Popular Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre is back on small screen and this time she’s playing the role of a narrator in Colors’ new show Mission Sapne. The show’s aim is to fulfill the dreams of a common man taking the help of celebrities. We got in touch with Sonali Bendre and she shared with us the experience of being part of such a noble cause.

Excerpts from the interview:
Tell us about Mission Sapne, the concept and your experience.

Mission Sapne is a new, unique and quite a different concept. It is definitely not something I have done before. This experience was so human and so real. I had no clue what the common man was likely to say – and there’s always something special that comes out. I was aware of their background, but that’s about it. If I was dealing with actors, you could still coach them, but these people are real. They will say what they have to say and you have to take it from there… so I was really scared if I could do it. It was quite an experience – real and touching. It is really not a tear jerker. There are happy moments in the show too. More than anything else, the show talks about the problems and the issues in a lighter way – in the sense that, it makes someone happy in the end.
How different is the experience judging a television and hosting one?

When you’re judging, there is only that much that the person is doing. You talk after the person is done performing. In Mission Sapne, I am like a Sutradhaar. I am the narrator of the show. I think it was very enlightening because I realised that I could do it, and second, I enjoyed myself. Third, it was a very different experience. It was not at all like doing a show or job – there was so much more to it.
What was that one thing that struck you the most about Mission Sapne?

For me, the most poignant part has always been when I talk to the common man. After having done it 10 times now, invariably, each time there has been something new and unexpected that has come out of it. In spite of knowing the background, there has always been something that has touched or moved me or has taken me by surprise. The moment we say words like inspiration, I think we are trying to slot in certain ways.
How is Mission Sapne different from any other show encouraging social awareness? 

The best part of the show for me was that at the end of the episode, the common man is going back with something concrete. You are giving them the means to fulfill a dream. That bit has always been amazing. There are so many of us. Even if we do a little, it completes the bigger picture. And that is exactly what this show is doing – there are social issues, laws, system issues, government issues that need to be changed. At this point of time, while bringing the awareness, at least one person gets one dream fulfilled. And that is the beginning, I feel.

Were there any situations when the crowd made the celebrities uncomfortable?

When Salman and Ranbir were shooting, we had to step in and stop the shoot and even change locations to ensure they were not mobbed. With Ranbir, the college students went hysterical. You can just imagine what happened to the girls! He is such a charmer too! We were supposed to shoot with him in Pune and he got mobbed so badly, we had to shift the location to Mumbai. Even with Ram Kapoor we had to do that! He is so popular. He became a taxi driver and the best part was that the moment these guys would tell the crowd why they were doing it, people were ready to give them money. Given an opportunity, we all like to give if we know for sure that the help will be delivered to the right person. The moment they know that the cause is genuine people give whole-heartedly. Drashti had to be in the sun and do her job at the signal especially. We all thought she was going to faint But she is such a tough girl! She did it and she raised the money, with a smile on her face – no cribbing, nothing.
What kind of response are you expecting from the show?

It’s such a different show that you want to know. Even on the sets, we got such amazing responses! Even for the channel, it is not exactly going to be a money-spinner as you call it. This is something everybody wants to do. Everybody is doing it because they want to do – every celebrity is putting in their bit, because there is no money in this show – it is all about giving. If the reaction to the show is great, then maybe the channel will go for another season.