Vaishnavi Ganatra, who plays Aarna in Zee TV‘s Jagadhatri, produced by Rahul Tewary Production, believes there is more to a person than meets the eye. Playing Aarna has taught her a great deal about different feelings and relationships, and she grows to like the character more and more in many respects.
Jagadhatri has kept viewers hooked with its mix of family drama, suspense and emotional twists and turns. Tough situations have shown Aarna different sides. “One of the best things about playing the role is exploring these feelings,” says Vaishnavi.
When asked how she feels when telling the truth can hurt someone, Vaishnavi says, “I think the truth is important, but sometimes the time and way you tell it can make all the difference. It can hurt people and make relationships worse. As an actor, I try to look at things from both points of view before I judge a character. Sometimes someone has good intentions but still hurts someone, and I think that’s what’s interesting about these situations.”
“It is important to show how weak a character is, along with the strength,” Vaishnavi says. “I think it’s making a character weak that makes them more real. Just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you don’t fall apart or get bothered by anything. It’s how you handle those feelings. We’ve seen Aarna in situations where she doesn’t know what to do. I think those times make her stronger in a different way. Sometimes it’s the softness of a character that people relate to the most,” she says.
Aarna looks up to Jagadhatri and learns a lot from her, especially on how to do the right thing even when it is hard to do. ” I hope Aarna can come to believe that for herself. If you know what you believe to be right, then you should stick to it even if other people don’t get it. I think she’d like that trip. To be honest, I think that in real life as well.”
“I like to play characters in that grey area as an actor because they might really think they’re doing the right thing and don’t realise how much their feelings are affecting them,” she says.
Vaishnavi’s personal note will be, “Confidence is something that a lot of people get wrong. “People think if you are outspoken or strong, you never feel insecure or need help,” she says.
“Sometimes people believe that if someone is outgoing and confident, they don’t have insecurities or self-doubt. That’s not true, though. You can be both confident and sensitive at the same time. You can be weak and still stand up for yourself sometimes. I think we have to look beyond the obvious, because there is always more to a person than we can ever know.”
