Exclusive - Rabb Se Hai Dua actor Alka Kaushal: Having discipline and patience are important in daily soap, not everyone can be a part of it

Alka Kaushal is wooing the audience with her portrayal of Hameeda in Rabb Se Hai Dua. The actress feels the title of the show is unique and relatable. “It is one title with which every individual identifies because in our individual languages, we are praying to the Almighty. Language can be different, but the meaning, respect and prayers remain the same,” she says.
Alka’s character Hameeda is Dua’s (Aditi Sharma) mother.“Hameeda is a strong and righteous lady. She encourages and pushes her daughter to fight against the wrongs that have been done with her. She teaches her to stand up for what is right and help those in need,” she adds.
Praising the team of RSHD, she says that working with the team feels like homecoming to her. “I was happy to be a part of the show. Also, I liked the concept and was thrilled to hear the story and character. It made me sure that I want to do it. I have worked with the production house before which is why when I was offered this part, I did not think twice. I love to be a part of this team. It has a very good environment to be working in and it’s very comfortable here as everybody is very respectful. Apart from what you earn, the most important thing for me is the respect that you are given. Everyone was so welcoming and made me feel special. A small bit of pampering to actors can really enhance their performance and make them happy,” she laughs softly.
The language on the show Rabb Se Hai Dua is mostly Urdu. No doubt Urdu is a different and rich language. About how easy or difficult it was to get the lingo right, she adds, “To some it might be. It’s a beautiful language and I always feel honoured if I am offered anything which is set in an environment where the characters are speaking Urdu. The dialogues are beautifully written and as an actor it was so easy to say those lines. They just came naturally to me. I have always been comfortable speaking dialogues which have Urdu words in it.”
The TV industry has evolved. And there have been many noticeable changes. “Yes, TV has definitely evolved. Down the line if I think about the years in the past, the industry has grown and has become more organised and disciplined. It’s getting better every day. Personally, I always want and love doing something on television. Even if I am doing films, web shows or whatever, I always want to be associated with one television show,” she states.
Daily soap means a lot of hard work and patience. “I am an actor because of my father who was a journalist by profession but was an artist at heart. He was a fantastic actor, a fabulous singer and for me and my siblings, our father has been the inspiration. We have always looked up to him. I always had encouragement from him and my mother. My mom has played a very important role in shaping our careers and made sure to work out things given our erratic working hours. She never complains if you are going early or coming late. The one who does a daily soap can do anything. It's a run against time. As we say time is money. In a daily soap you have set targets and fixed telecast dates which you have to meet. Going on air seven days a week is not an easy job. It’s very difficult for everyone from the technicians, creatives, directors, actors to the channels. Having discipline is very important in a daily soap and you have to have a lot of patience too. Not everyone can do a daily soap,” she adds.
Do you think having an alternate career is important as there's a lot of competition? “I have always thought of only acting. But those who do have an alternate career or think about it are very intelligent and practical. Honestly it is a good thing to do,” she says.