Rubina Dilaik scores a hit with Shakti...

When a lot of big names turned down the offer to play the role of a eunuch on the tube, Rubina Dilaik was the only actress who took up the unconventional role without battling an eyelid. “The gigantic career risk I took has finally paid off well,” says Rubina, who is essaying the role in the show Shakti — Astitva Ke Ahsaas Ki. Luckily the gamble has paid off and the show is bringing in the ratings. What prompted the actress to take up the show, we ask. “I took a major risk by saying yes to the character and it worked. I am relieved today. The only reason I did it was because no one in the whole industry would have ever played something like this on television.” She adds, “I got a huge chance to explore the actor in me with this role. The only apprehension I had was whether the audience will accept me,” says Rubina.

Interestingly more than the actress, her boyfriend, actor Abhinav Shukla was excited at the prospect and coaxed her to take up the daring role. “He was very enthusiastic when I told him about the character. He said that this role is what I need to prove my mettle as an actor. He insisted that I am fortunate to get this opportunity and I should make the most of it,” says Rubina.

Playing a complex character has its pitfalls. The actress did have her share of challenges before taking up the role. “I don’t believe in method acting. Since I was playing a eunuch, I began gathering information about them. I came across many stories where they look like women but the genitals are not properly formed. The more I read the more it helped me to understand their mannerisms and other aspects well,” she explains.

The actress seems to be in a happy space both personally as well as professionally. Gushing about Abhinav, she says, “He has a great sense of humour. His pranks had me in splits and drew me closer to him. Infatuation turned into something more intense and before we realised, we had fallen head over heels in love with each other.”

So will we hear wedding bells any time in the future? Rubina answers in the negative. She says, “We are busy focusing on our careers right now. We cannot think of marriage at this point in time. It will have to wait. Besides, we believe more in the journey. Marriage is not a destination for us. The day we need to take our relationship to the next level, we will take a call on settling down.”