Rajeshwari Sachdev's stint in theatre, TV and films has been like a treasure-trove. The National Award winning actress too admits that her acting journey has been rewarding and she gained something at each stage.
"I am maturing like an old wine," said the actress when asked about her her career growth, which started way back in 1991 with Marathi movie "Aayatya Gharat Gharoba".
After not being too active in front of the camera for some time, Rajeshwari returns with double dhamaka - she is seen in TV show "Laut Aao Trisha" and her movie "Dombivli Return" is set to hit the screens.
Versatility has been her forte and once again she is proving it as a modern high-profile woman in the TV show, and a Maharashtrian woman in the thriller movie.
A staple in Shyam Benegal's film, including "Sardari Begam", "Hari Bhari" and "Welcome To Sajjanpur", Rajeshwari says connecting with her character of a Maharashtrian in the movie wasnt' tough, because she was "born and brought up in Bombay and continue to grow up in Mumbai".
Also Read
"I grew up in a multicultural and multilingual vicinity and you cannot be untouched by the grace and charm of the middle-class Maharashtrian woman. One can eulogise educated, working, (Maharashtrian) homemakers... they run their life efficiently and honestly," Rajeshwari told IANS in an email interview.
"You can identify a Maharashtrian woman from a distance... and this part was easy for me," said the actress on how she got the naunces of her character right.
She also praised Mahendra Teredesai, the director of "Dombivli Return", for leading the team efficiently.
"A very good experience indeed...," she said about associating with the director.
"Truly a captain of the ship. Apart from being armed with a great script, it's the directors' vision and his capability in carrying along an entire team on the same path that makes it an exciting journey."
"Each person got something new to the table and he did a great job assimilating it into one whole," she added.
In terms of the impact of a story on someone, Rajeshwari's theory is that "every story impacts the mind ... more so if you are in a similar crisis, fortunately I am not (facing the same crisis as my character does in the movie."
The film is a socio-psychological thriller and when asked its impact on her, she said: "If your are listening to a fairy tale, you don't necessarily get impacted by it, but you have a moral to the story and it stays with you for life.
"We 'felt' the story and now we are narrators, you tell us how it impacts you," added the actress who bagged the National Award for her performance in "Sardari Begum".
Did you find your role in "Dombivli Return" different from your past roles?
"Maybe I will rephrase that question... for me, this is in keeping with the varied roles I've done in practically all my other ventures. So I say with pride, once again (I play) a distinct character set in a backdrop and region... so it is always a challenge for an actor to actually create a character with distinct nuances," said the actress who is married to actor Varun Badola and the couple has a son.
The actress, who worked in Hollywood movie "Little Buddha" opposite Keanu Reeves, believes in moving on.
When asked about future plans, she said: "Towards another script and another film...that's been a pattern."