Meghna Malik, 37, is one of the most popular actresses on Indian TV. She plays the lead character of Ammaji, 60, a matriarch who supports female infanticide, in Na Aana Is Des Laado, a daily soap on the entertainment channel Colors. Malik is the highest-paid actress on Colors. She earns between 65,000 rupees (Dh5,371) and 70,000 rupees for every 30-minute episode, an anonymous source at the channel says.
q Did you always believe you would become such a popular television star?
a Not in my wildest dreams. I studied theatre at the National School of Drama in New Delhi and I've acted in a few Bollywood films. This role just came along. Twenty-five women had auditioned before me but I got selected.
q You play the meanest character on television. Does that affect the public perception about you?
a Surprisingly, no. Many of my counterparts who play lady dons or female vampires are treated rudely by many fans who cannot distinguish the actor from the character she plays. But I have only received love and respect.
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q Does it surprise you that a soap that deals with a grave social problem (female feticide) is popular in the entertainment genre?
a No one should expect a daily soap to change society. Our aim is not to deliver pedantic messages; we're entertainers. Yes, we've brought a grave social issue to the fore. People are more openly talking about their long-held preference for a male child. But let's be clear: we are popular because we are entertaining.
q How driven are you by television rating points (TRPs)?
a It doesn't affect me, my method of acting. But the soap won't exist without TRPs. There was a time when audiences were enticed by noodle-strap blouses, and saris. Now the audiences want juicy, layered stories, and for that we have to be drama-driven. We have to introduce twists and turns in the plot.
q You're the highest paid actor on Colors. How does that feel?
a (Laughs) Are you sure that's not a rumour? Well, there's a lot of hard work involved. I shoot for 12 hours a day, sometimes seven days per week. It takes a day and a half to produce a 20-minute programme. My life revolves around this soap. I don't have a social life.
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