Typecasting, family kept Gurdip Kohli away from daily soaps

In a bid to avoid getting typecast, actress Gurdip Kohli didn't consider fiction shows. She also kept away from daily soaps to play a hands on mother to her daughter.

"It is quite easy for a television actress to be typecast into certain kinds of roles. However, I have been lucky to have stayed away from such images," Gurdip told IANS.

The 33-year-old, who has a three-year-old daughter Meher with husband and television actor Arjun Punj, rose to fame after playing doctor Juhi in the 2004 super hit show "Sanjeevani". Post the show's success, she went on to do family dramas like "Sindoor Tere Naam Ka" and "Kasamh Se".

Currently Gurdip is seen in a comical avatar "Best Of Luck Nikki", a weekend show on Disney channel. She is well aware about the path, which leads to getting labelled.

"The fear of being typecast as a particular character arises when one has done only one specific kind of roles over a period of time, which fortunately, hasn't been the case with me," she said.

"And post-maternity, I was lucky enough to portray the role of a mother - Himani in 'Best of Luck Nikki', who is not a typical mother but is more of a friend and confidante to her kids," she added.

Gurdip feels daily soaps demand a lot of time and attention, but she wants to give maximum attention to Meher's growing up years.

"Erratic work schedules are a part of a daily soap actor's life. But I made a conscious decision to stay away from daily soaps when I decided to come back to the small screen as I wanted to concentrate on bringing up my daughter," she said.

"At the same time, I wanted to do the kind of work that I had not had the opportunity to do earlier. Luckily, I was offered 'Best of Luck Nikki'. Since the show followed a season format, I had enough time for my family" she added.

The actress's character of Himani in "Best Of Luck Nikki" has a comical approach and she enjoys tickling audience's funny bone.

"I loved facing the camera for 'Best of Luck Nikki' and discovered an all new comic side to me. The show was immensely well received by the audience and now we are back with the third season," she said.

Gurdip plays a mother of five children - Dolly (Sheena Bajaj ), Sunny (Akash Nair), Rohan (Murtuza Kutianawala) and baby Nikki (Ananya Kolvankar) in the show, which will see the birth of her fifth child Sunday.

She says working with young artists has its pros.

"Working with kids is a roller-coaster ride. There is never a dull moment on the sets. The four kids keep the atmosphere on the sets so lively and so energetic that I simply cannot but give my best performance when around them.

"On the cons, well, I can't say it is a con, but we adults always need to match up with the energy levels of the young actors," she said.