It has opened to rave reviews, but the other thing that Gulmohar is drawing viewers across sections of the audience with, are the characters of its leading ladies, Kusum and Indu. If the former, played by Sharmila Tagore, is all things grace — the latter, essayed by Simran, is the picture of tenderness and tenacity. With her compelling turn in the family drama, the actor, who’s a household name in Tamil and Telugu films, seems to have finally got nationwide recognition.

Ever since she first sat down for a narration with Gulmohar director Rahul V Chittella three years ago, she has had her heart set on the character. At 47, “having experienced life to an extent”, she felt confident of bringing the necessary gravitas to Indu Batra. She notes, “We’ve hardly portrayed the strength of a homemaker on screen. Indu is one such woman. She gives strength to every person in her life, and has the experience of a lifetime.”

Having said that, the actor — who burst upon the Hindi scene with Tere Mere Sapne (1996) — took on roles that called for maturity even very early on in her career. “When you play certain roles in life, they spill over to performances too. There are some roles you research for. Some are a reflection of your own life. I’ve been very choosy about my work — it has to fit in with my personal life and schedule… I was lucky to work with directors who wrote [female] characters well.”

Like for Indu, family comes first for Simran, who has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. Until recently, her sons travelled with her when she was working. The actor believes that having to shift schools and cities has given them a “solid education on life”.

Fame still sits lightly on her — a lesson she says she learnt early on. “In my head, fame equals hard work. The love that you get, that’s for the work you put in… It’s easier when you’re yourself off screen and not a version of what people expect you to be,” she signs off.