Once you have tasted blood, it's difficult to resist the temptation again, says Gautami Gadgil Kapoor. She is returning to TV with Rajan Shahi's Tere Sheher Mein, seven months after her last outing Khelti Hai Zindagi Aankh Micholi, which shut in three months owing to a poor run. “I was thoroughly disappointed and was in a state of shock. I had no clue that television has become TRP-driven and so cut-throat that shows are being pulled off in three-four months,“ she says.

Her new role, by her own admission, isn't much different from her previous outing - she plays a mother again, but she is gung-ho about the story and the way it's shot. She says, “Nobody on TV can offer me anything different. We are attempting something new in terms of the content and the way it is shot. We might not look glamorous on the show, but rather simple and washed out, which might be jarring for the viewers.“

Gautami feels there is a dearth of good roles for actresses who want to return after a hiatus as nobody writes a central character keeping them in mind. “You may not become the lead of the show, but you can still make a mark if you are talented. But unfortunately, you are not even offered roles once you are past a certain age. But then, there are shows like Bade Acche Lagte Hain with Ram as the male lead despite him being overweight. He turned a lot of things around for his contemporaries and the way a hero is perceived,“ she believes.

Ram's female fan following saw a rise during that show. “It was funny. Because he is my husband, I take him for granted. I would tell him to lose weight. He managed to change the perception. It was a big gamble which paid off. Most men after a certain age look like he did on the show and hence, it looked real and relatable,“ she says. Does she still nag him about his weight? “No, he does his own thing. I am happy the way things are,“ she laughs.

And how did she take to the lip-lock sequence between Ram and Sakshi Tanwar? “I wasn't too comfortable in the beginning. But I became fine as it was with Sakshi, who I have known for years. I married Ram knowing the fact that he is an actor and will never impose terms and conditions on him. That would be limiting him. It's a big thing for a woman to let go of it, but this profession comes with that baggage,“ she replies.

However, she isn't game for such a scene. “I don't think I can do something like that. I am not that forward. I know I would be acting, but to take that step, I really have to be in love with that person,“ she says. And how would her husband react to it? “He is extremely possessive. If I were in his shoes and I had to do something like that, there would have been a lot of conflict. That's how Indian men are. They tend to get very possessive when it comes to their wife and daughter. Actually, I don't know how he will react as I have never asked him this. When you are past a certain age, fears are far deep and complicated. You don't fear that your man would leave you for another woman,“ she replies.