About turn

The magic of movies lures Padmini Kolhapure into making a comeback

I just wanted to start working,and for me work is acting,” Padmini Kolhapure speaks softly on the line,her voice as young and sweet as it was in Prem Rog. It’s been a long time since she faced the camera,and with Bolo Raam,she is making her comeback. “The script is not that fantabulous,but it’s a nice,sweet role. The film was on schedule and I got to express what I wanted to,” Padmini’s happy with how things turned out,but a little disappointed with the kind of roles coming her way. “It’s either a wife or a mother…we still need to work on maturer scripts,” she feels. In Bolo Raam,she plays mom to debutante Rishi Bhutani. “It’s a beautiful mother-son relationship. Rishi plays this boy who has a psychological disorder,and when the mother is mysteriously killed,he shuts down,” she gives a sneak peak into her character and story. “I hope I deliver,” she smiles,hoping her second innings will be as fruitful as her first one. “The industry seems to have remained the same except it is more fast-paced now and technically better placed. But it is more comfortable for me now. At that time I was part of the rat race,” says the actress,who after beginning her career at the age of seven,left it all at 22 to settle down with producer Tutu Sharma,after she had essayed some of the most powerful roles in Bollywood. “I always knew that once I get married,I’ll stop working. Family would be a priority. I came,I worked,and I walked out gracefully,” Padmini chose to quit films after a meteoric rise at the peak of her career. These days,she is focusing on substantial roles,and theatre. “I’ve been doing theatre for last three years now,and I’m enjoying it for I’m not interested in run of the mill characters,” she is moving at her pace. Kolhapure was one of the few actresses who also had a flair for music. Hailing from a family of singers,the actress lent her voice for many popular songs. “But now I have completely stopped. One needs practice when singing,” she says. However,she runs her Padmini Kolhapure School of Acting and Model Shop,her academy in Mumbai that grooms models. “These days,you cannot step into the industry as a novice,You have to be camera ready,and that’s what we do : teach the reality of acting,counsel them and promote them.” While she has conducted workshops in Amritstar,Chandigarh is on her mind. We’re waiting!