Actors Juhi Parmar and Manish Goyal at The Oberoi Grand to promote their serial Devi. Picture by Amit Datta

The Pujas are over but Devi continues to rule Calcutta. Yes, we are talking about the popular prime-time television show on Sony Entertainment Television. The lead stars, Juhi Parmar and Manish Goyal, were in town on Wednesday to promote the serial.

Juhi, who plays the title character of a woman bestowed with celestial powers, was ?always born to be an actress?. So she left her hometown, Jaipur, for Mumbai to chase her dreams. ?God has been really kind to me as I didn?t have to struggle all that much and within one year I was doing Shaheen on Sony. I could have made it even earlier but I didn?t want to take any shortcuts.?

But then Shaheen faced a 9 pm-roadblock named Kaun Banega Crorepati and fizzled out. Next, Kumkum happened to Juhi. ?The show was so popular that there was a big film producer who came and offered Hussain (the male lead) and me the same roles in a film version of the serial. I obviously turned it down because what?s a hit on the telly may not work on the big screen.?

Movies is what Juhi wants to get into, but only in a big way. ?After doing title roles in such major serials on the telly, I wouldn?t like to do a film where I have to just dance to three songs and do a couple of scenes. I?ll do a film where I am the hero.?

In an industry where one actor replaces another overnight, Juhi has no such fears of being packed off in a jiffy. ?Yes, there is that insecurity of being replaced but that should never happen for a successful show. They just can?t replace me like that. Replacements happen in two ways ? either the producer has problems with you or some co-actor has problems. And the replacement option is explored only when it reaches an extreme condition.?

Her Devi hero, Manish Goyal, has no such problem with Juhi. The actor, whose big break happened in a Jagjit Singh video directed by Ken Ghosh, is having a blast on the small screen. ?It all started with the Jassi music video Dil lagi kudi. It turned out to be my breakthrough as I got Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki after that. There began my collaboration with Ektaa Kapoor and Balaji as I went on to bag Kasautii Zindagi Kay and Ghar Ek Mandir.?

Next, Manish got to work with Aruna Irani for Mehendi Tere Naam Ki. Since then, there has been a steady flow of work ? Bhabhi, Saara Akaash and, of course, Devi. ?I wanted to be a film superstar and I still do. I look at television as a stepping stone towards that big goal.?

Manish was offered the role Sanjay Suri played in the Om Puri-Revathy-starrer Dhoop. ?The producer wanted me to leave television completely and do the film, but I had a lot of telly commitments.?

That hasn?t stopped Manish from dreaming big screen. ?I just need to do that first film of mine and I am sure that will land me a lot of good film roles. So after that cinema debut I do not want to look back. It is also likely that after I get into films, I may not want to do television anymore. The transition, though, has to be smooth and then it will be films forever.?

Right now, for both Juhi and Manish, it is cupid calling on the small screen as the two fall in love in Devi. What next, a marriage made in heaven?