The Granny Diaries

The youngest of them all is mother to a toddler and the oldest of the lot is just 56. But with a hike in the number of family dramas on TV, an increasing number of actresses have had to skip a generation and play grandmother to folks old enough to be their siblings. Prashant Golecha spoke to a few tele-grannies to fathom what made them accept the roles, whether they have eased into the grey that shades their lives now and how they cope with real life once the cameras are switched off. The most famous of the grannies, Ba of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, is just 56 years old, although Sudha Shivpuri is actually pushing 86 in the serial. When the serial leaps by 20 years in a few months, Shivpuri is going to be eased out of the serial. But she doesn't mind, having had her moment in the sun. "My character cannot be shown to be 106," she laughs. "I feel nice playing a grandmother. It makes you earn respect, which is hard to earn than money. The Kyunki … unit is like a family. I play a dadi in "Saara Aakash" too. I belong to the National School of Drama, so I can mould myself according to the character. Whenever people ask me why I agree to playing such an old character I tell people - Sudha Shivpuri is not getting older in one go, it is her character that is being shown older". Tulsi, who started life as the wide eyed bahu of the Virani family in the same series, is now almost a granny herself in the serial. Her approach is more practical. "People know I am 28 playing a role of a 50 year old. I have been able to play an old character at such a young age so convincingly, that is an achievement. I am very comfortable with the fact that I have played the character of "Tulsi" for so long with full conviction." Savita Prabhune, who started life in Kkusum as Aai to the protagonist, is now granny to Kumud. "I started as mother in "Kkusum" so with the progression of the serial it is ok to play a grandmother. If I am offered a grandmother role, I won't take it though," she says firmly. "I have a thirteen-year-old daughter in real life," she laughs. Rupa Divetia, the other granny in Kkusum, sounds a realistic note. "I am no longer in the heroine age bracket. Nowadays, mothers have prominent roles in dramas and I am open to such offers. I also want to try comedy and negative characters. Not many know that I am playing a double role of a heroine in a Gujarati play "Shaky Ashak" (possible impossible), in which my character is just 28 years old!" So much for tele - realities! Smriti however feels audiences are well aware of actors' real ages. "The audience knows I am playing a character and accept me in my role of anchor in Kuuch Dil Se too." About the trend of younger actors forced into old age on screen, she says, "Actors should be clear about what they are doing. Leaving a serial just because the story is jumping years ahead and the character needs to look old is unprofessional. Generation leaps are common now in case of Balaji Telefilms' shows. In my opinion, such actors who are not willing to play older characters should not take up a project then." Doesn't it affect her off screen? "Off screen, I live like a normal woman. On-screen I am grandmother for a limited period. I don't miss looking glamorous and wearing short clothes. I don't wear a short skirt even in real life," she reasons. "I don't take my being an actress and my success and fame seriously. I live in India like any other normal woman and take care of my home. Actors are temporary fixtures, they come and go. In order to relax I prefer to read. I can read anything from fiction to philosophy." Divetia too is hardly the partying kind. After a hard day's shoot, she prefers to play with her dog Timba or to go for long walks. Veena Kapoor who plays Chaiji in afternoon soap Bhabhi, started off wearing a grey wig in the serial, which was changed to a black wig and then to her natural tresses. She doesn't mind the grey streaks. "Balaji started the trend of younger people playing older characters and these are shown dressed up quite nicely. Ideally one should look natural as per the character. Dark circles and lines on forehead often look good if they suit the character." This 56 year old, goes for a tirth yatra once a year, but otherwise has no granny like interests. "Cooking doesn't interest me. I am very open to playing younger roles. I am fifty six year old with a thirty year old son but I look 45 and by heart I am just 25," she laughs. Ba, too, says she prefers to go for long drives to Madh Island to relax herself. Laughingly, she adds, "I am young at heart. Age and getting older is a fact of life. "Budhapa sar pe odh ke mat baitho, rather accepting it gracefully is my happiness mantra!"