Sukirti Kandpal: I have frozen my eggs
Almost three years since Kaala Teeka, Sukirti Kandpal returns to television with Story 9 Months Ki. With the narrative revolving around a single woman who decides to embrace motherhood, the actor — who enjoyed tremendous success with her past offerings Dill Mill Gaye and Pyaar Ki Ek Kahaani — believes the show is a step in the right direction as it challenges the damsel-in-distress stereotype.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
How has your process of script selection evolved in the 11 years that separate Pyaar Ki Ek Kahaani and Story 9 Months Ki?
My process of selecting scripts has always been instinctive. I go with my gut feeling.
Over the years, several films have been made on similar subjects. How has it been tackled differently in the show?
In most cases, the story revolves around a couple who cannot get pregnant and opt for IVF, or around a young girl who gets pregnant. Here, Alia [her character] decides to embrace motherhood as a single woman. Since it is a daily soap, there will be an extended backstory to explain [her motivations].
Many shows depict their protagonists as independent women in the beginning, but eventually reduce them to damsels in distress. Does this story follow the same line of thought?
Alia is not a damsel in distress. She is in control of her life and knows what she wants, personally and professionally. After she learns of her husband’s infidelity, she walks out of the marriage. Most serials would show the woman staying back, but we are [not succumbing] to stereotypes.
