Her mind is alert. Her attitude warm, humble and gracious. Anita Guha, who rose to national mystification after playing Santoshi Maa in the 1975 film, is back in the news. “People have forgotten my real name,” she chuckles. “Is baat ki taqleef hoti thi. Lekin ab achchha lagta hai. People would be scared of approaching me, thinking I was a real goddess. That didn’t seem right. I’m after all a mere mortal. I remember how embarrassing it would be when elderly ladies would come and sit at my feet. That was painful. Even today when I go out on the roads they call me Santoshi Maa. Even kids call me by that name. I guess my image of the goddess lingers. I can’t complain. Our Hindu religion and its mythology are ideals that we must uphold. I’m glad to have given the country a new goddess to worship. Today’s generation must know about Santoshi Maa. In fact, I want mythological films to be revived.” Vijay Sharma’s Jai Santoshi Maa was released during the same year as Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay.

“Our film was made on a shoestring budget,” recalls Anita. “It was just some lakhs. I still remember when the producer came to me saying they were making a film on Santoshi Maa I had never heard of this goddess. The producer explained who the goddess was, and that they wanted to make a mix of a social and a mythological film. Since I was known for being part of both kinds of films I readily agreed. They told me I was a guest artiste in Jai Santoshi Maa. I had to give dates only for 10-12 days. The footage shot was interspersed throughout the film. The film started, got stalled, we thought it wouldn’t be completed. Then the producer who loves me a lot came back and we revived the project. The rest is history.” Anita Guha had done a large number of mythological films before Jai Santoshi Maa. “My role as Sita in Sampoorna Ramayan was a big hit. But before mythologicals I was known for doing socials like Sanjog which had Madan Mohan Saab and Lataji’s immortal melodies like Woh bhooli daastaan lo phir yaad aa gayi. But after Sampoorna Ramayan I was labelled a mythological heroine. I wasn’t too happy with that. But I had no choice. Then the mythologicals stopped. I stopped working. Then I came back in mother’s roles with Shakti Samanta’s Aradhana. That’s where I first put grey in my hair. Then Sharmeelee, Anurag, Anand Ashram?lots more. It’s strange but people don’t recognise my colleagues. But they haven’t forgotten me. I don’t like being called Santoshi Maa, though I’m a God-fearing woman.”

Now work has ceased. After her husband actor Manik Dutt’s death she lives all alone in Mumbai. “I’m tired and I don’t feel like working. Today when you talked to me, woh bhooli daastaan phir yaad aa gayi. I’ve no children. But I don’t feel bad about it. All the children of my relatives are like my own. And when people point at me and call me Santoshi Maa I feel the whole world is my family. Yes, I do have friends in the film industry, like Mala Sinha, Helen and Salman Khan’s parents. I keep going to Calcutta to meet friends and relatives. Is tarah se time pass ho jaata hai. I know after the telecast of Jai Santoshi Maa on Star Gold, I’ll be accosted on the roads. I’m looking forward to that.”