ALL GROWN UP

Daini,like most children on Indian television,is hardly child-like. She is sharp-tongued and witty and can mimic the quirks of adulthood perfectly,the way grown-ups fight,the way they lie. As Gangubai,a maid cribbing about her employers,she was a hit on the reality show Chhote Miyan early last year. She wore a bright blue navari saree,spoke in a distinctive Marathi accent and complained loudly. “Meri memsaab ne mujhse kaha,Gangubai sirf do bachche achche hote hain. Toh maine puchcha mere baaki doh bachon ne kya galti ki hai?”

Nikul Desai,creative director of Comedy Circus,who writes some of her scripts,is not unduly worried about making an eight-year-old talk like an adult. “Initially,it was difficult for us to write for her since she’s so young and sometimes our humour can be naughty. We had to make sure that it was the others in the show who were cracking those jokes. It is tough to get a child involved in the show with all adults but we are used to it now,” he says.
After winning the Chhote Miyan talent hunt in 2009,Daini was asked to host the second season of the same show and started getting many offers for TV shows,films and other reality shows. She has even landed a comic role in Anees Bazmee’s next film No Problem.

We are at the sets of Comedy Circus — 3 Ka Tadka in Andheri East,Mumbai where Daini is a part of a trio on the show and is the only child in the competition. Daini is not nervous about being interviewed and tells us that she finds them very boring,“When anyone calls to interview me,I hand the phone to my sister and she answers the questions. No one ever finds out,” she giggles uncontrollably,at which her mother nudges her to behave. Her 12-year-old sister Savni,who has accompanied her for the shoot,smiles at the secret being out.
Being a host was a challenge for the seven-year-old,who was just about learning to read fluently. “I had got lots of reading practice from the scripts of Chhote Miyan so I could read the prompter quite well. Now I can read faster than anybody in my class at school,” she says.

The competitive spirit in television kids is not just for school exams. With TRP ratings being discussed all around them,scenes of children breaking into tears after losing on talent hunts and pushy parents getting into brawls,the children do feel the heat. Last month,Neha Sawant,an 11-year-old reality TV actor,committed suicide because her parents cut down on her shoots. Sanyogita,Daini’s mother,says the focus on pressure is exaggerated. “There’s just too much hue and cry about the amount of time children spend on sets,” she says. “After school,all other children are rushed off to different classes and tuitions. Instead of classes,she comes here and learns so much more. So what is wrong with that?”

Daini,who has been listening to her mother intently adds her bit. “Film sets are more fun because I don’t have to learn so many dialogues and there is a lot of free time,” she says. Her mother admits that Daini does get pampered on a film set. “Every time I take her home,I have to make sure that her head is not in the clouds. It’s very easy for her to throw tantrums and lose her balance because she’s treated like a little princess. Luckily,nothing of that sort has happened as yet. The day I see that fame is starting to affect her personality,I’ll pull her out of this,” says Sanyogita.

It’s time to go on stage. Is she nervous? “I like getting nervous,the more nervous I get the better my show turns out,” says the young actress and takes a deep breath as she goes backstage. Everyone tells her how cute she looks in a saree but Daini just goes “Sssshhh”,and sits on a chair mentally revising her lines. She knows that the competition is tough and there will be no retakes.