Onscreen lovers, offscreen friends: Sriti Jha and Shabbir Ahluwalia
They share a love-hate relationship on-screen, but there’s something about their chemistry that the audience finds irresistible in Kumkum Bhagya. Shabbir Ahluwalia and Sriti Jha tell us what makes them tick in this exclusive chat.
What makes your onscreen chemistry a hit?
Shabbir: It’s the unpredictable nature of our characters. We react in a manner which is least expected. Even if it’s a serious situation we make it very funny. Also, Pragya (Sriti’s character) is so endearing.
Sriti: It’s just us being very funny; it’s always lighthearted.
Tell us about a scene in the show that you improvised entirely?
Shabbir: There was this scene where Pragya is inebriated and fed up with her behaviour, Abhi too gets drunk! So we go on the terrace of a building and start talking about life. It was originally meant to be a 2-minute scene but it ended up being 10 minutes long because we kept talking rubbish! But that was retained.
Sriti: Shabbir improvises almost every scene he’s brilliant with the punch lines.
What’s the one quality you admire in each other and one thing you want to change?
Shabbir: I admire that she pays attention to the nuances of a scene and is doing such a good job. One thing I want to change is that she doesn’t eat non-vegetarian food. She always orders vegetarian food, which I don’t like, so I can’t eat off her plate!
Sriti: I admire the fact that he is always so happy, always cracking jokes. Both of us are foodies I don’t want to change that but yes, I end up eating a lot more in his company.
Something fans don’t know about you...
Shabbir: They don’t know much about me, as I’m a reserved person and don’t open up easily, unlike the roles I have played. One difference between my character Abhi and me is that I loved my grandmother a thousand times more than he does, in the show.
Sriti: That I eat a lot, you will always find me with a samosa or dosa in my hand. I’m also a voracious
reader.
Your first crush?
Sriti: Aamir Khan in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. I would doll up every day hoping that he would spot me somewhere!
Shabbir: Samantha Fox. I had the opportunity to see her when she was touring India and I had that famous poster of her up in my room the one in which she’s dressed in tiny denims.
Tell us your memories of your first ever audition.
Shabbir: My first audition was for Balaji and I didn’t know what I was doing. I kept forgetting my lines and I ended up just using swear words all I said was f**k, sh**, oh d**n. It wasn’t surprising I didn’t get the role I had auditioned for I got the negative lead instead!
Sriti: My audition for Dhoom Machale Dhoom was the turning point of my life. It was after that audition that I was sure I wanted to do this (acting) for the rest of my life.
Rapid Fire Round
What do you associate with the following words?
food:
sriti: Samosa
shabbir: Lifeline
kumkum bhagya sets
sriti: Happy people
shabbir : A madhouse!
favourite co-star
sriti: Supriyaji (my mother on the show)
shabbir: Sriti and Sakshi Tanwar
babies
sriti: Lots of love
shabbir: Infinite joy
fans
sriti: Happiness
shabbir: Support system
movies
sriti: Pyaasa
shabbir: Life
what makes me happy
sriti: Books, especially The Catcher in the Rye
shabbir: Sports
