Padmini Kolhapure: One of my biggest regrets is missing out on working with Amitji
is making her return to the small screen with the historical drama Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, nearly 12 years after her last major television role in
(2013). 'It doesn't feel like a long time has passed because people still tag me about Ek Nayi Pehchaan. Social media has given longevity to all our work,' says Padmini. In an interview with us, the actress gets candid about the kind of roles that excite her now, shooting bold scenes back in the day and her niece,
. Excerpts:
'I'm quite impulsive about the films I do'
Padmini has appeared in only a few Hindi films in the last two decades. She was last seen in
(2019).
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
'I did Panipat because I thought it would be a great experience to work with Ashutosh Gowariker, given the kind of films he makes. Similarly, I did Phata Poster Nikhla Hero (2013), because it was centred around a mother and son. I loved working with Rajkumar Santoshi. He's such an actor's director,' she says.
Ask her about being choosy, and she says, 'Honestly, I'm not excited about a lot of projects that come my way. I'm quite impulsive.
The story has to resonate with me, and even if it turns out to be the worst decision of my life, it just has to touch me. I did a Marathi film called Prawaas (2020). I really liked the narrative and also enjoyed working with Ashok Saraf.'
'I had my family around me when I shot bold scenes'
The conversation touches on Padmini having filmed a few bold scenes as a teenager in movies like Gehrayee (1980), Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980) and Prem Rog (1981), long before intimacy coordinators became the norm.
When asked if an intimacy coordinator would have helped back then, she replies, 'Maine iss baat par dhyaan bhi nahi diya. I had my family around me then. Besides, the entire unit felt like a family.' She also points out that earlier, even small gestures could spark an uproar.
Recounting one such incident, she says, 'People made a hue and cry over the peck I gave King Charles on his cheeks.
Aur abhi toh sab kuch chal raha hai
.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Back then, it was considered taboo,' she says.
Padmini with Shraddha Kapoor
'Shraddha looks and carries herself just like her mother'
Padmini also often finds herself addressing frequent comparisons to her niece, new-gen actress Shraddha Kapoor. Clarifying the resemblance, she says, 'She looks like her mom, who is my sister. Shivangi and I resemble each other. In fact, at one point, we were often mistaken for twins. Now, just because I am in the public eye and Shivangi is not, people tend to think her daughter resembles me.
Shraddha looks and carries herself just like her mother.
Despite clarifying this so many times, people still refer to her as my daughter and say, '
Aapki beti bilkul aapke jaisi dikhti hai
', so I've started saying thank you.'
'I am enjoying the experience of playing Raj Mata'
Padmini, who is gearing up for her TV show Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, says, 'I play Raj Mata and I am enjoying the experience. The last historical character I played was in Panipat, which I enjoyed.
When you wear the costumes, your demeanour changes automatically, right down to the walk.'
Amitabh Bachchan
'Missed working with Mr Bachchan'
Padmini was reportedly part of the original cast of Silsila (1981) alongside
and Parveen Babi. She was replaced by Smita Patil, but the role eventually went to Jaya Bachchan. Looking back, the actress says, 'One thing is for sure - I really missed out on working with Amitji. It was probably one of my biggest regrets, as I have worked with everyone else, and he is the only actor I haven't worked with.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Anurag Kashyap accepts audience doesn't trust anything, says filmmakers don't look up to reviews for validation
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, never one to mince words, has once again sparked conversation with his candid take on the state of the Hindi film industry. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Anurag reflected on the erosion of trust in film criticism. Anurag was part of a discussion around Stolen, a recently released film presented by a formidable roster of producers including Kiran Rao, Vikramaditya Motwane, Nikkhil Advani, and Anurag himself. During the conversation, Advani pointed to a troubling trend: a growing skepticism among audiences, fuelled by 'paid reviews' and questionable industry practices. 'Audience doesn't trust anything. It's true!' Anurag agreed. But he went a step further, arguing that the cynicism isn't limited to viewers. Even filmmakers, he says, are beginning to lose faith in a system they once relied on. 'I remember a time when we got great reviews for our movies from critics that we looked up to for validation. It gave us personal joy. Now, it doesn't matter. Gine chune 4-5 reviewer hain jinko respect karte hain (There are 4-5 critics who command respect),' he said. Also Read | Anurag Kashyap calls Netflix CEO 'dumb' over Sacred Games comment: 'He should have started with Saas Bahu…' Anurag's disillusionment isn't just theoretical, it has informed a major life decision. A few months ago, he hinted at relocating to southern India. Now, that move is a reality. Just a few weeks ago, he confirmed in an interview, 'I've left Mumbai,' smiling as he mentioned that he had recently paid the first rent on his new home. While he didn't reveal the exact location, it is believed that he may have settled in Bangalore. 'I want to stay away from film people. The industry has become too toxic. Everyone is chasing unrealistic targets, trying to make the next ₹500 and ₹800 crore film. The creative atmosphere is gone,' Anurag lamented.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
The Bengal Files teaser out: Vivek Agnihotri shows horrors of communal violence; fans say 'it hits you like a bomb'
A dubbed Telugu film, Pushpa 2: The Rule, has become the highest-grossing Hindi film, earning ₹812 crore in India. It surpassed Bollywood blockbusters by major stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Salman Khan, marking a significant shift in cinema landscape.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Hyderabad author Richa Sharma's book explores ideas of home and identity
A recurring theme in Richa Sharma's debut novel, Finding Home Again (published by Nu Voice Press and distributed by Penguin Random House India), is the search for belonging. Is home the place where one is born and raised? Or is it the space one builds in a new city through education, career, or marriage? Can one truly belong to more than one place, absorbing the best of multiple cultures? Set in the aftermath of a train derailment following floods in Assam, the novel traces characters searching for their loved ones — unfolding deeper ideas of home, identity, and displacement. Richa was raised in Arunachal Pradesh, though her parents hail from Uttar Pradesh. 'My father moved to Arunachal in 1970. As a state government schoolteacher, he helped establish schools in remote interiors,' she says, over coffee at a café in Hyderabad. She and her siblings eventually moved to different cities for higher education. Richa studied journalism, psychology, and literature in Bengaluru before pursuing a Master's in mass communication at the University of Hyderabad — where she met actor Priyadarshi Pulikonda, whom she later married. Her love for books, she says, stems from her parents. 'My mother was a voracious reader,' she recalls, picturing her lost in books at libraries in Agra. 'Her family read and wrote extensively. My father also encouraged me to read.' The storytelling Reflecting on the lasting influence of her mother, whom she lost recently, Richa says, 'Mum wrote poems and even compiled a book of recipes. She was a gifted storyteller, often regaling us with anecdotes about her parents and grandparents —progressive thinkers in the 1940s who defied norms. All of that shaped who I am today.' Both her parents were Hindi teachers, and their empathy left a deep impression on her. 'I remember mom making tea for our house help, noticing when she was upset. Dad, on the other hand, would calmly wait for a snake to slither away rather than harm it. That sensitivity stayed with me.' Shades of these qualities appear in some of the characters in her book. The idea for Finding Home Again took root over a decade ago, inspired by the annual floods in the North East. 'I've witnessed firsthand how the monsoons affect lives in the region, but until recently, much of the country remained unaware of their severity. While studying in Bengaluru, I often had to explain that Arunachal lies beyond Assam.' Several portions of the novel pay homage to the North East — its food, its rhythm, its people — though set in fictional towns. The use of imagined news clippings about floods and a train derailment was a conscious choice, to avoid any direct parallels with real-life tragedies. Richa coined the town names — Maajorghat and Sigo Dolung — with care, wanting them to reflect a sense of place, yet remain unanchored to one specific location. 'Maajorghat refers to a large river bank, and Sigo Dolung to an underground water source in a village. I checked with friends, who in turn asked their elders, to ensure the names felt rooted and authentic.' However, the book does not currently contain a note clarifying that the towns are fictional. 'Maybe we'll include one in the next print run,' she adds thoughtfully. Question of identity Richa admits she once felt a sense of displacement. Her understanding of home and identity evolved over the years. 'At home in Arunachal, we spoke a purer form of Hindi, but with friends, we'd switch to Arunachali Hindi. I often found myself wondering — who am I? Over time, I came to realise that it is possible to belong to more than one place. ' Writing, she says, became the space where she felt most at home. 'I tried various jobs, including a brief stint in journalism, but nothing felt right.' Her novel began as a love story and underwent several transformations across six drafts. After she completed it, Richa submitted the manuscript to numerous publishing houses. 'It was rejected 35 times over two years,' she says. 'Along the way, I was advised to make it pacier, to tone down the characters' internal conflicts. Some said, 'Who wants literary fiction from a debut writer?' But I stayed true to what I believed in.' The story centres on three main characters — Kranti, Maya, and Mridula — each on a journey of search and reckoning. Richa confesses there is a part of her in each of them, and traces of her mother in Maya's mother. The writing process was unhurried. 'I waited for the characters to bloom. I had to be patient enough to see the world through their eyes.' Not every character finds the closure they seek — whether that means reuniting with a loved one or even finding their body after the accident — but they come to terms with their reality. 'Transformation takes time,' she reflects. 'It involves internal conversations.' To write about the aftermath of a train derailment, Richa read extensively on railway accidents and survivor testimonies. 'It was emotionally difficult,' she admits. Through it all, she is grateful for the support she received from her husband Priyadarshi, her in-laws, her sister, and close friends. 'Darshi is an artist — he understands what it takes to create something from the ground up.' Finding Home Again marks the beginning of Richa's journey as a writer. 'There are more ideas brewing,' she says, smiling —'fiction, non-fiction, even poetry.'
