“I felt like I was part of the workers,” says Monika Chauhan

Mumbai: Actress Monika Chauhan is presently seen in Dangal TV’s show Ranju Ki Betiyaan. Here she plays the role of Shalu Mishra, the eldest daughter of Ranju (Reena Kapoor) and Guddu Mishra (Ayub Khan). Recently, Monika shared her experience working in a construction site and how once again she realised how important and overlooked the work that is done behind the scenes. 

Sharing her experience, Monika says, “It was an outdoor shoot, where my character was working as a labourer in a construction site. The scene was shot in an original construction site, where the labourers were already busy with their work. We shot the entire day and I felt like I was really part of the workers, picking and lifting bricks with them. The whole experience was smooth and a little tiring as I haven’t done much strenuous work before in my life. However, my experience was great and I feel grateful for our team, especially the people who work behind the scenes. Normally we don’t get a chance to pay attention to them or interact with them. As an actor, we get full liberty to pick up materials, just for the take.”

She also adds, “I got the chance to observe an old lady, who was carrying on with her daily routine, it felt so sad that she had to do this physical work. As an actor, we don’t get much time for interaction and greetings or even to connect with locals as we are too busy living this luxury life. It is important to know that it’s their blood and sweat that allows the shoot to function smoothly. This is something I’ve taken back and pay my gratitude to everyone who are a part of this team. Something that I learnt from this experience was that no work is small or big. I am excited to see the scene when it gets aired on television.”

Born in Shimla, Monika Chauhan won a pageant contest in her state before she tried her hand in acting and moved to Mumbai. She always wanted to become an actor and her pageant provided her with a path. Monika also added that finds herself lucky to be a part of a women-centric show and working with some of the best actors in the industry.

Ranju Ki Betiyaan is a heart touching story of a single mother Ranju and her struggles of raising 4 daughters in a patriarchal society. It delves into the various societal issues faced by single mothers, and will witness Ranju empowering herself to raise her four daughters single-handedly to help them achieve their dreams. Catch Ranju Ki Betiyaan at 9.30pm only on Dangal TV.

Dangal TV is available on leading cable networks and DTH platforms – DD Free Dish (CHN NO 29), Tata Sky (CHN NO 177), Airtel (CHN NO 125), Dish TV (CHN NO 119) Sun Direct (328) and Videocon D2H (CHN NO 106)