The stage is my first love. It gives me immense self-satisfaction, a sort of power because a stage actor carries the audience along; it's a live performance; spontaneity is its soul.Collection: Power
My father, Haridutt Bhatt, was a teacher by profession.Collection: Teacher
Television takes an actor to each and every home, but the life of a television actor is only as long as the soap runs.
I willingly gave up many assignments in films, TV and endorsements, which were far more economically lucrative, for the sake of theatre as I am really passionate about it.
I teach theatre in Mumbai and at the National School of Drama, as I want to remain connected with it.
I played the role of Mitro in 'Mitro Marjaani' which was directed by Mr. B. M. Shah and it was really amazing because for the first time in Indian theatre, was a woman portraying someone who is bold about her physical needs and is proud of her body.
I played a lot of roles in my mother's life. I was her driver when she wanted to go to places, her cook when she was unwell, but one role that remained unchanged is that of a friend.
World Theatre Day is an important day for us, we get to applaud the efforts of renowned playwrights, actors, and directors who have put in toil and blood to create meaningful stories.
Today if any actor says that he has done theatre before, he is considered to be a good one, which is ridiculous.
Earlier, even I used to think that I would be doing theatre all my life, but as I grew, I understood that it was not practically possible.
In the 1990s, when I made my debut, an artiste would get easily stereotyped. So I only got the roles of didis, bhabhis, chachis and buas.
Today, television industry means pool of young talents, and if you are not active in it then there are chances that you will be overshadowed by them. It is like newspaper where old becomes stale.
My diet has seasonal fruits along with ragi and joyari rotis. I am also trying to focus on a lot of organic stuff.
In fact, a lot of saas-bahus of today share a distinctive bond of support and understanding. I do feel that's the way it should be.
Whenever the hero and heroines met, they couldn't go beyond a point. They would just hold hands and consummation or kissing would be two flowers meeting or a bumblebee hovering over a flower. In 'Kaagaz Ke Phool,' even though their love was strong, the couple never touched.
Theatre remains my first and last love and even when I am noot doing plays, I am associated with it in some way. For instance, I go to Mumbai University as a visiting faculty and talk about the medium.
Yaar, television has become a very exhausting medium for actors now. It's like you are racing against time in the race for TRPs, which can be very saturating.
I don't connect with shows where we have women looking ultra-glamorous all the time, including in the kitchen.
Banaras really pulls you. I had been to the city several years ago for a film shoot. Though I have very fleeting memories of that stay, I still remember that I had gone to Kashi Vishwanath temple and shopped for some Banarasi saris.
Earlier, we had shows like 'Hasratein' and 'Shanti,' which had great storylines and mature content. Now, with a hundred shows running five to seven days a week, the TV industry has become very torturous and taxing for the actors.
I don't act in sex comedies, and whoever acts in them, I don't think it's bad, because cinema, art and theatre are the mirrors of society.
You either get to play a vicious mother-in-law who hates the bahu, or makkhis and naagins. There is no creative satisfaction in TV.
Sadly, a lot of our traditions are fading away and theatre can be a great tool to ensure that it doesn't happen.
A good play can teach so much about culture. One can also improvise a lot with the medium and use it to teach kids.
I believe that teaching is one of the most noble professions and it's no easy task to shape the minds of the next generation.