•SANDEEP KHOSLA: There are too many award ceremonies these days. Are these awards of any importance to actors?

I always attend award functions. Fortunately, I have won the best actress award for the past eight years. But the most valuable award for me was the Critics’ Choice Award. People would always scorn, ‘Oh, she’s getting this award because she’s popular.’ After the critics’ award, that changed. I do feel that awards are important. They build an actor’s confidence and egg him on to do better.

•POONAM CHAVAN: Viewers are getting bored with soaps. They are highly repetitive.

Soaps still rule the roost. Even reality TV has become dull and repetitive. Viewers need attention-grabbers. Some of our most beautiful moments on TV have been when there was only one channel (Doordarshan). Think of Buniyaad, Nukkad, Khandaan—but that was then. Now creativity is subservient to TRPs.

•NAMRATA SHARMA ZAKARIA: Does the mediocrity in television bother you?

TV is about making money. How many shows in the past 10 years have really struck a chord with the viewers? TV today is not about creative satisfaction—it has become a numbers game. What bothers me is the lack of effort to do away with mediocrity. The industry is not willing to take up issues. When people remain silent, problems get swept under the carpet. TV attracts young people from different backgrounds—they can really bring about a change.

•DEEPA VENKATRAMAN: What about film offers?

Since my first year I’ve been inundated with film offers. But that was also the time I got married and was beginning to plan my family. My husband thought I was mad not to have accepted the offers, but clearly, family and kids were my priority. In hindsight, I feel happy as I have not only found my place as an actress but also as a wife and mother.

... contd.