Vicky Ahuja comes in his perfectly creased light-grey uniform with untucked shirt and a name plate that reads – Yashpal Chaudhary. With close-cropped balding hair and stubble that features white patch around the chin, the middle-aged actor seems seasoned.
Quite sure of the character’s occupation, I ask if he’s a school employee. “Yes, a peon,” nods Ahuja. Despite being uneducated himself, as years in school teach him, Yashpal, in Meri Durga is bent on imbibing values through education in his daughter, who is reluctant and is interested only in flying kites and plucking mangoes from trees.
“The backdrop is Haryana,” tells Ahuja. He boasts of his Haryanvi in between, claiming to have reached the level in just two months. Having shot in both Haryana and Punjab, the dynamic of a father-daughter duo in a culture specific setting has carefully been worked out, claims Ahuja. “The relationship of a father and daughter is universal. It transcends boundaries,” he says.
Meanwhile, I meet his co-actor Ananya Agarwal, who plays Ahuja’s daughter in the show. With a fresh face and neatly plaited hair, she hops from one table to the other leaving artefacts around, as she absent-mindedly sketches on the writing pads while talking. “Although I teach her things in the show, it’s the other way round in real life,” chuckles Ahuja as Ananya corrects him with some show details.
Ahuja’s lived-in face resembles the character he plays in the show. In a modulated voice, he says this has been his closest attempt at realism. Seeking a departure from the urban settings most modern Indian soaps are characterised by, he attempts to investigate the intricacies of a father-daughter relationship in the sublime setting of a village. With emotional depth, Ahuja talks about his upcoming show, the intricacies of a father-daughter relationship and the challenges he faced while working in a culturally distinct setting.
What themes and elements characterise “Meri Durga”?
Everyone has dreams but circumstances break them. But, even though he earns less, Yashpal is characterised by passion and conviction and has a dream. He puts in everything to make sure his younger daughter is educated. By hook or crook he wants to achieve the dream.
How do you draw a relationship between education and female foeticide in the show?
If you come to see it, the issue of female foeticide and education have a close connection. Unaware and uneducated masses push their daughters into fields and kitchen. However, I see the current generation being more aware and receptive towards different forms of media like the internet, television and newspapers. As a result of which, it has found a place in popular media as well. I have personally met a lot of people who are illiterate but still educate themselves through different platforms.
I personally feel that it is not just Haryana which is facing the problem, there are numerous areas in the country that are facing it. If you educate boys, why not educate girls as well? It is said, if you educate a girl, you educate a nation.
Is Yashpal a hero in a scenario where others are reluctant to educate their daughters?
Yashpal is not a hero. He is a common man and thinks like one.
You can't express the relationship of a father-daughter in words. It transcends class boundaries as well. Irrespective of your position in the society, your reaction to the relationship is the same. The relationship instils a very strange feeling in me. It's very different. It's pure.
Though her father wants her to study, Durga is unable to.How do you resolve this conflict in the show?
The conflict needs no resolution. It's natural. I'd be surprised if there is any attempt towards any sort of compromise. When I was young my father tried to give me direction as well. But, this age is such. You like to engage in fun activities, like flying kites or running around. Everyone has gone through it. But, when I grew up, I realised the importance of the things my father told me. A father always strives to ensure their children don't commit the same mistakes or face adversities that he did. Durga is an organic character. She commits mistakes, takes her father's help and moves forward.
Is Yashpal happy with his job? Isn’t he imposing his dreams on his daughter?
Yashpal is a frustrated character. But he wants to see his daughter shine. Durga is naive and her energies needs to be channelised in the right direction. It’s not an imposition.
You’ve also acted in movies like Gangster and Life in a Metro playing diverse roles. What makes the character of Yashpal different from your other roles?
This role is very different and unique. I did another show called Father where I also played an emotional character.
But, this for the first time I am representing reality and real people before a larger audience. The show is multi-layered and has many elements packed in it. Here, I am not educating people. I am encouraging them to look inward and reflect.
