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

Aishwarya plays an flight attendant on Zyada Mat Udd. Pics/Instagram

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 three-year 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 mid-day, the actor sheds light on why she took up the show and what makes it a hit.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

How do you view your 15 years in the industry?
I 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. I'm coming back after a three-year-long hiatus because I was being offered the same kind of roles I've 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 me.

How did you deal with all the idle time waiting for a good opportunity?
It 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, I've never, ever lived my life to put up a picture [on social media] of how great or luxurious my life is. I've 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. That's when I took up academics and studied hard. Today, I can proudly say that I am a certified therapist.

What was your initial reaction to the show?
Comedy 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. It's a refreshing approach to my comeback.

Do you think content on television has deteriorated over time?
I 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, I'm 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 well.

According to you, what makes a show a hit?
I 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 difference.

So how is the camaraderie on Zyada Mat Udd?
Before we started shooting, we were made to do a one-month 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 didn't 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 tonality.

A collaboration

Rohit Nag and Aishwarya Sakhuja

Aishwarya and actor-husband Rohit are a much-loved couple, especially for their antics on social media. After Nach Baliye 7 (2015), the duo has not worked together. "We 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. We've always planned things but not seen them materialise," says Sakhuja.