Shweta Tiwari recalls Ekta Kapoor’s prank before offering Kasautii Zindagii Kay: "You can’t come late..."

Television star Shweta Tiwari rose to fame with Ekta Kapoor's iconic show Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Reflecting on the series over two decades later, Shweta shared a humorous anecdote about a playful prank Ekta pulled on her before finalizing her for the role.
In a candid conversation with SCREEN, Shweta talked about being cast as 'Prerna' in Kasautii Zindagii Kay. She revealed that Ekta Kapoor first noticed her in the show Aane Wala Pal. Without formal auditions, Ekta cast her in various roles, including a timid bahu in Kaleerein, a negative character in Karam Apna Apna, and a snobbish girl in Kahin Kisi Roz.
After watching Shweta perform various roles for a week, Ekta Kapoor called her under the guise of reprimanding her for arriving late to the sets. Shweta confessed that her delays were frequent, as she was caring for her newborn daughter, Palak. Recounting the incident, Shweta shared how Ekta mischievously pretended to scold her, giving the impression she was about to confront her for her tardiness.
She narrated, "One day she said, 'Call Shweta to my cabin, I want to take her case as this is not done. She cannot come late to my sets.' I was so scared to go and meet her after the pack-up. It was around 9:30-10 pm and she was sitting on a sofa. I was scared because I was new. She said, 'I have heard you come late on my sets. What do you think? We will wait for you?' Later, she started laughing and said she wanted to offer me Kasautii Zindagi Kay. She said, 'Prerna is my dream. I want you to play that.'"
Ekta eventually asked Shweta if she could commit to the role and ensure punctuality on set. However, it took Shweta a few months to figure out whether the conversation was serious or just a joke. She revealed that she heard nothing further about the show for an entire month until she was unexpectedly called for a look test. Shweta then performed a brief audition on the set of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
During the conversation, Shweta Tiwari expressed her enduring gratitude to Ekta Kapoor for Kasautii Zindagii Kay. She credited the show with shaping her personality and playing a pivotal role in making her who she is today. Thanking both Ekta and Shobha Kapoor, Shweta shared her heartfelt appreciation. "I thank Ekta and Shobha Kapoor for giving me this chance even though I didn't know I was talented. They saw something in me that even I didn't know. Even when I did Kasautii, I never stuck to a particular image. I would do reality shows when people used to not go and do it. Today, people make contracts for 3 years barring you from doing anything else if you are doing one show, but Ekta has not done that with me."