Honeymoon Travel star Sandhya Mridul speaks

Sandhya Mridul is nothing like Dina of Saathiya or Honeymoon Travel's confused newly wed lady. In reality, she's pure dynamite. Almost a year after Saathiya, she's back, in a new avtaar, as a tough cop in Waisa Bhi Hota Hai. "I'm here to act, not to make hay while the sun shines. If money was my top priority, I'd have acted in 10 films by now as a good sister, bhabhi and so on. I made things tough for myself and waited for tough roles, like the one that Shashank gave me in this film, which a dark comedy," says a confident Sandhya.

At the prime of her television career, with successes from Hubahu and Koshish, she shifted to cinema just to avoid being typecast. "I'm scared to touch another serial now," she says throwing a surprise at you. "Most serials begin well but don't know how to end. They meander aimlessly. I did Choti Si Aasha directed by K Balachander where the audience knew the beginning and ending. And yet, it was gripping. I thought that was a better serial."
Post Saathiya, Sandhya took centre stage as part of the TV crew for the World Cup Cricket coverage. But again, she's moved on. "I love sports but didn't see myself becoming a part of the regular cricket coverage. At a short term, I look for satisfaction in whatever I do but in the long run, I want a portfolio that I'd be proud of."

The bottom line is, routine stuff bores her. The uncertainty of the future doesn't induce fear, but challenges her. "I'm fearless, speak my mind and follow my heart. My gut feel has never let me down. I'd rather take up challenges than be a fencesitter."

In her acting career, she will push the envelope and take up hatke roles. "When I knew that I'd have to sport short hair and change my look for Waisa Bhi Hota Hai, I was game for it." Sandhya has also signed up a film with Parvati Balagopal of Hubahu fame. And sometime in future, might try script writing. "Now I only write drafts," she laughs.

On her personal front, she's put marriage on hold. "Ali Khan and I were seeing each other and planned to get married. But somehow, I felt this was not the right time and we took a tough decision. I'm not thinking of marriage now."