Jul 01, 2026 4:00pm IST
Anita Hassanandani: ‘I am Hungry For Better Roles Than More Money’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Anita Hassanandani, who recently joined the cast of “Tumm Se Tumm Tak,” is glad to be playing a positive character on TV for the first time in a long time. The show, which also features Sharad Kelkar and Niharika Chouksey, has been doing well consistently on the TRP charts. Audiences are in for more drama with Hassanandani’s entry as Rajnandini. About her role, she says, “She is a nice, classy, sweet and simple woman. At the same time, she is intelligent and self-aware. When you play a vamp on TV, there is not much you can do after a certain point. The characters all feel similar. So, I am glad to play a positive character this time around.”
Hassanandani, who has been a part of the industry for 25 years, was in for a surprise when her co-star Niharika Chouksey told her that they had worked together in the popular show “Yeh Hai Mohabbatein.” Anita, who played Shagun Bhalla in the 2013 serial, shares, “Niharika told me that she had shot with me for ‘Yeh Hai Mohabbatein.’ I did not remember her. Later, she showed me the pictures and she was literally a baby (laughs). She told me that it was a cameo and one of her first projects after she came to Mumbai. She is sweet and down-to-earth.”
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Sharad Kelkar and Hassanandani were paired together in the movie, “Hero” (2015), which was Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty’s debut film. “We had a pretty decent rapport and chemistry. I think we look good together on screen here as well,” she says.
Hassanandani, who won the first season of the reality show “Chhoriyan Chali Gaon' last year, finds it easier to fit reality shows in her schedule now. “My son, Aaravv, is five years old now. I am doing this show for the next month or two. After that, I might take up a reality show. Never say never,” she says.
Of late, there has been considerable debate about regulating working hours in the industry, especially for mothers. Hassanandani opines, “Honestly, TV shows need a lot more time than films. You cannot be too rigid. I resumed work only after I felt mentally prepared. When I was with Aaravv, I gave him all my time and attention. But I also enjoy working. Aaravv is five now and he understands that I work. I feel you should do what makes you happy.”
The TV industry is going through a lull and budgets have been slashed. “I do feel budgets are constrained. I come from an era where everything was so vast. The look of the shows felt so rich. For me, it is not about the money. I am always hungry for better roles than more money. I am ready to negotiate my fee because I know the situation of the industry. I have been here for more than two decades and I am still working,” she says.
Hassanandani’s close friend, TV producer Ektaa Kapoor, has made a very successful sequel of “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.” Ask her if there’s any show of theirs that she feels can be remade, and she says, “I feel ‘Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii’ has potential. The concept of a man with two women never gets dated,” she signs off.
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