One of the most loved shows on television — Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai — has taken a short time leap. The show’s protagonists Ashi Singh (Naina) and Randeep Rai (Sameer) have now become college-going students. The story has come to an emotional point where Randeep is seen avoiding Ashi for her safety. The romance between the two has taken a break and Ashi is seen wooing Randeep back into her life.
When we caught up with the young actors, they sounded excited about stepping into the college life. Randeep says, “There are a few changes in my character and the location has also changed but I don’t have to do anything special because there is a lot of similarity between me and Sameer.”
College romances are quite exciting for youngsters, so are they excited about the new sequence of the ’90s? Randeep says that he watched films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak to get a better understanding of the ’90s era. “During the ’90s, relationships and romances were pure and people valued them. There was so much truth and I am happy that I am able to live those days through the show,” he says, adding, “Today the definition of romance has changed and no one values relationships any more.”
Ashi adds that she has no clue about how college romances should be because she hasn’t experienced it first hand. “I used to think that love is bogus. I never believed in love but after doing the show, I have started believing in it,” says the soft-spoken girl.
Randeep says that his idea of romance has changed but he is not sure if the girl he falls in love with will share his ideas. “I would love to date a simple girl who values her relationships and love,” he quips. So would Ashi. “I really feel that the ’90s romance was something special and we should all experience it,” says the young actress. She adds that she wants true love like Sameer in her personal life. “Earlier I was choosy about the boy I wanted to date but now it’s more about feelings. He should be a genuine person,” she shares.
Was it difficult to connect with the period — the emotions, values etc? “Today’s generation does not believe in committed relationships, so it was difficult to understand it. Initially I was not sure if I would be able to play the character. But then I started watching films from the ’90s. Now I can understand the character, what I am capable of doing, and my limitations,” says Randeep who gained a lot of popularity with the show.
Just like Randeep, Ashi says that she too couldn’t connect with her character initially. “Yes, Naina is very studious and so am I. But apart from that, nothing connected between us. So it was difficult for me in the beginning. But I worked on those challenges,” she says.
Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai is a real life adaptation of the show’s producers Sumeet and Shashi Mittal’s love story. Ashi says that it’s a huge responsibility playing Shashi’s character. “When you are not playing real life characters, you can bring in a lot of improvisation and your own traits but I am playing someone real. I have to think according to Shashi ma’am and get her traits into the character. If I do not justify the character, she might get hurt. But I am glad that everyone is happy with the way I am portraying the character,” she says.
Randeep credits the entire team and its effort for the success of the show and the popularity he is enjoying. “But because of the hectic schedule, I am not relishing the popularity. I am hardly on Instagram and my fans are complaining about me disappearing, so I uploaded a picture after 10 days. But there is hardly any time for anything else,” he concludes.
