Zee TV's popular serial 'Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan', a romantic drama based in modern-day Vrindavan, has been an audience favourite since its launch last year.The serial has its share of twists and turns, but Sambhabana Mohanty, who plays Damini, has given her career trajectory a dramatic non-entertainment industry twist by pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology, juggling her studies with a busy TV career.
Said Sambhabana: "My mother is an actress from the Odisha film industry, my father is a music album director, but I still am inclined towards studies. After my graduation, I worked in a few Hindi and Odia television serials and then decided to pursue my studies and enroll myself for a Ph.D. in Sociology at Sambalpur University in Odisha."
Talking about her life's twists and turns, Sambhabana said: "Clearly, life had a different plan for me. Soon after signing up for the course, I got the offer to play Damini in 'Pyaar ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan', and without giving it a second thought, I took up the opportunity."
Undoubtedly, it's a lot of work. As she puts it: "It is not easy to juggle between the two. I really have to take out time from the busy shoot schedule, but the professors and my production team are very supportive. So, I am able to manage both the things, and I hope I clear my exams with flying colours."
Meanwhile, the series is at a dramatic point. In the recent episodes, viewers have seen that Radha (Neeharika Roy) is stuck in the cold freezer and her life is hanging by a thread.Although Mohan (Shabir Ahluwalia) and the Trivedi family are trying to trace Radha's location, Damini and her mother are doing everything in their power to stop them.
Even as Damini is close to her mission being successful, Sambhabana is struggling between managing her shoot and studies. When an actor does a show, it is not easy for her to take out time for any other task. Sambhabana, however, is pursuing distance learning, and she's proving to be a good time manager.
With Sambhabana managing her shoots along with her studies, will Radha come out of the freezing room? Will Mohan be able to rescue her at the right time? Or will he lose her forever?To know what happens next, watch 'Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan' every day at 8 p.m. on Zee TV.