It couldn’t have been a happier start to the new year for Genelia Deshmukh, whose latest offering Ved has set the cash registers ringing. The romantic drama, which also marks the directorial debut of actor-husband Riteish Deshmukh, has become one of the biggest grossers in Marathi cinema in recent years. Genelia, who is also attached as a producer on the film, beams with joy as she says,

“Usually, you have to fight for shows, but with Ved, more shows are being added. I feel fortunate that people are taking these characters home. The last time this happened to me was during Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na [2008].”

Ved’s success has reiterated that regional cinema is finally getting the love and respect that it always deserved, but seldom got. Who knows it better than Genelia, having juggled Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films? “I have been a part of different industries, and never have I ever given priority to one industry over another. That should [have] happened [across the board]. It didn’t then, but I am glad it is happening now.”

The film is a personal milestone for the actor. After 'Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya' (2012), she had taken a break from movies, only making cameo appearances once in a while. Even as she focused on marriage and motherhood over the past 10 years, she knew that she would return to a movie set some day. “I missed acting. But I knew I would come back,” she smiles. Ending a hiatus, however, is easier said than done.

As she began working on 'Ved', Genelia admits that her head was filled with questions. “I wondered, ‘Will people like me? Will the audience even want to see me again? Have they moved on?’ But this break gave me a new perspective. [It made me understand] the roles I want to do. I cannot do an Aditi [from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na] today, but I can do a Shravani [her character in Ved]. That way, I can connect with the girl who grew up from Aditi to Shravani, with me.”