Popular comedian Bharti Singh feels humour comes naturally to her because she is an Amritsari.
"Being an Amritsari, I think comedy comes naturally to me. I feel it is in my blood. I will continue to do comedy because, in this stressful life, nothing is a bigger blessing than becoming a source of laughter and entertainment.
I am a Punjabi, so I take everything lightly, with a laugh," Bharati told IANS, about why, instead of experimenting with various genres, she prefers sticking to comedy, which comes naturally to her.
The ace comedian was at Attari-Wagah border to shoot special Independence Day episodes for the TV show, "Khatra Khatra Khatra", with the Border Security Force (BSF).
Bharti and her husband, screenwriter Harsh Limbachiyaa, also shot across various locations in Amritsar along with Avika Gor, Aditya Narayan and Gaurav Dubey. Different parts of the city where they filmed the show included the famous 100-year-old eatery Kesar Da Dhaba and the BSF camp. They also interacted with locals, most of who were huge fans of Bharti.
"Go anywhere in the world but nothing can beat the Amritsari kulcha and lassi! It is the food! I can earn everything but only here will I get the best Punjabi food -- and I don't think I have to mention I am a foodie, you can see me!" she said, when asked about what she missed the most about Amritsar.
Fans were pouring in at the outdoor shoot, and controlling crowds was becoming a tough task, even as the sun was beating down. "Outdoor shoots can actually be tough. We are here shooting at the BSF camp with soldiers and the 12-noon sun is really scorching the skin. But (I have) no complaints when I look at the enthusiasm of these soldiers," said Harsh.
Bharti added: "It is amazing how our soldiers carry out their duty under the scorching heat, wearing those heavy boots and uniform. At least, we are in light cottons -- just look at their heavy uniform."
So, what is her best memory of Amritsar? "Honestly, my memories as a little girl, of my mother struggling to feed me and my siblings, are ones I would rather never revisit. I worked hard to get rid of those days. I am happy now. I am married. After the shoot Harsh and I will explore new places to eat. We shot at Kesar da Dhaba and, of course, ate sinfully!" she replied.
When Harsh started his company two years ago, his dream was to start his own show and create more content as a writer and producer. "Those two years were a hard time for both of us. Before that, we were doing well in life. I am a successful writer on television and we all know how celebrated Bharti is as a comedian.
Our idea was to start something of our own. When we look for a project, we need a writer, actor and an idea or concept. We had all of it, but nobody would give us work for two years. When a steady career is interrupted by a gap of two years, it can be worrying, but Bharti kept saying, "lage rehte hai, bura waqt chala jayega (let's bet at it, teh bad times will pass)." Finally, 'Khatra Khatra Khatra' happened and we saw light at the end of the tunnel," shared Harsh.
According to the couple, their concept started out as an experiment with 20 episodes, and now with the show gaining popularity, it is running in its 100th episode.
"So far, 2019 has been a good year for us. It was our dream to do a special episode with the BSF soldiers and getting permission is usually tough. But we are lucky that our show is popular among their families and they have readily given us permission. Since childhood, I struggled but everything I have achieved made me realise that hard work pays off," mentioned Bharti.
The Independent Day special episodes of 'Khatra Khatra Khatra' will be telecast on Colors TV from Tuesday to Friday.