Rajeshwari Sachdev: I’m not Anandi, I don’t need to stick on forever

Sachdev, now portrays the role of Mangala Devi, a 38-year-old widow in Balika Vadhu, after the show took a 11-year leap last week. She is a part of the newly introduced Nimboli’s (Anandi’s daughter) family. She is a shrewd and sharp-witted lady who is extremely perceptive about her surroundings.

“She is a widow, a complete contrast to Lavanya of Laut Aao Trisha. While Lavanya was a strong woman, Mangala, in a remote part of Rajasthan, is a woman who doesn’t have a standing in the society,” explains the actor, who is not bothered by the image change that she has undergone for the character. In over 23 years of my career, the audience has seen me doing many parts. My worry is not that I would be stuck in an image, but if I would be able fulfill the expectations in terms of offering something new,” she says.

Before she joined Laut Aao Trisha, Sachdev had issues with long-running shows and she was happy that Laut Aao Trisha is a finite series. But now, she has joined a show that has broken the record of the most long- running shows on Indian television.

“I am joining the show when it has already completed seven years,” she laughs and adds, “I am sure in a couple of months, the makers will have another story to tell. I am not Anandi, I don’t have to stick on to it forever. Aur abhi toh shuru hi hua hai, abhi se khatam honey ki baat kyun karein.