There’s a palpable happiness in her voice, when she says, ‘Namaste, main Padma Shri Sarita Joshi bol rahi hu’, after we congratulate her for being awarded the fourth-highest civilian honour recently. The veteran actress, who has had an illustrious inning in showbiz, attributes her achievement to all the technicians and backstage artistes, who have worked with her over the years on stage and on screen.

“All the people who work behind the scenes, right from the light and sound team, the people in the costume department, your directors, writers and even spot boys, everyone contributes to your work. An actor is the face of a project, but there’s an entire team that works very hard to make the project a success,” says the 80-year-old actress, adding, “My heart is filled with gratitude. I am happy that I was hale and hearty to have gone and received the award.”

Recounting the moment she learnt about the honour being bestowed on her, Joshi says, “Last year, I got a call from the official team in Delhi. A person on call asked me, ‘Aapko Padma Shri se sammanit kiya jaa raha hai, kya aap isse sweekarenge?’ I had a broad smile and instantly replied saying ‘Yes! Why won’t I accept?’ I kept my composure during the entire conversation. But as soon as I got off the call, both my daughters’ (actresses Ketaki Dave and Purbi Joshi) faces flashed before my eyes. I was so eager to share the news with my loved ones. I told my caretaker Badoo that I have won the award. After that I called up Ketaki and asked her in a fun way ‘Kya chahiye bolo, Padma Shri chahiye?’; I was truly overwhelmed.”

Sarita, who began her career at the age of six, says that appreciation always inspires an artiste to work harder. “Having dabbled in TV, theatre and films in Gujarati, Marathi and Hindi, I have received immense love from the audiences in all these years. I have received several awards and honour, too. But it feels great when the government appreciates your body of work. It makes me even more proud to be among this year’s winners, who have come from various walks of life. They have had their own struggles and done some impressive work for society. The honour has motivated me to work harder and with even more passion,” says the Baa, Bahoo Aur Baby actress.

When asked about upcoming projects, she simply replies, “Last year, there was no work as the global pandemic was at the peak. But I am getting a few offers of TV shows and films now.”