Preeti Jhangiani on staying away from screen: I was unhappy with the roles I was getting

After debuting with Aditya Chopra’s hit film Mohabbatein (2000), actor Preeti Jhangiani didn’t exactly go on a signing spree as expected. She reveals the reason behind that was that she was unhappy with the kind of scripts being offered to her.

After her first film, she starred in Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), and Chaahat – Ek Nasha (2005), among others, but left the industry in 2007 after her film Victoria No. 203. In between, she did some regional projects, but not in Hindi. “I was not getting the kind of work I wanted. I was unhappy with the roles I was getting,” she says, adding, “I always wanted to do a significant part. It didn’t always have to be the central part, but it should hold some significance that impacts the story. That is what was important for me. I wasn’t getting those kinds of parts. So, I thought I’d take a step back rather than disappoint myself or my fans who do want to watch me”.

However, Jhangiani, who has returned to doing Hindi projects with the web show Kafas this year, doesn’t want people to tag it as her comeback. “Because I just feel like I was never gone anywhere. I’ve not done a Hindi film in a while after Victoria No. 203, but I did a lot of regional films. I was in touch with my fans and busy with a lot of shows, and events, etc. So, I never felt that I was away from films. But yes, I did miss acting in Hindi films. And now that I’m back, it feels good to be in front of the camera again”.

What is so special about Kafas that she took the decision to take it up after more than 15 long years? The 42-year-old says, “I knew that this show would be a very sensitively made project. The story and the subject itself needs to be told. We take sexual abuse of a male or a male child, not so seriously and I think it needs to be spoken about. Moreover, I actually felt my character was very complex and difficult to play. So basically, the challenging role and story’s significance made me come back”.

Here, she admits that her debut project changed a lot of things for her, and she will always be thankful to her director Aditya Chopra for the same. “It kind of shaped the entire way the audience looked at me. They still love me for my character Kiran”.

As she explores a new phase of her career, the actor has noticed many changes in the audience’ perspective. She says, “They want to watch a story now, and they don’t care who the star is as long as the actor performs and fits the bill”. While her last and upcoming projects both are OTT, Jhangiani “would love to do a big screen project”. “OTT ho ya big screen film, it has to be worth my while and excite my audience,” she concludes.