Looking Back: Tanuja embarked on film journey owing to Circumstances and not out of choice

Looking Back: Tanuja embarked on film journey owing to
Circumstances and not out of choice

Veteran actress Tanuja turns 80
and she is one of Hindi Cinema’s finest actors, who has never been a conformist. It was circumstances beyond control that pushed her to the acting arena and never became an actor by choice

Perhaps many may not be versed that actress Tanuja belongs to a family of filmmakers – the Mukherjis who also own Filmaya Studio
in Amboli Andheri.

Undoubtedly, Tanuja was one of the top actresses of Indian cinema in the 60s and 70s.
She has portrayed every role assigned to her with ‘elaan’, highest level of commitment, authenticity, and excitement.
Once she was slapped by a director for refusing to shed tears in a scene.

To this generation, Tanuja may just be the mother of an effervescent Kajol. Little do they know that Kajol inherits her bindaas and bohemian attitude from her mother, who has never been a conformist.

Notedly, Women of her time copied her looks and were inspired by her. Unlike her contemporaries, who were conscious about ‘duniya kya kahegi’ (what will people say), Tanuja never pretended to be goody-two-shoes.

Amidst one of her media interaction, Tanuja had mentioned that she has never done what she never wanted to do so. This is Tanuja, take it or leave it. If one is bent to criticise her, it’s their problem,”

This unrestrained behaviour is not something she has developed after making it big in the film industry.

When her mother, another legendary star of Hindi cinema, Shobna Samarth, wanted her to play the role of the young Nutan in her home production, Hamari Beti (1950), the first question that came out of a five-year-old Tanuja was, “Does that mean no school?”

Even at her present age she is ready to work provided she gets a good role as per her age.

News Edit K.V.Raman