TeKayha Sukuram, Miss India South Africa 2023, made her debut appearance on the international screen. From the time she was a little girl, Sukuram dreamed of working in Indian cinema, so from a young age she took it upon herself to learn the Hindi language.

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What is the name of the Zee TV soapie you acted in?
I starred in two Zee TV soapies Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai which has been airing for 10 years and is a very popular soapie, in both India and South Africa and Hamara Parivar.

How did you land the role?
All thanks and gratitude goes to Zee TV and the Miss India South Africa organisation. I was crowned Zee TV Miss India South Africa 2023 and Zee TV’s prize to the winner is the opportunity to be a part of a Zee TV production. Due to me being a professional actress and dancer and my ability to speak Hindi, Zee TV sent me to Mumbai, India. There were also multiple audition videos that I had to send through before the Mumbai directors and producers gave me a role in their shows.

Who is your character and what is she like?
In Hamara Parivar, I appear as myself due to the talk show segment of the show, where I was interviewed as a special guest. In Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai, although the producers used my real name in the show, the story line of my character makes for a very interesting watch. I play a bride/the new wife. My character travels all the way from Durban, South Africa to Kanpur, India and ends up marrying one of the lead characters in the show.

Did you act with or meet any celebrities?
I got to work with and interact with a number of big names in the industry. To name a few, in Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai, my co-star and the actor whom I shared the most screen space with was Aasif Sheikh who is a very famous Indian film actor. I also had the opportunity to interview Jayati Bhatia from Netflix’s hit series Heeramandi.

How long did you shoot for?
I was in India for two weeks but I only actually shot for one week, due to all the pre-production work that had to be done first.

When did you shoot and in which part of India?
The entire duration of my journey lasted from mid November 2024 to the end of November 2024. While in India, I stayed in Andheri East, Mumbai, but the shooting took place all around Mumbai.

What was it like being on a Zee TV set?
It was such a surreal experience to be on set and to not only see the world that these shows have created, but to be within the world as well. To watch the shows on TV is one thing, but to see the way the scenes are shot in person is a totally different experience. I had such an amazing experience on set and am so grateful to have worked with such seasoned actors within the Bollywood industry, something that I have always dreamed of. I definitely learnt a lot and grew as an actor through my experiences with being on the Zee TV sets.

This has been a dream of yours. How does it feel to have finally come true?
I am extremely grateful and honoured. For me, this isn’t just a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it is also a lifelong dream come true. I am also so proud to have made history as the first Miss India South Africa ever to have made it within the realms of Bollywood. A big heartfelt thanks goes to Zee TV and the Miss India South Africa organisation for making the impossible possible. It is not everyday that you hear about a South African actress making it into Bollywood.

Where to from here?
It has always been my dream to work in Indian cinema and having this opportunity has definitely opened the doors for me to a whole other world. I have got a taste of what it is like to work in the Indian entertainment industry and I would definitely love to go back. I plan on working even harder to get involved in more film related projects, whether it be in South Africa or India. As the saying goes, dreams don’t work unless you do.

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