ENTERTAINMENT
Teen queens
These actors as young as 14 years are already famous, rich, busy and enacting roles of charcters much older than them and they have no qualms about it
Surekha Kadapa-Bose

Kanchi Singh, Mahima Makwana, Avika Gor, Disha Parmar, Digangana Suryavanshi, and many more teenage girls have a couple of things in common. They are all well-known daily soap stars on Hindi channels and all of them are under 18 years of age! Some are as young as 14 years and are already famous, rich, busy and enacting roles much older than their age.

Shefali Sharma and Neha Bagga in Bani — Ishq Da Kalma

These girls are lead actors of serials like Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (Kanchi, 16 as Avni), Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke (Mahima, 14 as Rachana), Sasural Simar Ka (Avika 16, as Roli), Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara (Disha, 18 as Pankhudi), Ek Veer ki Ardaas Veera (Digangana 16, as Veera), etc. The list of young teenager actors is endless as is the number of daily soaps on various channels in India. "It’s fun!" they chorus when asked about their hectic schedule. The day sometimes begins as early as seven in the morning and goes on till night. But none of them is complaining. They all sound so enthusiastic, happy and mature. Talking non-stop, they sound like any kid of that age. The only thing that differentiates them from other girls is that there is no direct access to them. Every time one calls them, one of the parents pick up the phone, checks up the credentials of the caller and then hands over the phone to the star.

"She is giving her shot. Please call after half an hour", said mother Neena Makwana, who assures that her daughter has no problem managing both her studies and also the hectic schedule of shooting. The same was echoed even by Sameer Gor, whose daughter Avika was shooting for a Telugu film in Hyderabad. Avika shoots for her daily soap, films, besides studying in class 11.

"Life may be hectic but on the sets everyone pampers the younger lot. And let me assure you, we get enough time to study in between shots," recalls Krystal D’Zouza, who too had started her television career at 17 years with the Balaji serial Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil in 2008. Now at 24, playing the role of Saakshi in the serial Ek Nayi Pehchaan on Sony TV, she also admits that though the girls don’t get much time to have the usual fun, they also don’t get much time to spend the money they earn. "Only our banks have fun with our money", she quips.

"For me, studies are a priority," declared Mahima, a student of class 9.

"Though I am good in science but due to my hectic schedule, I may not get time to pursue it in my college. So I plan to branch out to commerce. Of course, I miss my schools and my friends but I have different kind of fun on the sets," says the chirpy kid, who is now acting the role of a 19-year-old in her serial.

"Studies is my need and acting my hobby," admitted Avika. The only child of her parents, Avika made a name as the kid Anandi in Balika Vadhu. The role became so famous that she not only has serial offers but now has film offers too. This is her second Telugu film and she has also signed for a Hindi film titled c/o footpath-2.

Invasion by youngsters in the world of TV isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. There was Sara Khan (17) and Parul Chahan (18) in Bidaai, Hina Khan (18) in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Pratyusha Banerjee (18) in Balika Vadhu, Shishakti Sachdev (started as a kid at 13) and before reaching 20, had enacted many negative characters and hoards of others. But now, the number has increased by leaps and bounds.

With time, the story format has changed. Five years ago, tele-serials revolved around characters aged 24-25 years. Today the stories are of young girls — stories revolve around the progress in life of school-going girls to mature women — from 15 to 25 years of age. And so, there is a hunt to get younger new faces, who with a little tweak in makeup can double up as future wives and bahus. The best example is that of 16-year-old Avika acting the perfect bahu in Sasural Simar ka.

"We are actors. And it’s a challenge to act bigger than our age. We need to change our body language, modulate our voices and change expressions. But then, it is all part of the game," explains Avika who sounds mature beyond her age. Krystal too agrees that TV actors do mature early. "But it’s for good. We can tackle life better. When I was young, my mom was always with me on the sets to guide me. And believe me senior actors too help youngsters a lot," she said.

Mahima too agrees. "On sets, many a time, I may not understand their jokes or talks. So I just move away. But otherwise, they are all so helpful whether it’s with my shots or studies. Being the youngest on the sets also gives me an added advantage. Even if I make a mistake, I can just smile and request for a re-shot."

Everything is rosy as long as these actors are from the city of Mumbai and their parents are there to take care of them. For girls from small towns, without parental guidance or support, the failures or after success story can be different. Many of them have lost their ways. But then, every coin has two faces!

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