“My Unfulfilled Dream Is That I Could Not Get The Opportunity To Act With Jaya Bachchan And Rekha In A Film Till Date”- Veena Kapoor

VEENA KAPOOR

Veteran actress Veena Kapoor has been working since 43 years and has to her credit 35 films, 300 TV serials and 35 ads and has received many an award too. Veena has worked with leading stars like Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Mithun Chakraborty, Salman Khan, Kader Khan,Suresh Oberoi, Pransaab, Nutanji, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman, Moushumi Chatterjee, Manisha Koirala, Sridevi, Rati Agnihoptri, Aruna Irani, Shabana Azmi, Kamal Hassan and Vijayashanthi. She has also done several stage shows all over the world including Dubai, Bangkok, London, Hongkong and India. In this soul searching intimate interview, VEENA KAPOOR confesses to JYOTHI VENKATESH that her love life is not exciting or roaring since she had always concentrated on her professional career till date.

How did you enter acting?

My parents and I came down to Mumbai for my mother’s treatment and happened to come across my daddy’s childhood friend Kedar Sharmaji who asked my dad to let me try my hand at acting in films and it was on his encouragement that my career in acting in films got a kick start

Which was your debut film? In which year was your debut film released?

It was with Rajshri Pictures film Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Baaye that I started my career 43 years ago in Bollywood.

In what way have you grown as an actress?

I should say that though the progress has not been really spectacular, I have grown as an actress over the last 43 years and my progress has been good though I really did not have a God father to propel way to big banners

Has your career cost you your personal/love life?

To answer your first question, my career did not cost me my personal life as I got married soon and also have a son who also tried his hand at choreography in films. To answer your second question, I do not have any exciting or roaring love life at all as I had always concentrated all my time and attention solely on my career and then on grooming my son Abhishek as a choreographer in films.

Which are your best five or six films till date?

I think the six films which according to me are the best in my career have been Sharaabi, Abhimaan, Guddi, Umrao Jaan, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and last but not the least Khamoshi.

With which TV serial did you make your debut?

After a not so long innings in films, I tried my hand at acting in TV serials and it was with Ramesh Sippy’s Buniyaad that I bagged my debut TV serial as an actor. Since then, I have been part of TV serials like Maharana Pratap, Hitler Didi, Kesariya Balam Aao, Hamare Desh, Iashq Ka Rang Safed, Ishq Mein Mar Jaawaan and Agnifera

Do you think character actors get good roles today?

One hundred percent, I would say that even today, in addition to the lead actors, the character artistes also get good and meaty roles

Are you happy with your progress as an actress?

As I said earlier, though it has not been in any way spectacular, I am quite happy with the way my career has progressed over the years and not only am I getting good roles in films as well as Television, I am glad that people recognized me when I walked on the road in Tirupati too, after 43 years of my tenure in films and TV serials.

Have you exposed yourself in any film till date?

I have not at all exposed myself on the screen though I have appeared in roles which reek of glamour in many films.

Who are your favorite actors?

My all time favorite actors are Sanjeev Kumarji, Amitabh Bachchanji and last but not the least Salman Khan

What is your unfulfilled dream?

My unfulfilled dream is that I could not get the opportunity to act with actresses like Jaya Bachchanji and Rekhaji in a film till date. Though Jayaji has stopped acting and Rekhaji is hardly seen in a film these days, it has always been my ardent dream to share the screen frame with both of them. Yet another unfulfilled ambition of mine is to take part in the reality show Bigg Boss as an inmate .

Which are your forthcoming films and TV shows?

Though right now, I do not have even a single film on the floors. The last time I had acted for television was for a daily soap like Agnifera. Off and on, I do have a couple of one- episode daily soaps like Saavdhaan India and Crime Patrol.

Have you acted in any web series?

Though as yet I have not been approached to act in any path breaking web series, I am very keen to be a part of a web series, because I am of the opinion that with actors like Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui , Radhika Apte, Kay Kay Menon and R. Madhavan taking to acting in web series in a big way, the future lies in the web series for good actors, especially as it has a reach in around 220 countries.

Which are the directors you want to work with in films/ TV/ web series?

I am dying to work with filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Karan Johar and Anurag Basu in any kind of role that they offer. I have enjoyed watching Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sir’s films like Bajirao Mastani, Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Karan Johar’s Student of The Year and Ae Dil E Mushkil and last but not the least Anurag Basu’s Barfi. I had worked with Salman Khan in Sang Dil Sanam several years ago but have not got another opportunity to act with him again. I am dying to work with Salman Khan in his home production film.

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Tags: Bollywood, Bollywood News, Bollywood Updates, Veteran Actress, Veena Kapoor, Bollywood Films, Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye, Tv Serials