugu films like Aha Naa Pellanta, Vasool Raja and Action 3D. I’m quite excited as I believe it’s some really nice work we’ve all put in together. It has been a good learning experience for me as I got to share screen space with theatre veterans like Dolly Ahluwalia, Kamal Tiwari and Sabina Mehta as co-stars.
What things did you keep in a mind when you selected this roleIJ
I totally went by my gut feeling, though I read the script too and I loved Neema’s character but at the same time, I felt something very positive about this project. Also, the show is a finite series and not a typical daily soap.
Were there any challengesIJ
There were no challenges as such but the biggest challenge for me on a personal front was staying away from my family. We have shot the whole show in Delhi, so I was away from home and family for months.
What is the dream role that you would like to playIJ
Neema is just the beginning. I think and hope there’s lot more to come.
What things do you enjoy doing apart from actingIJ
Well apart from acting, I love traveling and being by myself.
Hitesh Bharadwaj
What is this show all aboutIJ
The show is about connections and relationships. It majourly deals with the ups and downs in a love story, it also has a take on father-daughter, aunt and niece and siblings relationships.
How similar or different are you from your onscreen characterIJ
I am a lot like my on-screen character Ravi, but I must say that playing him is not easy. It became easier because I could relate very well with Ravi. I am a lot like him — simple lifestyle, comes from a humble background from a small city or his interest in poetry.
What kind of training did you have to undergoIJ
As an actor, I feel there is a lot of give and take when you play a character like Ravi’s. For example, over a period of time I found myself becoming more calm and cool minded as Ravi is, even in difficult situations. One more thing I would like to add is that I copied my director Deepak Sharma. I personally could provide or include a lot of my readings and recitations for the character of Ravi which was taken well by my director and producers. I used to go for long walks and hear beautiful ghazals to actually understand little joys of life.
You were overweight. What did you do to lose itIJ
As a child, I used to be very chubby and overweight. Same habits continued till high school but once I realised my dream, I started putting in a lot of effort towards losing weight and taking better care of my appearance and health. I take care of my diet and exercise religiously. I avoid indulging in poor lifestyle habits like eating out frequently or sleeping late.
Tell us about your journey in the industry.
I came to Mumbai from Mathura in 2012 looking for work. I was working as an RJ in Agra before this and came to the city with high hopes. It all started with Suvreen Guggal, a show on Channel V, where I bagged a challenging role of a homosexual college boy. It was a cameo but because it got a good response, the role got extended to a year or so. later I did other TV shows like Gustakh Dil and Million Dollar Girl and Superstar Preview as a host.
What things did you keep in a mind when you selected this roleIJ
I had given my audition for this show with a very open mind. I did not know what I was getting into till then. In fact, I had another parallel offer in hand but once I heard a few excerpts of this script, I immediately wanted to pick up this role because it was going to come on Zindagi and also I was very impressed with the feel and the depth of the show. It was unique, old school and yet very fresh.
What is your dream roleIJ
There are so many of them. At this moment, I think I would have loved to play intense roles and also Ranbir’s character in Ye Jawani Hai Diwani or even Wake-up Sid.
