Q: Another controversy rears it head? So it does. I must be the one actor with the largest number of controversies to my discredit. This is highly irresponsible journalism. Balaji is a Public Ltd Company. Star is such a highly rated channel. And Kyunki? is the highest revenue earner for Balaji and Star. Such false information puts everyone in a spot. How can one particular reporter, quoting one particular invisible source, be the reason for so much stress?

Q: Does it bother you? Honestly, it hurts. For six years I’ve worked with Balaji and Star to get this show where it’s started. My association with Star goes back to long before Kyunki? I’m like a horse with blinkers. So I try not to get bothered with such talk.

Q: But why is there such a controversy about you every few months? It all comes from one source. I don’t know why. With my workload and responsibilities I genuinely feel I don’t need to react to such imaginary stories. Who are these ‘sources’ who claim I’m leaving Kyunki?? How can I react to ghosts? What’s really surprising is that in all these six years of doing Kyunki..., Shobha Kapoor, Ekta and I meet behind closed doors with no fourth person in the room. So how do people outside assume about what we talk? I guess even big stars aren’t immune to speculative writing. So who am I?

Q: So who’s responsible for the rumour that you’re leaving Kyunki?? Someone who’s extremely keen to see me go.

Q: There’s no Kyunki? without you? Nothing and nobody is indispensable. But someone is trying desperately to break my six-year association with Kyunki?. I don’t allow myself to get pained by such ghost stories. My fans and audience do react, though.

Q: So once and for all, you aren’t leaving Kyunki?? I’m right now in a shoot with Balaji. So how can I leave? This entire controversy is so illogical. My character is supposed to be in Hardwar so how can I be shown in parts of the narrative that are located in Mumbai? Isn’t that self-evident? I don’t even want to give credibility to these rumours by reacting. Anyone who’s spreading this rumour genuinely needs a holiday. I don’t think my talent can be held hostage by such rumours.

Q: It’s said there’s a dispute about you looking old in the serial? If there was a dispute would I have agreed? When I had spoken to you last I had told you that I had no problems ageing according to the way the script goes. I must be the oldest-looking protagonist on any of the soaps.

Q: What about your other show with Balaji which you’re co-producing ? In it, I play a girl called Uma who goes through tremendous hardships in life. I must thank my wellwishers for preparing me for this role. Jokes aside, my family channel and production house don’t deserve this.

EXTRA FREE

Says Ekta kapoor : I really don’t want to say anything about this. But, yes, Smriti is very much Baa. And she’s shooting for us right now.

Kyunki...already features Smriti as the aged Baa. So where’s the question of her not wanting to age? The new Tulsi has been liked for her girl next-door personality. But the guy who plays her costar has become a rage.

And her other show which we’re jointly co-producing is called Thodasa Aasman.

Why no ‘K’ title: Because this isn’t my production alone.
Thodasa Aasman on air, Star, August 12.