" While entertaining, one mustn't lose sight of our culture and people " : Bollywood and TV actress Bhagyashree

GECs
Oct 23, 2002 /
indiantelevision.com Team

" While entertaining, one mustn't lose sight of our culture and people " : Bollywood and TV actress Bhagyashree

Gentle, suave Bhagyashree, an actress with simplicity typical to actresses of yesteryears ,began her acting career with tele-serial Kachchi Dhoop by Amol Palekar.
 

The child actor metamorphosed into the innocent Suman of Maine Pyar Kiya, her first and last Bollywood hit . After a short stint with Bollywood , Bhagyashree did a couple of south Indian films and a Bangladeshi film before taking the plunge into matrimony.

Television for this conservative actor has been a means of balancing placid domestic life with her desire to satiate her creative urge. Now eager to don a new role of creative head with hubby Himallay who has turned TV producer with Kagaz Ki Kashti , Bhagyashree spent time with indiantelevision.com's Agnes Sebastian between shoots to talk about her new venture . Excerpts -

 
 
 

How does it feel taking on the role of creative head from being an actor thus far?
Being the creative head is quite a challenging job. .Though I am playing the central character, I have ensured each and every character is well etched out . I have tried my best to ensure that a single character doesn't dominate the serial, which has been the case in many of the serials currently on air. Each and every character in my serial has a vital role to play and doesn't overshadow the other. I have tried to maintain the consistency of the characters in the serial. They are not black and white, but characters with shades of grey, people whom the audience will be able to relate to.

From 'Kachchi Dhoop' your first serial, to KKK; how have you evolved as an actress?
I have definitely matured as an actress. I have met different kinds of people and I try to incorporate their traits and use them if possible in the character I am playing. I am still learning. I have been fortunate enough to have tried a wide variety of roles( both positive and negative) .However, considering my image in the industry , I usually land up getting positive roles only.
 
Tell us something about your role in 'Kagaz Ki Kashti'?
I play the role of Arti, a small town girl whose childhood sweetheart comes back from the US with a girlfriend . Thus she needs to come to terms with circumstances especially when the two families ( i.e the guy's and Arti's ) families are contemplating getting the two of them married. Arti's role is challenging as her character graph has some dramatic ups and downs. The character has a wide range of emotions . It is about a small town girl who metamorphoses into a woman who is ready to take on the world. The story is based on love and its many connotations. .
 
"I have tried my level best to ensure that one single character doesn't dominate KKK , which has been the case in many of the serials currently on air"
 

How was the transition from Bollywood to television?
I began my career with television, so going back to it was not difficult. However, acting in serials is definitely more difficult than acting in films. In films, the actor has the responsibility of holding the audience attention for three hours and thanks to special effects and the sheer magnification of the character, the task becomes much easier . However in the case of serials one has the formidable task of holding the viewers' attention throughout the run of the serial. In case of soaps one has nothing but one's acting abilities to rely on.
 

Do you need a different kind of preparation for acting in serials ?
Well definitely. You need to look into the minutest details regarding the character as small nuances help lift the character.For example the way she smiles , dialogue delivery such as the pauses between and after a dialogue. All these need to be looked into and one has to ensure that it doesn't become monotonous.
 
How do you decide on the roles you play ?
Well, I've been fortunate to have done all kind of roles. Instead of segregating roles into positive or negative I look at the graph of the character. It should be bold, and challenging with its distinct share of ups and downs.
 
Having the 'goody two shoes image', do you fear that it will typecast you into a particular character role?
Not really . Barring Hindi films , I have done a couple of Bangaldeshi, Kannada and Telugu films wherin I played diverse roles. In the Kannada film, Om , I played the challenging role of a journalist who is on a mission to reform criminals, in another I played an interesting character of being a man-hater who is against dowry and wife beating and actually beats up her husband. Now that was quite a whirlwind change of character after the image given to me by Maine Pyar Kiya . I have also played the role of a social reformist.
 
Which other serial are you working on currently?
Well there are two as of now . I am anchoring Jubilee Plus and acting in another soap called Smriti.
 

 

 "I have drawn a Lakshman rekha with regard to the kind of dresses and scenes that I would do in movies or serials"
 

How do you juggle between home and office?

For me, family takes first priority, so I usually don't work more than 15 days a month.However being the creative head of KKK , I have been working rather long hours.
 
Are you still keen on acting in Bollywood films ?
I am still open to acting in films, provided the roles offered suit my image. I have drawn a Lakshman rekha with regard to the kind of dresses and scenes that I would do in movies or serials . I am not ready to compromise on that issue.
 
Lastly, what prompted you to choose Sahara TV to launch KKK?
I have enough confidence in the channel and I believe that our soap will garner the kind of audience for it just as some serials have managed for other channels .

Newsletter Subscription