Renuka Shahane: Social media exhausts me on birthdays

The actor, who turns 55, says as you grow older, you stop being concerned about others and that liberates you.

People expect birthdays to be a big surprise but I am very low key,” says Renuka Shahane. She turns 55 today and is looking forward to a dinner with family. “Often my day is busy replying to people on social media which exhausts me,” she quips.

Renuka Shahane is glad to be reaping the rewards of her work in her 20s as, “that’s why people remember me even today and want to see my onscreen.

The actor recalls throwing a grand party on her 50th, “which was fun”. “(Ashutosh) Ranaji (actor-husband) isn’t in town but my mother will come over and I enjoy her company.”

For the Tribhanga director, looking back at life gives her pleasure. She says, “As you grow older, you stop being concerned about others and that liberates you. I remember, when I turned 30, I thought I was getting old. My 20s just zip past and I felt sad about it. In my 20s, I was working so hard that it left me with very little time to do anything else in life. Most of my life was on the sets. Later, I got married and had kids so they were the focus.” Shahane adds she would have loved to go to film school and learn languages, “especially Indian ones”.