INTERVIEW: 'One Life to Live' Actress Shenaz Treasury On Landing An American Soap, and Rama's Roving Eye

ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Shenaz Treasury

When ONE LIFE TO LIVE returns, Shenaz Treasury will once again be playing Rama Patel, the sexy and funny breath of fresh air that arrived in Llanview in January 2011. We Love Soaps spoke with Treasury about the return of ONE LIFE TO LIVE, her character and conservative upbringing in a brand new interview from the set in Stamford, Connecticut. Read it below:

WE LOVE SOAPS: Welcome back!
SHENAZ TREASURY: Thank you very much. I kind of lost hope there for a little bit, then I heard rumors again, and started having hope again. And then it happened!

WE LOVE SOAPS: My husband and I were watching the scenes from the Vicker Man movie premiere last night, where Rama was pregnant and water started coming out of the balloon she was wearing. That was so funny. How did you keep a straight face?
SHENAZ TREASURY: I'm an actress. I have to keep a straight face while subconsciously giggling. [Laughs] I was really giggling when I watched it. That was so much fun. Ron [Carlivati, head writer at the time] did a great job with writing Rama's character.

WE LOVE SOAPS: Has your character changed in the new ONE LIFE TO LIVE? Or does she pick up where she left off?
SHENAZ TREASURY: She's kind of picked up where she left off. The thing about Rama is she's always had this husband who was wrapped around her finger, and was so sweet. She was engaged when she was six so she's really never been with another guy. She has this roving eye. She always did. Remember her with Cristian, the David Fumero character?

WE LOVE SOAPS: Yes! I made a movie with David once!
SHENAZ TREASURY: He's so good-looking. It was not difficult acting in those scenes. [Laughs]

WE LOVE SOAPS: Speaking of good-looking men, maybe Rama will be interested in Cutter now.
SHENAZ TREASURY: I can't say or they'll kill me. Let me just say this: Rama is interested in all good-looking men.

WE LOVE SOAPS: She's in the right city for that.
SHENAZ TREASURY: Llanview! Yes, I am. My sister was here from India some time ago and said, "How are you working with all these good-looking boys here?" Everyone was walking around in their underwear getting fake tans in the make-up room.

WE LOVE SOAPS: Perhaps ONE LIFE TO LIVE will be able to air in India at some point.
SHENAZ TREASURY: I grew up watching BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL and SANTA BARBARA. My grandmom has passed away but she used to be so into it.

WE LOVE SOAPS: Why do you think those two soaps have done so well around the world? Is it the California location?
SHENAZ TREASURY: I think it's just because they were available to us. [Laughs] I learned what America was from BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL and SANTA BARBARA. "That's how they are in America!" I remember going to the Daytime Emmys and seeing "Ridge Forrester" (Ronn Moss) for real and thinking about how I grew up watching that guy. I never thought I would end up on an American soap. This is the most bizarre thing that has ever happened to me.

WE LOVE SOAPS: And in Connecticut!
SHENAZ TREASURY: [Laughs] Right? I've done lots of Bollywood movies. I saw my career as a MTV VJ and have been based all over Asia. I just came to the U.S. for a holiday and ended up on an American soap with all these hot people. Sometimes I think, "How did I get here? Is this for real?"

WE LOVE SOAPS: Why should people tune in on April 29 to watch ONE LIFE TO LIVE?
SHENAZ TREASURY: It's a very exciting show now. It's racy, fun, hip and young. It's on the internet so we can do a little bit more. I always say soaps are like porn for women. It's even more crazier with racier storylines. Everyone is looking great, it's fun and exciting and new and fresh. Everyone should tune in!

WE LOVE SOAPS: How's the humor? Rama was always a funny character.
SHENAZ TREASURY: Rama Patel is funny. She doesn't even try to be funny and she's funny. The writing is great and doesn't feel so soapy. I almost feel like I'm on a primetime show. It's very exciting and there's new musical acts. It's very hip.

WE LOVE SOAPS: How much of this character is like you?
SHENAZ TREASURY: A lot of the character is like myself.

WE LOVE SOAPS: You both have the same kind of energy.
SHENAZ TREASURY: Rama is everything I want to be but I'm not bold enough to be. I wish I was as fearless and bold as Rama. She's not thinking about the future, only the present and how she can enjoy every single moment.

WE LOVE SOAPS: What do your parents think about this?
SHENAZ TREASURY: My parents are very excited I'm on an American TV show. But they don't know what I'm doing. They watched a little bit. I showed them a little bit and censored out some of it. I come from a very conservative, traditional Indian family. In the beginning when I started acting, my parents said, "What did we educate you for? Why are you an actress?" If they actually watched what I was doing they would be a little shocked.

WE LOVE SOAPS: Would they have found the Vicker Man fake pregnancy episode funny?
SHENAZ TREASURY: They would find that funny. But the smooching and jumping into bed and stuff, I don't think they would find that funny. I did a movie called Dehli Belly in India which was a little racy and my parents didn't speak to me for three months. So I'm not sure if I want them to watch the show.

WE LOVE SOAPS: I know you can't give away story but is there anything you can preview?
SHENAZ TREASURY: There's musical acts. There's guest stars. The thing that's very different is I feel like it's more like a HBO show in a way because it's almost "Fifty Shades of Grey" sexy.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  ONE LIFE TO LIVE returns April 29 on The Online Network, available on Hulu, HuluPlus and iTunes in the United States, and FX Canada in Canada.

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Roger Newcomb is a producer and writer in New York City. Aside from co-hosting WE LOVE SOAPS TV, he has written and produced a full-length indie film, Manhattanites, and two radio soap operas, SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES and ROCKLAND COUNTY. He has also made acting appearances in indie web series IMAGINARY BITCHES and EMPIRE. He has consulted on numerous indie soaps, worked as a producer on the first two seasons of Emmy-nominated THE BAY, and is executive producer on the indie short May Mercy Lie, which is currently making the rounds at film festivals.  He appeared in FRANCOPRHENIA and the documentary SOAP LIFE in 2012.