My role as mother always comes first

…says Sridevi, who left her acting career to raise her children, and now after a 14-year hiatus the actress returns to the silver screen.

By Subhash K Jha

At the age of four, Sridevi made her silver screen debut in the Tamil film Kandhan Karunai. In 1997, she gave it all up to raise her children. Fourteen years later, she is making her comeback to Bollywood and talks to us about her return, her time away from the industry and her family.

After a 14-year hiatus, you are making a comeback to Bollywood. Why only now?

The script and director Gauri Shinde. When I heard the script, I fell in love with it. I hope it turns out well. We start shooting at the end of July.

Did you miss the film industry?

No, not at all. As a producer's wife, how could I have ever been away from the industry? There is always some connection to films and so I never really felt I was out of it.

Speaking of your husband, Boney had a health scare recently. How did you cope with it?

It really worried me a lot. I didn't take it lightly. I had never seen him hospitalized. I wanted him back home as soon as possible. I now insist on making him eat and sleep properly.

You gave up your career to start your family. Now, that you return to acting, does it worry you to keep your daughters unsupervised?

I'm going to shoot when they've their holidays and so they're going to be with me. So, there's nothing to worry about. The role of mother will always come first.


Do your daughters watch your films?

Of course they do! But it's not as if I've told them to watch them. They've seen my films on television and on dvds. When one of my films is on, my younger daughter keeps looking at the screen and at me repeatedly. She can't believe that's her mother on screen.

Are they likely to follow your footsteps career wise?

Look, I don't want to impose my career suggestions on them. It's too early to decide on a career for them. Touchwood, they're good at their studies. They can choose whatever career they want.

Will you be doing more films now?

Let's see how it goes. I want to be at ease for my first film. That's why I'm doing it when my daughters can be with me. That's how we planned this film. But after this, my daughters may not be there with me when I do other films. I've never really planned anything. Everything just happened.


Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 03:23:23 AM

From Mumbai Mirror