Dipika Kakar Exclusive Interview: “I Was Destined To Do Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum”

Dipika Kakar became a household name after essaying the character of Simar Bhardwaj in Rashmi Sharma Telefilms’ long-running show, Sasural Simar Ka. After headlining the show for six long years and gaining unparalleled popularity, she quit Sasural Simar Ka and waited for something more interesting to come her way.

In October 2018, Dipika Kakar participated in Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss 12 and, after staying locked up inside the glass-walled house for a couple of months, emerged as the winner of the season. Now, the actress is back in news for her new soap opera, Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum, which has just hit the airwaves on Star Plus.

On the occasion of the show’s grand launch in Mumbai, STARBIZ correspondent Mohnish Singh met Dipika Kakar and tried to find out more about Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum, her character Sonakshi Rastogi, the life after winning the coveted Bigg Boss trophy and much more. The talented actress also opened up about her relationship with her in-laws, husband Shoaib Ibrahim and why she totally believes in the concept of joint families.

Dipika, you are returning to fiction after a break. How are you feeling?

There is a lot of excitement. Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum is really a very different show. It is a North-South show for me if I compare it to what I have done all these years - from getting into the supernatural zone and doing fantasy stuff to now doing a show like this.

I am very excited about the show. The team that I am working with is very positive. Sandeep Sikand, the producer of the show, has created all characters so impeccably that what all we actors need to do is to come to the sets and mold ourselves in our characters. It was like that. I am very excited.

After Bigg Boss 12, I am coming up with such a different show. My look is very different and so is my character. It is a very relatable character. It is very much me.

How did the show come to you?

Actually, what happened was that when I was about to go to Bigg Boss but was yet to sign my papers, just then I got a call from Sandeep. We did a meeting. But then Bigg Boss happened. It was kind of impossible for Sandeep to wait for me for four months as I was inside the Bigg Boss house. I forgot about the show after I went to Bigg Boss, so did Sandeep about having me onboard. I have no idea whether or not he approached any other actress when I was in Bigg Boss. When I came out of the show, he called me up after 15 days or so. He said, “Dipika, I have not yet finalized anyone for the show.” I said, “Okay.” So we did a couple of meetings and things worked out. It seems the show was meant for me.

You seem to have shed a lot of weight.

Yes, I have and I have deliberately done it for the character of Sonakshi. I felt that if I am coming on the screen after some period, then I should look fresh. I wanted people to realize that I was not the same Dipika which they have been watching over all these years. Thankfully, I have been successful in achieving that.

How many kilograms have you lost?

I have lost around 7kgs.

How did you do it?

Diet. I am not able to exercise a lot because of my shooting hours. But, yeah, keto diet did wonders.

How did winning Bigg Boss 12 help you professionally?

Honestly speaking, I feel I was destined to do Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum. As I told you, I had already done a meeting for the show before entering the Bigg Boss house, so I don’t feel that winning Bigg Boss 12 has opened the door for a lot of avenues in my career. But if you talk about love from fans and if you talk about the fame that you get, it definitely helps you get a major boost if you do a show like Bigg Boss and win it.

I still remember that I cried after listening to the good things that my fans had to say about me after winning the show. I still get goosebumps. After the show, my fans know who and what Dipika is in real life. They don’t see you in any character when you are locked inside the Bigg Boss house. That connect that you build up with your fans through a show like Bigg Boss is amazing. I have some fans that have made an Instagram group and they have added me in it. At times, I chat with them there. It is so heart-warming. It feels so good.

But there have been incidents where fans lock horns with the fans of some other celebrities?

Yeah, it happens. I am very thankful to Shaba (sister-in-law) and Shoaib for this reason because when I was inside the Bigg Boss house, a lot of obnoxious things were happening outside the house. I just don’t want to get there. I am very proud of the fact that when relatives and loved ones of other celebs were busy supporting their fans in such nasty things, Shoaib and Shaba requested my fans to keep calm. I always tell my fans that don’t pay heed to what others say. Their bad words don’t make us a bad person.

You and your husband Shoaib Ibrahim are in the same profession. How do you guys take time out to manage your home?

In that case, my in-laws are very supportive because they live on the first floor of the same building. So for me, I am very fortunate that Ammi (mother-in-law) and Shaba are there to take care of everything. What all my mother-in-law wants from me is to prepare my food because she cannot prepare diet food and leave for work. She takes care of the rest. I am very blessed that I have the full support of my in-laws.

Not every television actress is lucky enough to bag the second show as the female lead. How do you feel after making the impossible possible?

I really feel lucky. I am very blessed and fortunate that I got such a big show after Bigg Boss. Honestly, I value this show very much. Every artist wants to do something different and this show is really very different. I would have done any other good show also, but this is something outstanding for me. So I think He is really happy with me.

What are the plus and minus of Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum?

Honestly speaking, I do not see any minus here; everything is plus for me. As I said, my look in the show is very fresh and the story is very fresh. The story of the show will definitely hook everyone. Somebody just asked me that there is no saas-bahu drama in the show, then how will we manage to hook the audience. I said to him that to keep the audience hooked, a story should have interesting twists and turns and that twists and turns can be there in any relationship.

What do you and Shoaib do to keep your relationship healthy?

The best thing that I like about Shoaib is that when he is not shooting and is at home, he makes sure that whenever I reach home after my pack-up, he stays with me all the time. He does not go out after that. There was a time when we both were shooting back-to-back, then we made it a point that no matter what we would sit together for a cup of tea at least and that tea was made by me.

Dipika, you live in a joint family in a time when every couple dreams of having a nuclear family after getting married.

Our joint family is a big boon for us. My in-laws have always been my biggest support even when I was doing Sasural Simar Ka. I want to tell this to all those who believe in nuclear families that, at least, try once to live in a joint family. I know adjustment takes some time, but then nothing can beat the joy of living together.