A Gujarati thali of roles!

The actress, who's done more than 4000 shows of her Gujarati laugh-riot social comedy that first opened in 2000, is back with a couple of shows. Apara speaks to CS about her passion for the stage:

Stage rage
All the popularity I have today is because of the small screen. There is not a single channel I haven't worked with and have done some of the best shows on television. But at the end of the day I need to be on the stage. After eight to 10 hours of shooting, I want to be in front of a live audience. The thrill that passes at the back of my neck when there are a thousand people looking at me as I perform is something else. But I can't stay away from television for too long as well.

Morally correct
I'm a commercial TV actor and I'm a commercial stage actor. I love being mediocre at times. If I get a difficult subject to tackle, then I water it down so that I can put it in front of a large audience. I don't want just ten people watching my show. My art should be able to reach maximum people. I want to give them a good mix of everything - a full Gujarati thali! At the same time, I make sure I'm morally correct in my roles.

What's in a name
People used to tell me my work is good. But my daughter once told me that she will believe I'm good only when people start recognising me by my name. Now when I go abroad, people call out to me. It feels good.u00a0