Ever since I started making sense of the world, all I wanted to become was a ‘film heroine’. But the journey was fraught with struggle. For, my family vehemently disapproved of my dreams and ambitions. But, determined to realise my dreams, I left my home in Punjab and landed in Mumbai. I stayed with my aunt and luckily, within a week, I bagged my maiden role — the lead no less — in a Rajasthani movie called Bai Chali Sasariye that went on to attain cult status in Rajasthan. The movie changed the course of my life as not only did it run for 100 days but also revived interest in films made in that dialect.
My journey took a crucial turn in 1997 when director Raj Kanwar offered me the role of a deaf-mute in Judaai. It was a comic role and something that I hadn’t done before. It threw me off a bit but despite all the forewarnings, I followed that little voice in my head and went ahead and accepted the film.
The rest, as they say, is history. Judaai turned out to be a superhit and so did my character. People still recall my famous and only dialogue — ‘Abba, dabba, jabba’ — in the movie. It seems that it has got permanently etched in public memory. Spurred by this success, I decided to stick with the comedy genre and put on my goofy avatar to deliver huge hits like Loafer, Badal, Hulchul, Hungama and Aitraaz.
Working with stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma in his television comedy show was another milestone in my life. Three years ago, when Kapil approached me with the role of Bua, I was once again in two minds. To play someone whom no one wants to marry, and more often than not, one who is the butt of jokes, required a lot of conviction. But by then, I had already learnt to take my chances and so I accepted the offer.
The experience helped me shed my inhibitions, move out of my comfort zone and become more versatile. Had it not been for that experience, I would’ve never thought of working in Santoshi Maa, the mythological drama currently on air. In this serial I play a negative character, which is a departure from what I’ve done in the past. The role required a lot of hard work.
A life-altering moment in my life was losing my mother in 2008. It shattered me to the core. I felt lonely and stopped going out altogether as I would feel scared in public even though my sister was always there to support me. A year later, when I met actor Neeraj Bharadwaj while working on a television show, I instantly knew that he would fill the void in my life and we eventually got married. I am a happier person now.
(As told to Anupma Mishra)
