EXCLUSIVE: Smita Bansal Recalls Knocking On Strangers’ Doors To Use Washrooms During Outdoor Shoots; Says, “Dar Ke Paani Nahi Peete The”

Long before vanity vans, luxury makeup rooms and personalised styling became standard on television sets, actors often worked under extremely basic conditions. TV actress Smita Bansal recently looked back at those early days of the industry and shared how actors managed shoots without many of the comforts today’s stars enjoy. Smita, who is best known for playing Sumitra in the iconic TV show Balika Vadhu, opened up about those struggles during an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Bubble. Scroll on to know what the actress had to share.

Smita Bansal Reflects On The Early Days Of TV

Recalling how different the industry was when she began working, Smita Bansal said actors earlier did not even have access to vanity vans. She said, “Shuru mein toh vanity van ka concept tha hi nahi. Vanity Van is very new to the industry. Ye joh vanities aa gayi hain na abhi, and usme bhi vanities mein bhi, you know there are standards. So you know that’s luxury. Aajkal bachche jo aate hain un logon ke liye they are getting into a setup which is already set. Matlab unhe woh wala struggle nahi dekhna pad raha hai.”

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At the same time, the actress clarified that despite today’s luxuries, she still knows how to function without them because of her early experiences in the industry. She added, “Aaj mujhe farak nahi padta ki vanity hai toh bahut achhi baat hai. Of course, I also ask for a vanity. I will not say I don’t. But agar mujhe kisi aisi outdoor mein jaake kahin situation aisi hai toh I can manage without it because I know how to do without the luxury also. Toh hum dono tarah se kaam kar sakte hain, which is, I think, we are blessed.”

Smita Bansal Recalls How Television Sets Worked Before Vanity Vans

Smita then shared one particularly memorable incident from an outdoor shoot at Mumbai’s National Park, where the team had no changing rooms or proper facilities. She said, “But uss time pe mujhe yaad hai National Park jo yahaan pe hai apna, toh wahan pe hum log shoot kar rahe the. Aur kuch horror show tha. Aur open jeep thi ek. Toh open jeep mein humne aise parde lagaye, matlab dupatte lagaye chaar aur uske andar hi baith ke change kiya humne because no makeup room, no chairs.”

The actress also opened up about the difficulties female actors faced while trying to access washrooms during outdoor shoots. “Washroom jaane ke liye jeep ka darwaza kholo, wahin baith jao, is taraf se parda pakad lo because there was no facility of that kind. Agar hum kahin bahar shoot kar rahe hote the, Bombay ke bahar kisi gali mein jahan log rehte hain, toh hum toilets wagera ke liye logon ka darwaza khatkhatate the ki please let me use your washroom, I need to. Because men can go anywhere, you know. So they never understood also to go to the toilets,” the actress added.

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Smita Revealed Knocking On Strangers’ Doors To Use Washrooms

According to Smita Bansal, reactions from locals varied during such situations. While many people warmly welcomed the crew, others refused to help them. She said, “Toh aise logon ke gharon mein jaake humne bola hum shooting kar rahe hain. ‘Kis cheez ki shooting kar rahe ho?’ Toh chhote shahron mein na they used to get excited ki film ki shoot ho rahi hai. Tab aise you know social media nahi tha. Toh unko pata nahi hota tha kya shoot ho raha hai kya ho raha hai. Toh woh log bade excited ho jaate the kis ka shoot ho raha hai.”

The actress added, “Some people would be very nice and welcoming, ‘haan haan aa jaiye paani ye woh’. Aur ab kuch aise hote the, ‘nahi hum log shooting walon ko… bahar bahar bahar… kuch nahi.’ Toh we have heard all rejection bhi suna hua hai logon se humne bahut baar. Kyunki nahi pehchante the log, hum bhi naye the. Kuch logon ko pata hi nahi hota tha kaun hai. Toh woh sab bhi hota tha. But it was all a learning process.”

Smita Bansal Opens Up About The Harsh Realities Of Early TV Shoots

Smita also recalled the difficult conditions during the shooting of her show Itihaas, where female actors reportedly worked for a long time without proper washroom access. “Aur pehla show joh humne Itihaas kiya tha, wahan pe makeup rooms bana diye, lekin toilets banaye nahi the. Toh, we did not have toilets over there. Toh lunch break mein ek gaadi mein hum sab artists bhar ke jaate the aur jahan pe toilets the office ke paas, Film City office ke paas aur phir wapas aate the. Din mein ek baar.”

She further revealed how many actresses avoided even drinking water because they feared needing to use the washroom during shoots. “Agar beech mein aapko washroom jaana hai toh… There was toh hum log paani nahi peete the yaar. Dar ke paani nahi peete the ki agar toilet jaana padega toh kya karenge? Phir baad mein when it reached the producers and after quite some time, not like ek do mahine nahi, ek dedh saal humne aise kaam kiya hai. Aur phir wahan pe ek toilet banwaya gaya. In like some 20 women.”

Comparing those times with today’s sets, Smita laughed about how drastically things have changed now. She concluded, “Ab koi paani bhi aise bol de pee le toh… today everyone has Bisleris and alkaline water and that… hum toh jahan pe mil jaaye mil jaaye hum pee ke… ‘kuch bhai mil yaar.’”

Watch Full Interview Here:

On the work front, Smita Bansal recently bid an emotional goodbye to her long-running role as Neelam Oberoi in Zee TV’s Bhagya Lakshmi. The actress is now gearing up for her OTT debut with The Pyramid Scheme on Amazon Prime Video. Produced by TVF, the comedy-drama explores multi-level marketing scams and their impact on middle-class families, with Smita playing the important role of Goldy’s mother.

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Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Smita Bansal Weighs In On Shilpa Shinde’s False Accusations Controversy; Says, “Learn To Deal With It”

Varsha Tiwari

Varsha Tiwari is a budding content writer passionate about Bollywood, pop culture, and the stories behind the spotlight. She enjoys breaking down trends, celebrity moments, and film narratives into engaging, reader-friendly content. Always curious and observant, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communication and Journalism. Outside of writing, she enjoys painting because storytelling doesn’t always need words to make an impact.