Renu Desai gets candid about her Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Drama Juniors 5 and much more

Renu Desai is back to Telugu television with Drama Juniors season 5. The renowned actress-turned-filmmaker is quite excited to be a part of the reality TV series. On the occasion of Ugadi, ETimes TV got the eminent actress-TV personality talking about her Ugadi plans, her show and much more.

Growing up in Pune, Gudi Padwa was huge for us. Our day started with the bitter decoction that mom used to give us in the morning. It was supposed to be good for health. Wearing a new dress for every Gudi Padwa was also a must.

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Now that I've been in the Telugu film industry for many years and shuttling between Hyderabad and Pune, we have a mixed culture and cuisine at home. We have a sumptuous Telugu breakfast on Ugadi along with the Ugadi pachadi. Since I'm born Gujarati, our cuisine has a mix of Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Telugu dishes.

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I love the concept of Drama Juniors and interaction with kids comes very natural to me. Usually, kids feel comfortable with me, too. This is a great platform for kids to showcase their talent and have fun too. This season has got some amazing talent as well.

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I'm amazed by their sincerity and dedication towards what they are doing. Even shooting at 11 PM, we might look a tad tired but their energy doesn't drop an ounce. I haven't seen anyone complaining. Trust me, they were having a blast during the shoot.

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I had given this long working hours a thought before signing up for the show but again it's just one day of shoot every month. If we have an event at home, don't our kids have fun till late night?

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I'm a mother, too, and I understand what fame and these hectic shoot schedules can do to the kids. But reality shows can't be blamed completely here. Every parent wants their kid to shine. You can't generalize. It all depends on how you deal with it. The role of parents is also very vital here.

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I've spoken to a few parents of the kids in between the shoots earlier and I'm looking forward to interacting with them in the upcoming shoot schedule also. I keep telling them to not pressurise the kids for anything and rather guide them to focus on their studies as well.

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We have a balanced judge panel I must say. Everyone comes with a distinct perspective on the performances. I'm thoroughly enjoying their performances and the content has been exceptional so far. There is a lot of mythology and history that is being included in the content. Adult comedy from the kids is something I don't expect or enjoy in any show that I'm part of.

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We've shot with a bare minimum crew and it will further decrease in the next shoot schedule. I've made it clear that I will walk out from the sets if I see anyone without a mask. The set is being sanitised every half an hour. Everyone was permitted onto the sets only after their COVID-19 reports were submitted 24hrs prior to the shoot. Parents will be seen with face shields even on the cameras. It is a huge set and social distancing is being strictly followed. It is scary but this is the only way out.

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Everyone is looking forward to this new year but until we respect nature and follow the precautionary measures, we can't have a better scenario.

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