Padmini Kolhapure and other veteran actors making their comebacks on TV

The past year has witnessed more and more yesteryear film actors return to acting on the small screen. From the '80s divas Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure and Anita Raj to the '90s bombshell Shilpa Shirodkar, actors who are past their prime are now the faces of some of the most successful shows on television.

The past year has witnessed more and more yesteryear film actors return to acting on the small screen. From the '80s divas Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure and Anita Raj to the '90s bombshell Shilpa Shirodkar, actors who are past their prime are now the faces of some of the most successful shows on television. We chat with them on why they chose TV over films.

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TV enables you to be in every home: Padmini Kolhapure Why did you choose to act on TV rather than do films? I’ve done films too, and am also doing theatre. Working on any kind of medium is a good learning experience. TV enables you to be in every home, which is why I chose it. What are the challenges of acting on TV? To get accepted in your role and become a part of their (audience’s) family. Yesteryear actors are choosing TV but their male counterparts are not. Is it because women have meatier roles there? Yes, that could be one of the reasons. What advantages do you think your generation had that today’s actresses don’t? I had the opportunity to work with stalwarts in my career, something that today’s actresses won’t have.

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Films are male- dominated; on TV, you can perform: Shilpa Shirodkar Why did you choose to act on TV rather than do films? A comeback was never really on the agenda for me. I took up the TV show as my role was fantastic, and it gave me the opportunity to show people that I’m a performer. In movies, there isn’t much acting scope as it’s a male-dominated industry, but on TV, you can perform. What are the challenges of acting on TV? The most challenging part of acting on TV is dedicating a lot of hours, and shooting many scenes in a day. Yesteryear actors are choosing TV but their male counterparts are not. Is it because women have meatier roles there? Yes, could be. In films, men get a variety of roles while women don’t have much choice. What advantages do you think your generation had that today’s actors don’t? We had a longer shelf life, while today, actors fade out of memory within a few years. In our times, there were only four-five top heroines; today, there are many girls competing for the spot.

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Acting is the same, be it in films or on TV: Anita Raj Why did you choose to act on TV rather than do films? I had film offers too, but none were substantial. I took a break from acting as my family needed me. The role in the two serials I’ve done are different from each other, so that was quite interesting for me. What are the challenges of acting on TV? I don’t think there are any challenges as work is work, and acting is the same, be it in films or TV. Yesteryear actors are choosing TV but their male counterparts are not. Is it because women have meatier roles there? It all depends on the individual. Perhaps, male actors are more interested in reality shows than serials. How different are today’s actresses from your generation? They are well prepared for their careers. We were naïve about everything. Today, actors are particular about the way they walk, look, talk and present themselves. They learn diction and dance, and come as a package deal.