Monami Ghosh will not settle for the second-best. It’s either lead roles or nothing at all for this petite beauty of the small screen.

A t2 chat...

After playing the leading lady in several TV serials, you seem to have disappeared from the small screen...

Yes I have. The last mega serial I did was Kaal on Aakaash, which went off air in March. I got several offers in between but they were not lead roles. So I didn’t accept them. I don’t want to play a supporting actress in mega serials. I got busy with my dance shows and finished shooting for Aniruddha Banerjee’s film Box No. 1313, where I’m paired opposite Parambrata. I have decided not to do more than one serial at a time, and I want to concentrate on my dance shows.

Why do you want only lead roles? What if you are offered a good supporting role?

No, I wouldn’t do it. I don’t like playing supporting roles. Nowadays the supporting character is just there to support the lead character. They may have well fleshed out roles but at the end of the day the story revolves around the lead character only. I would like others to support me in a mega serial and not the other way round!

That’s being too rigid...

Maybe but I have been in the industry for 10 years now. I started off when I was only 17 with the DD Bangla mega serial Saat Kahon. I have done over 25-30 mega serials and I have been the leading lady in all of them. People still remember me in those roles. I’m remembered as Ananya; it’s become my identity. Ananya is the character I had played in one of my very early serials for DD1, Pratiksha Ektu Bhalobashar... I don’t mind sitting at home until there are offers to play the leading lady in a mega serial. And when I am not doing megas I don’t indulge in beauty treatments. I have my shows, which keep me very busy. I also do telefilms.

There are many newcomers on TV now. Are the directors of megas going for fresh faces?

I don’t know. Maybe directors are casting newcomers because they need actors without an image for the characters they have written. It's easy for a newcomer to become the character. I have already played many characters and I have a different image. Also, newcomers are paid less, that could be a reason.

Of the characters you have played in megas so far, which are your favourites?

Oh, there are many. But if I have to name four or five then they are Ananya, Barsha in Ekdin Pratidin on Zee Bangla, Komolika of Kon Shey Alor Swapno Niye on Aakaash and Zeenat of Ek Akasher Niche on Zee Bangla.

What happens next?

Talks are on for a mega serial. I am doing Anindo Banerjee’s debut film, which is a romantic comedy. I have also completed shooting for a telefilm to be aired on Doordarshan next month.

(Who is your favourite TV actress? Tell t2@abpmail.com)