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Old flame
Kiran Juneja... Anybody ready with a comedy? Photo: V. Sudershan.
HER CHARM still fascinates, her failure still surprises, Kiran Juneja exemplifies sound foundation is no guarantee for success. "I am happy. I was never very ambitious and never mixed my personal and professional life neither allowed one to overshadow the other. Also for years I am actively involved with social issues," says Kiran, failing to remove her Buniyaad tag though she tried to trade it first with an alliance with Ramesh Sippy followed by a social crusader identity with The Kiran Juneja Show on Star TV, not to count a film career which never really took off.
Kiran feels celebrities lend weight to talk shows but at the same time make the celebrity conscious of his or her role towards society. "I became conscious of what's happening around me. Issues like wife-beating cut across class. Once a person came requesting to keep his little son with me as servant. I refused but at the same time realised that if I won't somebody else will. So, I can't say we can offer a real solution but can at least sensitise in whatever way we can."
That's how she puts Sheen, the effort of her first co-star Ashok Pandit, who worked with her in Prerna way back in 1984, as well.
Kiran feels sad about the current trend in television serials. "Because of the pressures of the advertising world, garib is no more seen in serials. Even if they show a garib, the background and costumes do not match with his status." And the irony is Kiran adds, "They have drugged the audience. They have become used to see a 26-27-year-old as mother of 21-something. How can you show Gurusha Kapoor as mother?"
Kiran believes that television, as a medium has not grown as much as it should have been beyond Buniyaad days. "It still looks fresh. But what I miss really is good comedy. They do all the slapstick. Nobody even gets inspired with serials like Friends, where they say so many things in few words. I agree language is a limitation when it comes to sex-related jokes, still somebody can try. It's time we take sex out of the closet." What's stopping her? "Well, I want to concentrate on social issues. This time I am travelling and want to reach out to the grass root level." No wonder, it is in fashion this season.
ANUJ KUMAR
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