Bhagyashree: Salman is looking incredibly good now

'The offers never stopped coming,' insists Bhagyashree, as she gets ready for a new television show.

Bhagyashree, still remembered as Suman in the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya, returns to showbiz with the television serial Laut Aao Trisha. 

It is an adaptation of the popular Spanish telenovela Donde Esta Elisa, and will be telecast on the Life OK channel from July 21.

Bhagyashree began her career on the small screen with Amol Palekar’s Kachchi Dhoop. She acted in Aandhi Jasbaton Ki and Didi Ka Dulha. She appeared in the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 3. 

Bhagyashree tells Rajul Hegde where she’s been all this time. 

Tell us about the new TV show.

The story is bold and thrilling and touches on issues that plague society in a manner that is sensitive yet thought provoking.

In the backdrop of child kidnapping, Laut Aao unravels the true intentions of each member of the Swaika family.

.

Why choose a television show as your comeback? 

The show is a finite series and the character of Amrita Swaika is very strong. 

The intricacies and layers of a relationship depicted in the story caught my attention. 

There are only a few films like English Vinglish where an artist of calibre and in that age group can perform. After you cross a certain age, you are relegated to playing a mother or bhabhi somewhere in the background. 

That’s not the kind of work that I want to do. I am able to play this particular character in the show with different emotions which is giving me more pleasure and excitement. 

Is that one of the reasons you have stayed away from films? 

I would like to do substantial roles. In Devdas, you remember Kiron Kher as much as you remember Aishwarya Rai. 

That is what you call a power-packed performance and a role that I would like to play as a character actor. 

How did your children react to you going back to work? 

I have very encouraging children. They have been after me for the last three years to do something. 

My 19-year-old daughter went to London to study last year. Before she went, she made me promise to live for myself and my work. 

Have your children seen Maine Pyar Kiya? 

Yes, they have. They are Salman Khan’s fans, and are proud of their mother’s achievement. They get to hear about it from their friends all the time.

Are you in touch with Salman? 

We meet once in a while socially, but not on a regular basis. 

He is looking incredibly good now. All his films are good and his fans go only to watch him. 

There have been reports of Salman Khan launching your son in the film? 

I wouldn’t like to comment on this. 

Would you like to do more reality shows? 

I don’t want to do reality shows. 

I tried doing Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa but I was uncomfortable with the scenario because I want to keep certain parts of my life private. 

I don’t like to be forced into showing emotions just to garner TRPs.

What kind of films did you do in the south? 

I did a couple of women-oriented films. In one Telugu film, I played a journalist and it was shot with real convicts. 

The first day it was scary when a huge man walked up to me with bodyguards and said, “Muje aap ki picture achi lagi.” (I liked your film) 

I also acted in a Kannada film, which was not a run-of-the-mill kind of film. 

Post Maine Pyar Kiya, there were reports that you would only act in films with your husband. 

Some media person asked me, if I were to do an intimate scene with whom would I like to do it? 

I said all intimacy would be with my husband obviously. Writers can tweak that any which way. 

But the offers have never stopped coming. The best of the best wanted to work with me. 

Whenever I met Yash uncle (Chopra) he would say, ‘Tumnay kyun chodha, Bhagyashree? Mein tumko ek thapad marunga.’ (Why did you leave? I could slap you for that) 

But my priorities were different then as my children were growing up.