Preetika
Rao,
who
has
a
chequered
career
behind
her
as
a
model,
journalist
and
now
actress,
can't
believe
the
impact
of
her
serial
"Beintehaa".
She
says
her
character
Aaliyah
is
a
"serious
responsibility
on
my
shoulder".
"When
I
took
up
the
offer,
I
knew
I
was
getting
into
something
special.
I
loved
the
storyline
and
my
character
Aaliyah's
spunk
spirit
and
social
concerns.
"But
I
never
imagined
Aaliyah
would
become
a
role
model
for
Muslim
girls
all
over
the
world
including
our
neighbours
in
Pakistan
as
well
as
England
and
Spain.
It's
an
amazing
experience
and
also
a
very
serious
responsibility
on
my
shoulder."
The
story
revolves
around
a
Muslim
famlily
and
Preetika,
the
younger
sister
of
Bollywood
actress
Amrita
Rao,
has
no
time
for
anything
except
for
shooting
for
the
social
drama.
"My
social
life
has
come
to
a
grinding
halt.
I
can't
meet
friends
nor
spend
time
with
my
sister
Amrita.
We're
constantly
battling
deadlines
on
the
serial...
There
is
no
room
for
illness
when
doing
a
daily
soap," she
said.
Preetika
adds
doing
a
serial
is
tougher
than
doing
a
film.
Just
how
Preetika
bagged
"Beintehaa"
is
a
story
of
its
own.
"I
was
a
model,
and
a
very
successful
one
at
that.
My
very
first
campaign
was
for
Cadburys
with
Bachchan
Saab
when
I
was
just
a
child."
Once
she
got
bored
of
modeling,
Preetika
quickly
moved
on
to
other
vocations.
"How
long
could
I
hold
a
product
and
smile
into
the
camera?
I
did
some
South
Indian
films,
one
each
in
Tamil,
Telugu
and
Kannada.
I
went
into
print
journalism.
Then
I
went
to
New
York
for
a
three-month
course
in
screenplay
writing."
After
Preetika
returned
from
New
York,
she
got
a
number
of
television
offers.
"In
fact,
one
soap
for
another
production
company
was
finalised.
Coincidentally,
my
co-star
in
that
soap
was
also
meant
to
be
Harshad
Arora.
That
serial
was
taking
a
little
bit
too
much
time.
"Meanwhile,
both
Harshad
and
I
were
offered
'Beintehaa'.
And
here
we
are."
Preetika
says
her
sister
Amrita
Rao
enjoys
the
serial
as
much
as
anyone
else.
"Amrita
is
very
happy
for
me.
She
knows
as
well
as
anyone
else
the
reach
and
viewership
of
television.
'Beintehaa' reaches
into
lakhs
of
homes
every
day.
I
feel
very
happy.
It
has
revived
the
soap-viewing
habit
among
people
who
were
bored
of
the
'saas-bahu'
formula."
She
is
not
pining
to
get
into
Bollywood.
"But
if
it
happens
I
will
be
okay
with
it."
Incidentally,
Preetika
was
mistakenly
considered
Amrita's
twin
sister.
Laughing
it
off,
she
said:
"People
had
never
seen
me.
They
drew
their
own
conclusions.
Now
that
they've
seen
me
they
know
we
sisters
are
two
different
personalities.
And
we
occupy
two
different
visual
mediums."