July 27, 2012 Y. Sunitha Chowdhary
No one sobs better than her and with her acting prowess she makes the viewers shed a tear or two. The elegant and affable Rohini Hattangadi will be seen in Telugu movies as a grandma again. Gadget savvy, accessible and very articulate, Rohini takes a small break from the shooting of Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu and is back in Mumbai doing theatre and Hindi films.
Ask her how she manages to be so agile and fresh, she quips, "I guess I do what I like and enjoy my job thoroughly, that reflects on my face. Sometimes over working and travelling takes a toll on my health but I am alert and take precautions and have learnt to deal with it. I take rest when ever I have time."
The actor is very particular about keeping her word and dates. There are times she has committed her calender to theatre and suddenly she is deluged by movie offers that are more fetching but she will not compromise. Her first priority has always been and will be theatre.
"It is something I'm proud of and have always followed it strictly throught my career. In Hindi movies, I'm being offered the same mother roles but I'm beginning to say a big no. I don't look at length of the role but yes I'm for the substance, even if it has two or three scenes but if it is important I take it up. For instance, my role in Munna Bhai MBBS."
She belongs to the old school of acting where importance is not given to heightened emotions, getting over dramatic and screaming on the top of the voice. Very early in life she got the best of roles to play that had brought her international and national acclaim. Her films may be few and far between but there are none who do not know who Rohini Hattangadi is.
She adds, "I didn't stop my career in Telugu with Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu. I did Theerpu, Top Hero a Balakrishna starrer and Little Soldiers. I would love to do more Telugu films but some one has to offer me na? I don't dub for the film though but I'm game to brushing up my dialogues with utmost seriousness.
I am now playing grandma to Venkatesh and Mahesh in Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu. It's a fun role and entirely opposite of what you saw in Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu. I have nice vibes with my grandsons specially Mahesh Babu. He says something and I answer him almost immediately with equal wit and warmth and whatever. I am naughty in the movie."
So are you a naughty grandma in real-life too? "I am not yet but I'm sure I will be one. I just want to act and act. My husband is a director and a producer but I am not that material. Right now my focus is on my son Asen who is into English and Hindi theatre and has also done two Hindi films.
I love to be at home when there is no shooting, I finish all the work that has piled up in the house and that which I kept putting off all the previous weeks. I tend to finish off all that work and that leaves me with a nice feeling."
