"I hate the game of cricket" - Chahat Khanna

She made her debut in films, and then made an entry into television with Sony Television's Kaajal. Chahat Khanna will now be seen in Dheeraj Kumar's upcoming mythological, Jai Maa Vaishno Devi, on 9X. She shares some of her experiences, and more.

Tell us about your character in Jai Maa Vaishno Devi.
I play Sunaina, Sridhar's wife, who has great faith in Matarani and believes in spirituality.

Did you have to plan a lot for your looks in the serial?
Yes of course. We put in a lot of effort, and it was very difficult since this look is completely new to me.

Are Sunaina and Chahat Khanna similar?
Not at all, unless you take into consideration her faith in God. I place a lot of faith in the Almighty. Otherwise, the story is set 800 years ago, and there cannot be any similarity between my character and my real self.

Why did you choose to do a mythological serial?
I am not playing a mythological character. Actually my character is involved in the social aspect of the serial. It was only when I knew this that I agreed to take it up. I thought I could add my own touches to my character and that will be noticed, despite the mythology tag.

How is your chemistry with your co-stars?
Very good. All of them are very co-operative and very nice.

You have worked both in films and television. Any difference between the two media?
A great difference. In films, one has time to re-shoot scenes, whereas in television you don't have that luxury.

What are your views on IPL, and which team will you be cheering for?
Actually I have no idea about cricket and I personally hate that game. However, I am very closely related to IPL since my relatives are quite involved with the same.

Can we expect to see you in the next season of Nach Baliye? Who will be your baliye?
I can't promise, but we will see. If I participate, then my boyfriend will definitely be my baliye.

How do you utilize your free time?
I like to read books. I also love to write. And I love cooking and eating my favourite food.

Can you tell us about any interesting incident that may have occurred on the sets?
The place where we are shooting this show is a Shankar Temple, which is very famous. It is believed that one has to pray and offer a coconut to the deity before beginning any work. We began our shooting without the offering, and, within minutes, all our equipment stopped functioning. One of the locals advised us to perform the ritual. We did, and, to our surprise, our equipment started functioning again.

What are the other projects that you are working on?
There are many assignments in the pipeline but it is too early for me to talk about them.