Radhika Vidyasagar, who plays the role of Renuka Deshmukh in Rahul Tewary and Rolling Tales Production’s Udne Ki Aasha, shares that shooting for a daily soap is often very challenging.
“A daily soap is difficult to manage. The term ‘daily soap’ itself implies that you have to shoot daily, with challenging work schedules. With seven days of telecast, it’s really difficult. I almost take an hour with the traffic and everything. But still, Film City is a nice place to shoot. I’ve been shooting for daily soaps for more than 25 years now, so I am very comfortable with the TV medium. You have to make an effort to manage your house, your family, and your work. It is difficult. At times, it is hectic. I cook my food early in the morning and carry all three meals with me as far as possible. I don’t eat outside food. So, yes, doing all these things by yourself and then working for 12 hours is difficult. But I’m enjoying it, I am managing it, and I am proud that I can manage this and am very happy,” she says.
However, daily soaps are a constant source of income, she says, “You get good money. Hard work pays off. You do have to sacrifice a few things, but what you get in return is much more important and fruitful. I am comfortable working in daily soaps, in fact, I am comfortable working in all mediums now. But yes, TV is my medium, so it’s my comfort zone. Some actors dislike being labelled a TV actor. I don’t know. To each their own. But I’m an actor. I’m a performer. I have been doing Marathi theatre and stage for years. There is no label as such. I am an actor, a stage actor, a TV actor. I have done a number of ad films and films. The medium is just a medium, but acting remains the same. So, whoever labels me, it doesn’t matter. An actor, at the end of the day, is an actor, a performer. You have to run a house, be busy, and be seen. So, to sum it up, it doesn’t matter much to me,” she says.
She adds, “The best part of working in television is that you work daily. You don’t have to sit and wait for work. You are seen every day and recognized every day. When I go out, people know me and recognize me. What else could you want? The best part is you’re working every day. I don’t differentiate between TV and other mediums. I will never say the best part of working in TV is this and the best part of working in ad films or films is that. The best part is that you keep on working. That’s the best thing.”
