Hotshot actor Sreejita De’s furballs, Fannie and Casper will melt your heart and warm your lap in an instant! TEXT: TEAM BUDDY LIFE
We think all dogs are celebrities but some names are big in the Canine Hall of Fame – Fannie & Casper. Playful and perky, the two furbabies of Uttaran actor and Bigg Boss 16 wild card contestant, Sreejita De, live up to their age-old reputation of lap warmers. But then who doesn’t love a frisky puff-ball? Especially, when they’re not one but two! “Franny came into my life seven years ago as a birthday gift from my cousin. She’s my first pet and as a child my dad had gifted me two soft toys that resemble Franny to the T,” says the actor. “Casper is Franny’s son and he came into our lives a year ago.” Speaking about how she managed being away from her pets when in Bigg Boss, the actor says, “I would get wierd thoughts at times about whether they are safe because Michael (her fiancé) leaves for work at 8am and returns at 6pm. Our househelp is attached to them or my parents come over,” she informs. They may be softies (literally and figuratively), the breed does have a sassy side. They’re not shy when it comes to asking for what they want, whether it’s a treat or a spot beside you.
On the work front, Sreejita made her acting debut with ‘Kasautii Zindagii Kay’. She has also been part of several shows like ‘Nazar’, ‘Miley Jab Hum Tum,’ ‘Ladies Special,’ ‘Tum Hi Ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi,’ ‘Piya Rangrezz’ and ‘Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai.’
While your career today is on the rise. Did you always have aspirations of becoming an actor?
Honestly, speaking, since my childhood I used to love dancing. I’m a classical, Kathak dancer. I started practicing it when I was five years old, so I always wanted to become a dancer. This whole actor thing somehow happened when I came to Mumbai.
When did you decide to take up modeling or acting as a career? What is it that drew it to you initially?
So when I was in college I was 17 and a half, hardly 18 at that time. I started going for auditions like mass auditions with a few of my college friends. And this whole experience was quite intriguing and quite exciting for me. So it started very early, like 17 and a half or 18.
What was the experience of being an acting style like for you, how has It ultimately changed your life?
So as I said that it started very early in my life, I still remember the whole process of audition to getting selected and then shooting. And then you are visible on TV and then suddenly people are recognising you on the road is extremely overwhelming. I was simply grateful and extremely happy, extremely excited and extremely overwhelmed with the whole experience.
You have a special four-legged friend in your life, who is he? And what’s his age?
Actually, I have two four-legged friends who are very special to me. The first one is named Franny. She came into my life in 2016, on my birthday as a gift from my cousin. So she was my birthday gift. I think when she came into my life, she was nine weeks old and extremely tiny. And then another special friend, Casper, came into our lives in 2021. Casper is Franny’s son, another beautiful furball and he’s a single son and we are extremely grateful to have both of them in our lives.
Have you always had a pup at home? Were you raised in a family of animal lovers?
Yes, my parents always loved animals. They used to take me to lots of different kinds of zoos since my childhood. But I was not raised around pets. But I think it was just in me since the time I was born. I think it’s just in me. I’m a dog person, more than a cat person. I have always been attracted to dogs even when I was a kid, like a four- or five-years old baby. The earliest memory of having dogs around was I would say the Indie dogs. I used to become friends with them very easily and very soon. As I said, I was born a dog lover. So the earliest memory would be when I was like five or six years old, I used to go out with my dad for some chocolates. And I used to meet my dog friends on our way.
What is it that makes your pets special?
It’s everything, it’s actually everything. Their touch, the way they behave, their individual characteristics. So the mum is quite a different mum. Franny is quite different from her son Casper in personality though. They are the same breed of mom and son. Still, every dog has their individual characteristics. Their individual way to communicate with their humans. And I think everything is special about them – the way they play, the way they communicate with me, the way they feel the way they come and sit on my lap. The way they cuddle with me.
Now that you must have spent so much time with them because of the pandemic, what have you learned most about life from having the furballs around?
I think yeah we got to spend a lot of time. All of us as a family, we spent a lot of time during the pandemic. But it’s not only about the pandemic, I think, what my dogs, both of them, my pets did teach me is to be happy in every situation. Like honestly, we can be happy in every situation and they also teach me to forgive easily you know? I don’t know if I scold any one of them, or if I’m upset with any of them, they just forgive me in a few minutes and they just run to me and then they again sit on my lap and then they’re like, okay, sorry Mommy, sorry Mommy. This whole behaviour of dogs that they forget things so easily and then they can forgive so easily is so amazing. So yeah, everyday they teach me more and more about forgiveness, unconditional love, about being happy in life. As life gets normal, it’s always as I said, pandemic or no pandemic, it’s always the same bond between all of us and it’s very, very, very close.
Do you groom them yourself or do you have people helping you out?
Yes, of course, you have to groom and bathe them, like at least twice a week is recommended. They are also brushed every day because they have lots of fur. So they need proper hair brushing every day. They take a shower twice a week. They go for grooming, like nail cutting, hair cutting, moustache cleaning, and all of that. Every month. So that’s very important for them.
What part do you play in their grooming?
What part do I play in grooming? See, like the basic showers. It’s always mama, who is giving a shower to both of them. But drying them is also no less a job. Brushing them is also me because I feel both of them feel very comfortable around me. Both of my pets don’t like to shower, but after taking a shower, they became super excited. So yeah, it’s mostly me and I give them some nice hair brushing.
How far would you go, or where do you draw the line when it comes to pampering them?
As it is, they are quite quite spoiled. We pamper them as much as possible and there is no line to it because they deserve a lot of love. They deserve a lot of pampering so there is no line. But still, they are very, very well behaved. They listen to our commands. Because I think for dogs, it’s a very different way to train them. The nicer you are with them, the more pampering you are with them, they learn it easier and faster and along with their treats, they learn quite fast, you don’t have to be strict to teach them things.
Are they allowed on the couch? And most importantly, your bed?
Both of them are constantly chilling with us on the couch, whenever we are watching Netflix. They would just sit between us or sit on my lap and also on the bed. Half the night, they sleep with me. So, yeah, they are very much allowed in every part of the house.
Have you ever adopted or had a rescue pup at home? Or maybe a homeless dog?
Yes, a lot of times. These Indie dogs, or the ones on the streets. Sometimes I see that one is a little weak. The other puppies are getting enough milk, but one puppy is little neglected, or is becoming a little weak. So sometimes if I find them on the street, then I bring them home. Take care of them for a few days and feed them till they are feeling better or still, they are a little healthier. Then I call the NGOs and give them away. So it’s very very, very sad. But if you take care of a puppy even for two days, you get attached to it.
Do you see yourself as an animal advocate? Have you ever spoken up for animals that needed to be adopted or in support of animal rights?
Lot of times. Yes, I absolutely see myself as an animal advocate. In a country like ours, where we read about news or see on social media, every passing day that some animal on the road is hit, or is being beaten up, or not treated the right way, and I feel they just can’t speak for themselves. But they have a lot of ways to express their feelings, their emotions to humans. We just need to be sometimes a little patient with them. Hitting them or misbehaving with animals who can’t even speak is absolutely a nuisance. And absolutely inhuman. I have seen people behaving absolutely the other way round. They have no compassion towards animals, which is extremely wrong. So, of course, I absolutely see myself as an animal advocate.
What’s the one quality that makes a dog so endearing to you?
I think it’s their innocence and loyalty. They are just so innocent and they are just so loyal.
Do you believe a dog is a human’s best friend?
Of course, I actually believe it’s true for any animal. If you pet any animal, they understand the language of love and compassion, they don’t understand the language of hitting. Hate or violence, they understand the language of love and compassion and honestly you can become best friends with any animal on this planet but dogs of course top the chart. And like I’m just in love with all the dogs on this planet.
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