Aishwarya Sakhuja on Zyada Mat Udd: ‘Comedy gives my eyes some rest’

Almost 15 years and 23 shows later Aishwarya Sakhuja is still recognised for her first popular show Saas Bina Sasural The actor admits that it is a regular occurrence when people still talk about the 2010 show Now the actor is back on television after more than a threeyear hiatus Believing comedy is her forte returning with a comedy show like Zyada Mat Udd was the perfect choice The weekend show revolves around the working of the aviation industry and has Sakhuja playing an a flight attendant In conversation with midday the actor sheds light on why she took up the show and what makes it a hitEdited excerpts from the interviewHow do you view your 15 years in the industryI started sometime in 2010 I feel that I have been able to sustain myself as an actor who takes her job seriously for as long as I have Out of 15 years I must have worked for five years Irsquom coming back after a threeyearlong hiatus because I was being offered the same kind of roles Irsquove done in the past The wait was not because I wanted to break the stereotype or break the glass ceiling I only felt if I am bored doing the same thing repeatedly why will the audience enjoy it I genuinely feel that energies get translated on screen So I was very clear that I will only pick up acting offers if something really resonates with meHow did you deal with all the idle time waiting for a good opportunityIt was stressful of course because this is my bread and butter To sustain yourself in a city like Mumbai can get a little testing Having said that Irsquove never ever lived my life to put up a picture on social media of how great or luxurious my life is Irsquove always lived a very simple life and with a lot of dignity So when I did not have work for three years I explored other aspects of my personality Thatrsquos when I took up academics and studied hard Today I can proudly say that I am a certified therapistWhat was your initial reaction to the showComedy has always been my favourite genre as I have done a lot of comedy plays on stage Even Sarabhai vs Sarabhai Take 2 was a comedy role I enjoy the genre it gives my eyes some rest as I no longer have to use glycerine and cry my eyes out Itrsquos a refreshing approach to my comebackDo you think content on television has deteriorated over timeI think TV has become very competitive The fact that TV still has the kind of reach that it does definitely says a lot about the medium Having said that now we have our phones in the palm of our hands We are always consuming content So to make a mark with a show has become difficult for the producers Thank God Irsquom not in their shoes The show must do well for them to sustain it for as long as they have planned With more mediums coming in we are getting to consume different kinds of content As everyone knows Bollywood is suffering big time so much so that we are now releasing old films in theatres Producers are facing losses The same goes for TV as wellAccording to you what makes a show a hitI can say that what really makes a hit show is the camaraderie that is shared between the crew and the cast behind the scenes I have generally experienced that It translates so beautifully on screen I saw the way the actors functioned together as one unit in Saas Bina Sasural nobody saw the track of their character or how big or small it was Everybody worked together to uplift each other That makes a lot of differenceSo how is the camaraderie on Zyada Mat UddBefore we started shooting we were made to do a onemonth workshop where we met each other every day We were putting in eight to 10 hours sitting and reading the same scenes again and again every day We didnrsquot know at the time but when we came on set we realised the benefit We were more approachable to each other and could give feedback because it is comedy we needed to understand that jokes have to land and it needed a certain tonalityA collaborationRohit Nag and Aishwarya SakhujaAishwarya and actorhusband Rohit are a muchloved couple especially for their antics on social media After Nach Baliye 7 2015 the duo has not worked together ldquoWe both have a different way of operating So if you ever put us together as professionals I think we will murder each other We also bring out the best in each other Wersquove always planned things but not seen them materialiserdquo says Sakhuja