Amid a packed shooting schedule, Bhagyashree could easily have treated her birthday on February 23 like any other working day. Instead, she chose to pause and make the day about family and reflection. This year, she has taken off with her daughter Avantika for a long-overdue mother-daughter holiday.

She says, “This year on my birthday I am taking a off with my daughter Avantika for a mother-daughter bonding holiday. We used to do these regularly, but we haven’t been able to for the last two years. I think now is the time to break that jinx. This feels like the perfect way to celebrate my birthday.”

At home, birthdays are usually a three-day affair. Her father-in-law celebrates on February 21, her son Abhimanyu on the 22nd and she on the 23rd. She adds, “After two massive celebrations, all I want to do is sit in a spa and relax. But like I said, this year is going to be different, as I am taking off for a holiday.”

One ritual, however, remains non-negotiable. She says, “As you grow older, birthdays are just a circle around the sun for another year. But something I follow religiously every year is a full body health checkup. As women, we often take our health for granted. The only way to remember it is to fix it to a significant date. I make sure that happens year after year.”

Her birthday wish this time is closely tied to her work. Having recently wrapped Raja Shivaji, she hopes for the kind of lasting impact that once defined her early career.

“God has always given me more than I have ever wished for, and I feel truly blessed. Since I have just finished Raja Shivaji, I am looking forward to a lot of love coming my way and hopefully having this character etched in people’s minds, just like Suman from Maine Pyar Kiya,” she concludes.