Shubhangi Atre recalls working for 6 days nonstop on Ektaa Kapoor's show Kasturi: 'Vanity van mein soti thi'

Actor Shubhangi Atre discussed her exhausting work hours while filming Ektaa Kapoor's shows, notably Kasturi, where she worked non-stop for days.

Television actors have often spoken about the gruelling working hours on sets, where they sometimes do not even get enough time to sleep and have to take naps between shoots. In a recent episode of Hauterrfly's The Male Feminist, actor Shubhangi Atre recalled working day and night on Ektaa Kapoor's shows. She revealed that she once worked for six days non-stop while playing the lead role in Kasturi.

Shubhangi Atre on saying no to Ektaa Kapoor's Kasturi, later working nonstop for it.

Shubhangi Atre on working non-stop during her initial days

Shubhangi recalled facing gruelling working hours while working with Balaji. She said, "When I was working with Balaji, I wouldn't get a pack-up for three days at a time. When I was doing Kasturi, I was there in each and every frame. It was like the show was telecast on the 24th and I was selected on the 21st. Ektaa Ma’am wasn't liking any of the girls, and replacements were happening one after another."

She recalled initially rejecting Kasturi and said, "I was doing Kausauti Zindagi Kay aur ek AP tha humara Abhishek who aaya ki chalo chalo Ektaa Ma'am bula rahi hai aapko. Toh maine kaha nahi nahi tum ek hi show mein day night kaam karate ho, mereko nahi karna dusra show. Toh he said "you can't say no to Ektaa ma'am. But that was a turning point of my life. 21st ko main select Hui aur fir seedhe mera pack up hua 27th ko. Vanity main soti thi. Ek set se dusra set, make up ke upar make up (She was working on Kasautii Zindagii Kay when an assistant director, Abhishek, came to her and said that Ektaa Kapoor wanted to meet her. She initially refused, saying she was already working day and night on one show and did not want to take up another. Abhishek told her, “You can’t say no to Ektaa ma’am. But that was a turning point in my life. I was selected on the 21st and then my pack-up was directly on the 27th. I used to sleep in the vanity. From one set to another set, make-up over make-up)."

About Kasturi

The 2007 show featured Karan Patel and Shubhangi Atre in the lead roles. The story followed Kasturi, a simple and strong-willed young woman whose life changes after she crosses paths with the wealthy and influential Robbie. Their relationship goes through love, misunderstandings, family conflicts and betrayal, with several twists shaping their journey.

Kasturi was one of the prominent shows of the late-2000s Hindi television era, and its lead pairing, particularly Shubhangi Atre and Karan Patel, became popular with viewers. The series ran for over two years before concluding in 2009.

Meanwhile, Shubhangi was last seen in the show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!, in which she played the role of Angoori for nine years. The actor was replaced by Shilpa Shinde in 2025. She was also seen in the film Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! Fun On The Run, which was released in 2026. The film failed to make a mark at the box office.