Avantika Hundal is best remembered for her portrayal of Aarushi Saxena in Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya 1 (2012). She was last seen in
Yeh Hai Mohabbatein
, which ended in 2019. The actress is all set to return to the small screen with
Mose Chhal Kiye Jaaye
(MCKJ) after a gap of four years. She will play the antagonist in the show. She says, “I got a call for this show last night and the deal was locked within an hour. It has been an overnight development, as I have started shooting today. Something similar happened during my last show. I reported on the set for a look test and told the team that I would get back in a couple of days. I was taken by surprise when they said that I had to shoot with immediate effect.”
Talking about the long break in between these three shows, she says, “After Pratigya, I got busy with Punjabi films. This time around, the wait was extended by two years because of the pandemic. While a lot of my colleagues got back to work, I was apprehensive about stepping out. I didn’t want to put my family at risk.”
She adds, “People fear if they are out of sight, they will be out of mind. To be honest, I give it my all to every character I play and after investing so much time and energy, I deserve to take some time for myself. These external factors don’t matter to me at all. It’s not the race or ranking I am interested in, but how creatively satisfied I am as an actor. When it comes to taking up a show, I always go with my gut. I don’t give it a lot of thought or take too many days to accept an offer. For me, it’s about being ready to return to work after taking a break, travelling and feeling rejuvenated. I see what comes my way. I feel fortunate to get a show every time I want to come back (smiles).”
What makes MCKJ special is the fact that Avantika is turning negative for the first time on TV. She says, “Initially, I would be skeptical about playing a negative character, but it is not such a big deal today. Even if it is for others, it doesn’t matter to me. I am open to playing any shade. I have seen people make a smooth transition from positive to negative and again play a positive character. The fact that actors don’t get typecast anymore helped me get rid of my apprehensions.”