I have been called for every season of 'Bigg Boss': Achint Kaur

Achint Kaur, who breezed through Kolkata recently, speaks to TOI about TV content these days, theatre and more.
Your character, Lolly, in Mahesh Dattani’s The Big Fat City is that of an ageing TV star, who is desperate for another break. In the play, you say theatre is more meaningful than TV. Do you believe in it? Is that why you are seen more on stage these days? I’m not making a shift.I’m going to do TV, films as well as theatre. I had done theatre earlier, but I hadn’t ventured into it full time. So I just wanted to give it a go this time. I’m doing three plays and enjoying myself. But I’m not leaving one thing for the other.
But we haven’t seen you on TV in a while… Yes, not in two years. I will do television at some point in time.
Are you open to doing saas- bahu serials? It depends. What people watch is what we have to do. That’s our problem. Though we might not believe in a lot of stuff, we can’t help it. I’ve never watched TV and don’t even see my own shows. I don’t like every serial across channels sharing the same note. I like the television series they make abroad. It will happen here too. It’s just a matter of time. 24 is trying hard and I hope they succeed and things change.
Are you ready for reality shows? Not yet. I’ve been called for every season of Bigg Boss.
Did you have to struggle in your initial years, like your character Lolly? No. I never came to TV, I was brought here. I was sitting at home and someone offered me a role. I had never even thought of acting till then. Since then, I have been in the profession for 16 years.
How easy or difficult is it for a known face to make a mark on stage? You can make a mark anywhere. You can be on any medium, but your performance matters. Maybe being known helps, but that is something that the production team can understand and assess better.
You come to Kolkata quite often… Yes, last year I came here four times. Luckily, I came in December. After the show, we went out. We were walking on the roads, had breakfast at one of the famous joints and I took back 10 kg of sandesh with me. I like the pace of the city, which locals complain about. I think people here are a wee bit more evolved.
You have a role in 2 States… In the film, I’m playing Arjun Kapoor’s maasi. She is a pakka Punjabi — a sweet character, but loud and very opinionated.
What are the other projects you are working on? I just finished a film called Black Home, based on kids from remand homes. The dubbing for Kamal Sadanah’s directorial venture, Roar, will start soon.