The older generation should loosen up – Ruchi Savarn

Actress Ruchi Savarn who was earlier seen in Pyaar Ka Bandhan, Tere Liye, Zindagi Kahe – Smile Please and Ram Gopal Verma’s Rakta Charitra is now playing the female lead Devika in Sahara One’s new show Ghar Aaja Pardesi.

The actress confesses that she does not have too much in common with her screen persona Devika. She explains, “Devika is too shy whereas I am the tomboy kind. However, both of us are sweethearts of our families.”

Ruchi who hails from Nagpur and has lived in Delhi for more than a decade is a Sociology graduate. The actress fondly recalls shooting in the enchanting city of Varanasi for her show saying, “Varanasi is a mysterious and holistic town. It has its own persona and landscape which is different from any other place in India. You see extreme kind of people there- sadhus both meditating and smoking chillum on the ghats.”

When asked if she thinks that most families in Varanasi are as traditional as shown in her show, she avers, “I cannot say for sure if most families in Varanasi are like that. However my aunt who lives in Madhya Pradesh says that she has seen many traditional families like that in her state. She feels that the cultures of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are very similar. So there may be families in Uttar Pradesh where the grandfather is a tyrant.”

So, what is her message to traditional families like the one shown in her show? Ruchi replies, “Everything should be in moderation. You cannot be so rigid in your values; else there will be a cultural lag. The older generation should loosen up; if not they will continue to have clashes with the younger generation.”

When Devika meets her modern NRI rockstar sister Rudrani, will there be elements of humour? Ruchi replies, “I feel that there will be both fun moments as well as clashes. Devika is however very mature and non-judgmental; she knows and accepts the fact that the society outside her family is quite different. She will make her sister understand that in her family things are done differently from what happens in the outside world. Also Devika will gradually get to know more about the outside world through her sister. Rudrani isn’t a bad girl, she just has a different approach to life. There is a lot to learn from her. There will be a lot of give and take between the two sisters.”

Will Rudrani encourage Devika who is a gifted singer to pursue a singing profession? Ruchi replies, “Devika’s to-be-husband who is a very nice man is encouraging her to do so. It is possible that her sister will do the same.”

Will Rudrani teach Devika rock singing and in return, Devika teaches Rudrani classical vocals? The actress is quick to say, “Both will encrypt one another’s qualities.”

Way to go, Ruchi.