She ruled the Indian TV screens as a devious vamp in "Kasautii Zindagii Kay" but actress Urvashi Dholakia says she has long moved on from the character even though her fans continue to seek Komolika in her other roles.
Remembered for her tick of twirling a lock of hair, the 37-year-old actress is grateful the masses loved Komolika but feels she has much more to offer as an artiste.
In an interview to PTI, Urvashi says, "After 'Kasautii...', I've done so much work. I departed from Komolika, unfortunately the audiences have clung to it. I feel like the cat who has lived nine lives. Whatever roles I have been a part of (since Kasautii), they all have been well- thought of and defined."
The actress is currently playing the role of an evil queen, Iravati of Naugarh, on Colors TV's "Chandrakanta".
She says while she was at the peak of her career as Komolika, she has also faced a low phase like any other performer.
"Once a person climbs Mt Everest, they can't go beyond it because that's the summit. The whole idea is to enjoy staying there and then come down, only to climb up once again. What goes up, comes down. It's the law of the universe. I'm not saying I haven't seen a down time. I came down, now I'm climbing up again."
Urvashi says it did not take her long to accept the role of Iravati as she was "intrigued" by the character.
"I'm not here for the rat race, I never was. I'm here to perform. This role intrigued me and I plan to do it to the best of my ability. I don't analyse the process of my acting. It's just something I'm built to do and I hope I'm good at it. When I agreed to do the show, I knew what I was getting into."
The actress says she is aware that "Prem Ya Paheli - Chandrakanta" also airs on Indian television albeit on another channel, Life OK, but emphasises the two shows cannot be compared to each other or to the original Neerja Guleri- directed '90s drama.
"This is not the first time that a show is being remade. There are lots of examples like 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata' etc. They all have been modified versions of each other. You can't compare them. Obviously, you will say the original one was better, but that's not true.
"What happens is, in the process, we end up demeaning others. There's no point putting someone down. I say, let us all do our best, then see whose show stands out," says Urvashi.
The fantasy shows have made a comeback on television thanks to the massive popularity of "Naagin" and the actress says it is good, in a way, as people have more to choose from.
"If you don't like one, you can switch to some other show. One will only watch something they like. 'Naagin' was the number one show, it was unbeatable. You cannot negate that, it's the audience. That's what they want. And we are here to provide them.
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