Gulki Joshi: Mature pairings always work for me

After portraying Haseena Malik in Maddam Sir, Gulki Joshi took a break from television. Nearly three years later, she returns to the small screen as the protagonist in Hui Gumm Yaadein: Ek Doctor, Do Zindagiyaan, the Indian adaptation of the Italian series DOC. Speaking about her hiatus, Gulki says, “I missed being on television and staying connected with my audience on a daily basis. I was away because I wasn’t being offered roles that truly excited me creatively. I used this time to embrace my identity and existence beyond ambition. However, my love for theatre kept me engaged for most of this period.” She adds that the format of the show played a key role in her decision. “The first thing that appealed to me was that it is not a regular family drama.” Gulki came on board after Ekta Kaul exited the show to be with her mother following a health emergency. Commenting on the development, she says, “Ekta is a wonderful artiste and it is unfortunate that she had to step down. But as the saying goes, ‘Daane daane pe likha hai khaanewale ka naam’. If this show and this character came to me, then perhaps it was meant to be.” An interesting aspect of the casting is the age gap between Gulki and her co-star, Iqbal Khan, who plays the male lead. She says, “Mature pairings have always worked for me, whether it was with Varun Badola in Phir Subah Hogi or Rahil Azam in Maddam Sir. With Iqbal Khan, it feels like a small-world moment because my mother was one of the writers on his first show, Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai. I remember many of my friends in those days had a huge crush on him. And now I am romancing him on screen, which still feels surreal. I suppose I just look better with men rather than boys (laughs).”