I was frightened to play `Ammaji`, says Meghna Malik

Meghna Malik says she was apprehensive to play `Ammaji`.

New Delhi: She portrays one of the meanest vamps on the small screen with her character `Ammaji` in `Na Aana Iss Des Laado`, a serial based on the issue of Female infanticide, but actress Meghna Malik says she was initially apprehensive to take up the role."I was very frightened when it came to me because my character is such an overpowering Lady Don," Malik told reporters. The actress has become a household name thanks to her role in the serial on Colors TV.

"I accepted the role because the story belonged to a village and I felt this was godsend because you can`t imagine such a character on the small screen," Malik says. A pass out of the National School of Drama (NSD), Malik plays a 50-year-old matriarch in Haryana who supports female infanticide and controls her village. "Stories have to touch people, these kind of social problems exist in our society that is why people relate to these serials. You can`t watch artificial things for too long," she says. "Saas-Bahu is still there but the situations are different in terms of the societies they represent and the kind of problems they reflect. The motive is entertainment but if we are able to put a question in the mind of people then such a lady can exist, that is a major success," Malik adds. She feels the character of `Ammaji` on the show keeps her on the toes all the time and gets very demanding at times."It takes lot of energy working everyday for 13 hours. My character is very demanding in terms of the language that I have to speak, in terms of physical energy that I have to show. I am from Haryana but I haven't spoken it on daily basis. It's a daily struggle for me to master those lines but I am loving every bit of it," says Malik. The TV star had earlier grabbed the spotlight when she played a small role in Aamir Khan's directorial debut 'Taare Zameen Par' that dealt with dyslexia. "'Taare Zameen Par' was a sweet little experience. It was nice being part of such and emotional and sensitive film. The interaction was very small but the way Aamir approaches a scene inspires you. You see that a lot of thought has gone behind it and you love to work with that, he is very humble and thoughtful," Malik says. On negative roles becoming a bastion for female brigade on Television like her and 'Dadisa' of Balika Vadhu, Malik says it's a direct result of the composition of viewers. "Our audience for Television is majorly women thus stories revolve around them be it positive or negative. The main character has to be a woman to provide entertainment to the viewers," she says. So, has the character affected her real life in any manner? "Actors are in a switch on/switch off mode. The minute the director says pack up I am out of this character, it does not affect me personally and it's not that I would start believing in female infanticide like Ammaji," Malik says. "People identify with me in the sense they love me and appreciate my hard work," she adds. PTI