Stepping into a character mid-way through a show is one of the most daunting tasks for an actor. When a television drama is already running, and the audience has formed an emotional connection with the faces on screen, a replacement carries immense pressure. Actor Rashika Matharu, who recently joined the cast of Zee TV’s Lakshmi Niwas as Veer’s mother, Nalini, opens up about her initial fears, how she draws from real-life family dynamics to play the resilient character, and why her on-screen bonding with Raghav Tiwari (Veer) feels so effortlessly natural.
Reflecting on the initial pressure of taking over an established character, Rashika shares, “I have never replaced an artist in a running show. I had a lot of inhibitions about doing so. I was scared and doubted whether I could match what had been telecast earlier. As an actor, when you join a new show, you are the character from day one, and the audience accepts you. But when you are replacing someone, they already know the character and the interpersonal relationships with other characters.”
Surprisingly, she wasn’t even fully aware of the role she was stepping into during her initial audition. “I had never seen any episode of Lakshmi Niwas. I was told that the character was completely positive. To be honest, I never thought that I would be Veer’s mother. When I auditioned, I had my scene with my daughter, Aishwarya. Hence, I thought I was the girl’s mother. I was not aware of Veer at all. I had a lot of questions in my mind. I was scared, too. But everything went fine by God’s grace.”
Talking about how she built her bond with her onscreen son, Veer, she shares, “I have seen my mother and brother. I have a brother who is three years younger than me. I have seen my mother protecting him and justifying his behaviour. By real-life experiences I have seen in my family, I try to act.”
Her very first scene on set was an intense one with Raghav Tiwari (who plays Veer), and it instantly struck a chord. “The first time I performed with Veer, it was of the scene where Nalini was telling that she never wanted to marry in the Chauhan family, as she was educated, and the family was uneducated and raw. I got appreciated for my first scene by my director and Raghav.”
Rashika remains a firm believer that good acting is always a collaborative effort. “I told Raghav that whenever two actors are performing, it is not one actor whose performance comes out really well. The other actor also gives the energy. This is not a monologue, so this scene needs to be credited to both actors.”
Viewers are going to watch emotional and beautiful scenes between Veer and Nalini.
Speaking about Nalini’s layers and her current mindset regarding Veer and Radhika’s marriage, Rashika breaks down her character’s thought process. “Nalini, as a character, is respectful and tries to hold the family. She is a woman of resilience and principles. She has three children, and two are already married. The son, especially the youngest, is always closest to the mother. It is the same with Nalini. She had a few things in mind with respect to the bride of her choice for Veer. She had made a frame in her mind for the bride.”
The sudden twist in the storyline shook Nalini to her core. “She suddenly got to know that Veer was in love, and Radhika was the opposite of what she wanted. Any mother would accept the girl, but not the adopted child. That is very natural. So Nalini is justified in not accepting Radhika. She was always sweet to the Jaiswal family for all the while. As soon as she got to know Radhika married Veer, she was just blown away.”
Fans can look forward to high-voltage family drama between the mother and son, anchored by raw, authentic performances. Promising an emotional rollercoaster ahead, Rashika concludes, “Veer and Nalini’s sequences have been coming out very well. The scenes are natural. Viewers are going to watch emotional and beautiful scenes between Veer and Nalini.”
