She is impulsive and has a never-say-die attitude. One of television's best-remembered faces, Komal G B Singh talks to Nona Walia about how change has been constant in her life.It took her a day to quit television. And she's never regretted her decision even though life after she left the idiot box hasn't been too easy for her. But Komal persevered and now she can boast of having tried her hand at everything. Be it her own modelling agency (that went up in flames), a sound recording studio (she admits it was an impulsive decision) or being on the selection board of NIFT, it's been a roller coaster ride. And one that she professes to have enjoyed. "There have been ups and downs. But I keep myself going. Right now I'm taking classes at Shiamak Davar's dance school and I'm also learning to play the piano. Change has been the only constant in my life."
Being in the limelight for ten years and becoming a household name overnight did change Komal's perception of life drastically. "It gave me the confidence to take life head-on. I've gambled with my life and won. Some decisions haven't been easy but they've paid off." When she was 10, she decided she wanted to be a vet'. It was only after her mother warned her that she'd have buffaloes crying at her doorstep, did she give up the thought. "This fascination for doing something different got me a job at Yuvavani for Rs 7 a day in 1976. I never looked back. All India Radio those days had the same vitality as FM has today. I hosted Date With You and had a ball. I read my first news bulletin on Doordarshan in 1977. Now I feel I was raw. I had to work hard on my style over the years. But it got me instant fame. Suddenly, I was everywhere National Film Awards, the Festivals of India abroad, Republic Day parades, swearing-in of two Presidents and the funeral commentary of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. I've been the voice of ceremonies, both in good and bad times."
But there were times when glamour didn't provide her an escape from doing embarrassing chores. Like the time when she carried official saplings in her hand for the late President Shankar Dayal Sharma when he was visiting Guyana: "I was stopped at Customs and people looked at me quite startled." She blushes, as she recalls the offer made to her by Col. Kapoor to act opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Fauji: "I never wanted to act." With so many channels on air today, wasn't there any temptation to be on prime-time television? "After I left Doordarshan, Rathikant Basu offered me a job as newsreader on Star TV, but I didn't want to commit myself full-time. I thought there was much more out there that needed to be explored. Today, I am not opposed to anchoring a show on any channel. Though last year, I did anchor a show in Punjabi for Tara Punjabi. My dad was shocked, I guess he wasn't too impressed with my Punjabi."
On the personal front after a rocky marriage, Komal decided to rough it out alone. "My marriage was over in a few days. I knew I had made a terrible mistake and wanted out immediately. I came back and lived with my parents for few years. But I needed to be alone. So, I set up my own flat and am quite happy being single. I'm not against getting married, maybe if I meet the right person. But there's no hollowness in being alone, you just learn to deal with it. Life is about letting go, though it's tough facing hurdles alone. At the end of the day, I'm happy coming home to my parrot and two dogs."
Source and Credit :- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/35368391.cms