'Haryanvi and I have a karmic connection'

First things first, are you a Haryanvi?No! I am a Rajput who speaks pahadi Hindi and Punjabi fluently. But now I believe that the surname Chautala, Haryanvi language and I have a karmic connection (smiles). Thanks to Chak De! India, which had me playing a hockey player from Haryana, I have got a full-fledged Haryanvi cop role as Jwalamukhi Chautala in FIR. But trust me I have to work hard on getting my dialogue and lingo right. It wasn’t easy even during Chak De! I had an instructor on the sets. I have a tendency to talk with a Punjabi accent and have to correct myself all the time. There is a tutor to guide me.Weren’t you apprehensive about getting into the shoes of Kavita Kaushik, who popularised the character of Chandramukhi Chautala?Undoubtedly, Kavita did a fantastic job, but I am not replacing her. I am playing her daughter and it’s a completely different character. There are several shades to her. On the one hand she is girlie and soft-spoken and on the other she is this tough cop. My character is youthful and there’s an innocence about her.Wouldn’t it have been better if you had made your TV debut with a fresh show?I had been getting offers for six years but I was resisting because TV requires a long time-commitment. However, when this show came to me I liked it because it was not the typical saas-bahu soap nor did it require me to wear heavy make-up and jewellery. It was a role of a cop which is rare for females on TV. Also, I get to don various disguises and even do Dabangg type action (laughs). Has Kavita seen the show? Kavita is busy with her own show. I don’t think she has had the time to watch this. However, I am getting a lot of positive feedback from viewers. I did not know the serial was so popular!