'I fell off my chair... ha, ha, ha...!'

Manish (Raisinghan) still cannot suppress his amusement while recalling vividly the moment when he was told during 'Sasural Simar Ka' that he would be paired with Avika Gor. 'Avika Gor, who?', he responded, not being able to place her. 'Arre, woh ‘Balika Vadhu’ waali Anandi!', they purred. 'But that's Pratyusha (Banerjee) and I know her well' - he was still at sea! Snap came the reply, 'No, no, not that one… the little Anandi –Avika Gor!'

 

And he was, like, hit by lightning!

 

'Funny visuals crossed my eyes from the past' recalls Manish, 'when this li'l gal 'Avika' was so tiny that she ran between my legs in one of the performances once'... He was sure that they must be joking…otherwise, how they could even imagine that the itsy-bitsy girlie could be paired with a 30-plus guy like him…

'Agar aap 'Cheeni Kum' bhi bana rahe ho, even then the age difference between Amitji & Tabu was not this much!', he cried.

 

But that’s how it was - period!

 

Despite Manish’s consternation, the odd coupling did happen in 'SSK'. However, the other part of the twosome was somewhat blase to this 'oddness' in pairing. In fact, Avika was basking in the 'sighs & swoons' of all the teenyboppers at her school who were in absolute awe of Manish’s perfect looks & body as seen in his previous Shows.

 

But 'age difference' or whatever, they conquered all the odds together with dollops of combined craziness and sheer dedication to finally create the on-screen magic of 'RoSid' or 'AviMan', the sobriquets given to them by millions of besotted fans at Social Media thanks to just the 400 odd ‘together’ scenes of theirs in such a long spread of 'SSK' (any other couple would've had more than 2,000 scenes by now).

 

Manish, with his card-index memory, also recalls graphically the moment when the ice was broken between the two of them - 'I was getting my make-up done when she tiptoed in and sat behind me, pretending to study a book (‘Geography’, Avika clears). Moments later, suddenly, she asked, 'Err, what's your favourite food?'

 

That did it!

 

And the diehard foodie Manish started rattling off a large list of yummy delicacies with all their uniqueness elaborated upon. Then, suddenly realising that the 'Kid' must've been bored stiff at his harangue, he politely drawled, 'And what do you like?' 'Watermelon!' beamed the girlie and the first thought that struck Manish at that was - 'Yaar, isske saath toh main bhookha mar jaaoonga!', though outwardly, he just gurgled, 'Awww...!'

 

And then they went on to create the hypnotic 'RoSid' Chemistry in 'SSK', while the Serial kept going through sea-change after grotesque sea-change and from the 'story of a girl of humble circumstance, who wanted to dance and was bundled off in marriage to a rich family, instead’, it went on to become a fertile field for 'Ghosts', 'Chudails', 'Daayans', 'Ichhaadhaari Naagins', even 'Devil' - so how did the artistes in the two of them could keep their creative sanity intact through all of these weird scenarios?

 

Manish does agree that he feels a little lost in such a scenario as 'much of my talent goes untapped because of that’, but in the next breath, he is quick to defend it all as 'experiments' that the audiences go gaga at!

 

Avika, too, nods to that, ‘You know, at every such spooky turn - the TRP's soared and we were all shocked... but if that's what makes people happy - so be it!And then, just look around - hasn't 'SSK' become a 'trend-setter', today with all the others following its tracks? Actually, I’d say, as an actor it's just a challenge... if an Amitabh Bachchan can play a 10 year old in 'Paa' then anything is possible, no?’

 

Avika has now left ‘SSK’, reportedly for the lure of Big Screen, what with having landed a South Indian Film… she’s quick to counter that…

'Oh, but I've been working in South from 2014 and for your information, I won’t be doing anything there, presently. Besides, I won't undermine TV, either - it is as big as Film - even bigger, I'd say! But I need time for my personal life now - I wanna learn Ballet and Bharatnatyam, I'm doing a course in Screenplay-writing too and I'm also into making Music on my software, 'LOGIC', besides making Documentaries with Manish - so there!'

 

Manish, too, has his eyes on the 'Big Screen', though he would never turn his back on TV - 'Ek baar Jo Commitment Kar Di...' he resounds grandly. And to him, ‘TV is 'Home-delivery’ of Entertainment and doing a ‘Daily’, we end up making a 'Film' everyday!’ He also hates the 'Chalta hai' attitude that some have with respect to ‘Dailies’ - once a Director sighed at him, 'Sir, kyon itni mehnat kar rahe ho - it's only a 'Daily Soap'!’ and Manish didn't like it one bit!

 

And now we move still closer up to RoSid/AviMan...

 

Between them - they 'discuss', but never 'argue'... and there is no 'Boss' between the two pals... Also, Avika thinks the world of the two of them as the 'Team pranksters', who are all the time shocking people, like, putting Chillies in Watermelon and serving it to them... Manish, however, doesn't spare his partner, either and once knocked the daylights out of Avika by pretending that he had fainted because of sunstroke!

 

Jennifer Lawrence is Manish’s 'Dream-Date' and he adores the way she keeps tripping down at the Oscars. Avika, however, refuses to name a 'Dream-Date' for herself - 'Just someone who respects me!'

 

Challenged to conjure up a lover's rendezvous at either Land, Sea or Sands, Manish smart-quips us with - 'On a piece of 'Land' with 'Sands' on it, near the ‘Sea’ and under the 'Sky’ (wink… wink…)’, but Avika doesn't quite join the party - 'Oh, I'd just say if the 'Date' is right - the locale doesn't matter!'

 

A combo of ‘class’ & ‘craziness' is what would be a turn-on for Manish in a Woman, while it is 'being respectful & truthful' for Avika in a Man. And 'Honesty' is the gift Manish would love his partner to give him, while he’d give ‘My World’ to her in return. To Avika, the give & take would be only and only of – ‘My Heart/His Heart’!

 

Both believe in God, because, 'I feel protected!' (Avika)… and for 'having someone to make things convenient for me with Miracles!' (Manish). However, the latter doesn't follow rituals, while the former finds them beautiful & meaningful!

 

On the importance of the 'Physical' in a relationship, Manish again plays with words, 'Out of the 'Physical', 'Mental' and 'Emotional', 'Physical' might fizzle out and ‘Mental' might mess up, but 'Emotional' always keeps going deeper and deeper!' To Avika also, it is the 'Heart that matters!'

 

One change that Manish would like to have in Avika is –
‘She ought to give up her over-thinking - I feel she thinks too much for her age, while I think too less for my age - that's why were such buddies!' On the other hand, to Avika, Manish is too perfect to warrant any change!

 

Manish's eyes twinkle - 'I think Avika needs a 'Bahu' to be bought for her these days'… and he clears it in the next breath, 'Arre, she's looking for a mate for her Shiroo (a pet Chihuahua) - maybe, I'll buy a white mate for her black Chihuahua so that they may live happily ever-after with their glorious Zebra-print Puppies!’ Avika, too, wishes the same way!

 

Avika wishes she had more 'simplicity' in her, while Manish crackles - 'You know, people call themselves, 'Awesome', but I'm realistic enough to call myself 'Flawsome'... and I'd like to correct all my flaws!’

 

Avika: Dikhaaayee De Rahi Jo Masti, Uske Peechhe Pyaar Chhupa/ JO Tumhaari Samajh Na Aaye, Samajho ‘Shintan’ Ne Hi Kuchh Kia (Behind the apparent frivolity lurks love/ Whatever you cannot understand, rest assured that it would be Shintan's (her endearment for Manish) doing.

 

'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet About Avika/As Picture Abhi Baaqi Hai, Dost’...!

 

Avika: ‘Peaceful Warriors - AviMan'!

Manish: ‘Djangos Unchained’!

 

MaashaAllah!