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In conversation with Kaveri Priyam
When one mentions Kaveri Priyam, we automatically think of her character Kuhu who is highly charismatic. Playing Kuhu became a turning point for the star who is currently a part of Star Plus’s Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke. As a viewer of the show myself, I wanted to know who is the woman behind Kuhu as we often fail to recognise the human beneath the star. Whilst discussing her journey, Kaveri reveals how she had a profound interest in acting, “Frankly speaking when I was a child I had this deep inner wish that I wanted to be an actor. I used to participate a lot in events in my school such as plays and I figured that this is what I wanted to do, be an actor. However, I come from a small town and there wasn’t enough exposure so it was a deep-seated dream but I never brought it up in front of my parents because I did not know how they would react. Hence, I continued with my studies. So, whilst I was in Delhi for my studies, there was an audition taking place, so I gave the audition and got selected. In fact, I got a lot of compliments, which motivated me. Therefore, I asked my father if I could go to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting and that was it. Once I came to Mumbai, I started acting and I realised how much I loved it. So, I guess it worked out nicely since I wanted to become an actor and the profession came to me.” Well, that is surely a journey indeed, isn’t it?
If you are a viewer of Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke, you will notice that Kuhu has multiple layers bringing a breath of fresh air on Indian television. Asking her how her experience has been portraying a character like Kuhu, Kaveri responded with, “It has been just amazing so much so, that every day I look forward to going on the sets, getting the scripts and reading what’s something new I will do that day. For me, Kuhu is so relatable and is like any other human. She is not a larger-than-life character who is the ideal and never makes mistakes. Kuhu is a character with flaws and I just love playing her because of it’s realism.”
Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke has a strong emphasis on the familial dynamics which has been portrayed excellently by the entire team. Asking Kaveri what her dynamics are like with her co-stars, she responded with, “It is amazing because all of them were experienced whereas I was not as experienced when I joined the show. However, they have been very generous, motivated and we all work together as a team which is super important. Everybody cooperates with each other. So, it has just been an amazing team to work with and I feel so blessed to work with them. The YRHPK team are like my family.” Well doesn’t that sound amazing?
Besides the cast dynamics, one will notice that the writing on Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke is strong which brings the best out of its actors. Hence, I asked Kaveri what has been her most challenging scene to shoot till date on the show. To which she responded, “There have been many, but the one I can recall is the scene where Kuhu was talking to Abir and telling him that please can Kunal and him stay away from her family. Kuhu was also defending Mishti in that space. So, it was challenging as this scene was shot outdoors in a market place and there were a lot of people surrounding me making it difficult because the next part of the scene was that Kuhu was going to breakdown. The breakdown was slightly difficult as the environment was noisy, so it was hard to concentrate but ultimately, I managed to breakdown with a little push from my director. After the scene, I felt satisfied and relieved that I was able to bring out what was written by the writers and what the scene demanded.”
Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke, unlike the typical Hindi serial, has had multiple dance sequences making it all the more entertaining for its viewers. So, I wanted to know which was Kaveri’s favourite dance sequence. To this, she responded with, “Honestly, I love all of the dance sequences. I love to dance and especially when it comes to dancing with the entire team, it’s just amazing. Although my most favourite was the sequence on ‘Chor Bazari’ because it was filmed in one take, so if anyone messed up, the entire sequence would have to be re-filmed. Also, another one of my favourite dance sequences has to be ‘Gallan Goodiyaan’ because I liked the steps and it’s a fun song so I love to have fun. (laughs)”
Kaveri sports a curly hair look to meet the creative requirements to play Kuhu. As a result, her hair is curled daily meaning that her hair undergoes a lot of heat. Despite this, Kaveri’s hair has been appreciated by her fans and viewers but they as well as I am curious with what her hair care regime is. To this Kaveri responded, “I make sure that I apply a very good heat resistant so that my hair doesn’t get damaged. Also, when I am at home, I follow the home remedies that my mother suggested such as applying curd and egg white hair mask to keep my hair healthy.” Well there you go folks, that’s the secret to having good hair.
As Kaveri has mentioned earlier, Kuhu is a real character which is atypical in the Hindi serial industry when most characters are the virtuous, ideal being. As a result, she has often been at the receiving end of unpleasant viewers. Therefore, I wanted to ask her how does she stay motivated and positive? To which she discussed, “Kuhu is bound to receive unpleasant reviews by the viewers as she is an atypical character and they are justified. However, as Kaveri, I believe in a very strong fact that whatever you focus on will grow. So, I love to focus on reading books, reading positive messages/reviews. Earlier I was affected by the negative comments but I have now overcome it and have differentiated between Kuhu and Kaveri.” We love this spirit. More power to you!
Besides playing Kuhu, I probed Kaveri as to what type of roles she would like to play in the future and would she ever consider a web-series? To this Kaveri responded, “Yes, I have been receiving offers for web-series but due to the time constraints I have not been able to do them. However, as an actor, I would like to try out everything that is there under the sun. Be it an art film, a film with a social message, comedy or horror, I would like to try out everything. I am rather greedy in that sense (laughs).” That’s amazing, fans make sure you keep your eye out on the digital space.
If you follow Kaveri on her social media platforms, you will notice that she is fond of singing. Asking her whether there is any chance of her starting a YouTube channel, she responded, “Yes. Although I am not a trained singer, I am refining and working on my singing so that I can eventually start a YouTube channel. However, this will only be after proper refinement and training.” How wonderful. I am sure the fans are over the moon!
Shooting for a Hindi serial can be strenuous given the daily telecast requirement. Asking Kaveri what she enjoys doing in her free time, she responded with, “I love to work on myself. I love watching films and web-series. Moreover, I love to read books that bring out the deep emotions within me and moves me. Finally, I love to spend my time with my family and friends.”
Since my aim was to bring Kaveri to the forefront, I believe that has been accomplished. Like everyone, she is the girl next door and that is what translates naturally in her performances as Kuhu. So, I decided to ask her if she has any messages for her fans. To which Kaveri responded, “I love you all. Besides fulfilling my creative satisfaction, I work for my fans as they are an important factor in my life. The amount of love I have received is unparalleled and so motivating and it is unbelievable considering this is my first show. It is touching that people have begun to recognise me. Thank you so much!”
Well, there you have it that is Kaveri Priyam for you folks. From having a deep-seated passion to becoming one of the leading ladies on primetime Indian television, Kaveri’s journey is truly inspiring.
Keep reading Urban Asian and I shall be back with another article soon.
