Kitu Gidwani: Television has gone into a black hole

Basking in the glory of the much-loved web series Potluck, popular actor Kitu Gidwani discusses why she has stayed away from TV

Having been in the entertainment industry for three decades, Kitu Gidwani is sure of what doesn’t appeal to her as an actor. “Saas-bahu dramas are just not for me,” she declares, at the onset of our conversation. Her actions too match her words. After making her OTT debut with Fittrat (2019), followed by Gosht Stories (2020), she is now seen in Potluck — a charming family comedy.

“It is difficult to find good and subtle comedy these days. The writing of Potluck made it fun,” says the actor, who plays the matriarch in the SonyLIV offering. While her co-stars found their characters right in their wheelhouse, for Gidwani it was not the case. “I am usually quite childish and silly on set. I had to rein myself in and be consciously reserved. The freedom to own the character and do small improvisations was only possible because of the competent cast.”

Also Read: Potluck: This light-hearted family drama looks promising

Jatin Sial and Kitu Gidwani in Potluck

Gidwani says that post 2000, the television offers that came her way didn’t match her creative sensibilities. “[In 2005], I did Ravi Rai’s Kasshish, which was about an adulterous relationship. The writing was fabulous. It was one of the most nuanced serials on Indian television [that spoke about] what happens in a [love] triangle. Only Ravi Rai could have written it like that. We did about 60 episodes, and I felt it could have gone up to 100 at least.”

Happy to front shows that she believed in, the actor says she had little inclination to join the rat race that the telly world became in the mid-2000s. “I know that it is possible to shoot for 12 hours, but the whole insanity that trickled in where we were being treated like mules or bullock carts [was not for me]. I feel many actors were trampled on. Television seems to have gone into some black hole, which it may never come out of. Every channel need not make a saas-bahu drama.” 

The actor says that OTT has given people the freedom to be creative and talk about issues that matter. “OTT platforms have opened the world globally. The topics are much more vast. The good and bad in the society can be shown through satire, which is an amazing genre.”

Also Read: Kitu Gidwani goes bad and bold for her next

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