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Padmini?s back!
Padmini Kolhapure, the yesteryear actress and phataka heroine is soon going to be back in the film world. After a long hiatus, she has lots to say about acting, actors and films made today. Sipping chai at her Juhu bungalow, the slim and trim Padmini looks fabulous in her blue denims and top. A chat with the actress.
Padmini Kolhapure, the yesteryear actress and phataka heroine is soon going to be back in the film world. After a long hiatus, she has lots to say about acting, actors and films made today. Sipping chai at her Juhu bungalow, the slim and trim Padmini looks fabulous in her blue denims and top. A chat with the actress:
Tell us about your comeback.
I am doing a film called Eight directed by Karan Razdan. These days a lot of supernatural films are being made but it was a novel experience for me.
What is your role in the film?
I play one of the key characters as Gulshan Grover’s wife. Meghna Naidu and Rani Raajkumar too star in the film. I won’t say my role will prove my histrionics or any such thing but it is interesting so I took it on. I have been doing films all my life but nothing substantial came to me all these years so I never did any role.
I think a film is a director’s medium so any project that I pick should be with a person who has a hold on the subject. No other film is happening right now, as I don’t want to grab just anything.
We saw you in the Marathi film Chimni Pakhar a while ago...
Yes. Working in a Hindi film after a long time wasn’t really ‘new’ as I did the Marathi film recently yet I had wondered if I would be able to get into the mode quickly. After my first shot I was cool. It didn’t take long for everything to come to me. I wasn’t more conscious or trying harder. It was like I had never left.
Didn’t television interest you?
After my marriage to (producer) Tutu (Sharma), I had been doing films for almost 15 years so I quit to make time for my family. I wanted to concentrate on them and take a break. For my son’s sake I didn’t take on work but though he is now able to take care of himself, I was still reluctant to go back to work full time because there was no need or hurry.
I have been getting film and TV offers. Some of my friends like Poonam Dhillon who do TV have to work 20-25 days a month from 8 am to 10 pm – I don’t want to. Offers are coming for weeklies, which need 10 days a month – let’s see.
But you haven’t exactly been free all these years either.
Yes. I have been busy with my life. I have my acting and modeling academy, which trains upcoming, aspiring, actors, and models. That takes up a lot of time. I started my first acting school in London, then in Delhi and Mumbai. We are opening in Ahmedabad too. The model-grooming academy in Mumbai too keeps me busy.
So is direction the next step?
My husband has been handling our production company Padmini Telefilms totally. I was a wee bit interested in direction but I am not sure when I will take the plunge – next year or after 10 years.
Your sister Tejaswini has not had much luck in films...
I think there is too much competition today. In my time it wasn’t like this. Today there is no importance given to acting.
Girls are used as props rather than as actors. During my time there were four-five girls in the lead. Today there are 50 girls!