Despite the OTT boom, TV still has its loyal audience: Yesha Rughani

Yesha Rughani, who hails from Rajkot, could celebrate Navratri in Ahmedabad this time for a couple of days and she says that it was “great fun.” The actor, who was last seen playing the lead role in Kabhi Kabhie Ittefaq Sey (KKIS, it went off air last year) and has done other TV shows like Hero-Gayab Mode On, Jeet Gayi Toh Piya MoreyandMuskaan, tells us, “Last year, I could play garba in Rajkot on all the nine days and this time, I celebrated Navratri in Ahmedabad on the last two days.Playing garba after midnight, till 6am, felt magical. A lot of people feel that Navratri celebrations are the same everywhere in Gujarat, but every city has something unique about its garbas. Grooving to the beats of traditional instruments like dholand flute is as authentic as it (Navratri celebrations) gets and it was a soothing and therapeutic experience.”

Asked about why she has been away from the small screen after KKIS, Yesha says, “There is no specific reason behind this and once I get a meaty role, I will take it up. I think it’s a very divine process and the right role chooses you. For me, whenever things have worked out, it has happened magically, and I believe that I will get a good role soon. I am an entrepreneur too and my business commitments have kept me busy. I also have friends in the Gujarati film industry, and I have been approached for films in the past. While things have not worked out so far, I would love to do Gujarati films
Talking about whether the OTT boom has impacted TV viewership, she adds, “I am not aware about the numbers but despite the OTT boom, I believe that TV still has its loyal audience. I have seen people around me who prefer the small screen over other mediums and watch TV shows regularly. I also feel that the big screen experience will always remain special and I still prefer watching films in theatres. Having said that, OTT is a wonderful medium because it has opened up exciting opportunities for talented professionals.”

Navratri always makes me nostalgic. While growing up in Rajkot, we would prepare for garba competitions months in advance and the garba venues were like a battlefield for us. This was the first time I got to play garba in Ahmedabad and I loved every moment of it. Shopping at Law Garden during the festive season is a must if you are in Ahmedabad. The entire stretch was buzzing with activity when I went there, and I bought jewellery and kamarbandhI am a big foodie and I loved gorging on dhokla, chaatand khichu on this trip.

I love to travel and before I became an actor, I would travel to a new destination every three months. Due to my acting commitments, I hardly got to travel in the last five years. So, in the last one year, I have made sure to plan a few trips and I have enjoyed every moment. I needed this time off for myself. I love exploring new places and different cuisines.