Actress Kanika Maheshwari of "Diya Aur Baati Hum" fame says she is looking for work that has volume and moral value. She doesn't want to be an empty vessel.
"I worked through my pregnancy. I immersed myself in bringing up my son," Kanika, who gave birth to a boy in 2015, said in a statement.
"I didn't want to waste any more time and started creating, writing and producing stories that I wanted to. I'm only looking for work that has volume and moral value. I don't want to be an empty vessel," she added.
She also wrote and produced the short film "Forever Whim".
But playing Meenaxi in "Diya Aur Baati Hum" will always be the "highlight" of her career.
"I believe I was instrumental in bringing comic relief to the show while throwing a negative shade," she said.
More From This Section
"This role means a lot to me and gave me enough recognition but soon after, it started affecting my work. Actors get paid to attend many events across the country for appearances, launches or performing at weddings. It's important to strike a balance.
"During one such occasion, all my scheduled events were cancelled and the agency cited the reason being me playing a negative role in the show, so his client presumed I was evil in real life too," she added.
Giving the example of actress Urvashi Dholakia, she said: "Urvashi played the glamorous villain in 'Kasautii Zindagii Kay' and set trends for years to come, but I also remember the cute girl from 'Dekh Bhai Dekh'. She could do both and become famous for both. So makers and audiences should give chances."
--IANS
nn/rb/bg