Much-loved vamps of prime-time TV

They are the bitter pill that the soapaholics love to swallow. Keep them out of action and you might even be accused of being a 'serial' killer. The small-screen vamps have always been a big draw. But even when the greasepaint comes off, the 'badmash' tag that they carry, refuses to leave. At the mall, on the road, they are hailed as the face of notoriety. Taking a break from on-screen shaitani, the endearing baddies talk about how the fear factor rubs off on them too!

DOLON ROY, Role: Mohini, Serial: Maa, Sob story: This is the first time that I'm playing a negative role on television and finding acceptability was rather difficult. Not so long back, someone called my mother to say, 'How can your daughter be so unscrupulous?' Many get angry just seeing me on screen. The other day, I went to a shop. An old lady was already there to buy household things. Seeing me, she asked the shop owner to give my things first so that I could leave. She even refused to be around when I paid the bill! That's the good part of being bad.

DOLLY BASU, Role: Apala Roy, Serial: Rashi, Sob story: I do drama therapy for children with special needs. Once, a child's aunt, who lives in Canada, called up his parents asking them not to send him to me as I am a bad influence. Often, kids look at me as if I'm Count Dracula! Again, another set of parents asked a guy who works with me how he survives my wrath. When the unit members go on outdoor shoots to villages, they come back with many stories. There, they want to pelt shoes at me or throw me out, though I'm yet to have a firsthand experience. The worst part is when my sons-in-law tell me that it's been proven beyond doubt that I'm a notorious character. Sulk, sulk.

RITA KOIRAL, Role: Parama Sen, Serial: Mouchak, Sob story: Getting snubbed by people has become a part and parcel of my daily life. Long back, my on-screen character in a serial had tried to poison a child. An elderly lady later told me, 'You are a mother. How can you kill a child?' In fact, my juniors too think that I'm a nefarious character and stay away out of fear till I break the ice. At the bazar, a shop owner told a man, whose daughter happens to be my student, that he would like to make my bill first or else I might create a huge ruckus! Whenever I go for functions, the crowd asks me to deliver some venomous dialogues despite the fact that I have played umpteen positive characters in my career. 'Bodmash na hole bodmasher role kora jayena,' I'm told a thousand times.

RUPANJANA MITRA, Role: Gita Sen, Serial: Anchal, Sob story: No one has really misbehaved with me ever, but I know a lot of people confuse me with my acidic on-screen character. Wherever I go, they refer to me as Gita Sen. That's also because this is the only character that I'm essaying currently after becoming a mother. So many people have told me that though they hate my character, they miss me when I'm not there. There's a tea shack next to the studio where we shoot. I've heard that every time our serial is aired and there's a confrontation between Tushu and me, they break into taalis and ceetees. Now, that's quite something!

SNEHA CHATTERJEE, Role: Bhumishuta Basu Mullick, Serial: Jal Nupur, Sob story: Our assistant director told me that once her aunt had thrown her shoes at the television when my serial was being telecast. Also, the whole world calls me Byanka Mukhi now — the way I'm being referred to in the serial. On the road, at the mall, they all call me by that name. The other day, I was at a mall in Rajarhat, when an NRI woman came up to me and said, 'Arre, ei toh Byanka Mukhi eshe gechhe!' Recently, a neighbour called my in-laws, who live in Nadia, to say that I should stop spreading negativity in society. We laughed over it at home. I take them all as huge compliments.