Showing posts with label Padmini Kolhapure interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Padmini Kolhapure interview. Show all posts
Asha Bhosle, ‘I will only do Mai if Padmini is in it’-Padmini Kolhapure
8:20 AM
Natasha Coutinho (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 14, 2026)
Actor Padmini Kolhapure’s association with late singer Asha Bhosle goes beyond films; it is rooted in family. The two, who worked together in Mai (2013) — Bhosle’s acting debut at 79 — are connected through Padmini’s father, late Pandharinath Kolhapure, a first cousin of Bhosle and her sister, late singer Lata Mangeshkar.
“She introduced me to (late actor) Dev Anand, because of which I landed my debut Ishk Ishk Ishk (1974). I called her Asha atya [father’s sister in Marathi]. As a child, I remember her coming home every Diwali with a bag full of gifts,” she shares.
Talking about Bhosle’s decision to take on Mai, the 60-year-old reveals, “I remember her saying, ‘I will only do the film if Padmini is in it’.”
She also lists some of her favourite songs sung by Bhosle that were picturised on her. “Kabhi Kisiko Muqammal Jahan Nahi Milta (Ahista Ahista, 1981), Puchho Na Yaar Kya Hua (Zamaane Ko Dikhana Hai, 1981), Anari Ka Khelna (Woh 7 Din, 1983), and so many more,” she says.
Kolhapure fondly recalls more intimate memories: “On her last birthday, she gifted Poonam (Dhillon, actor-politician) and me saris from her personal collection. Her favourite dish was Mooga Mole Randai, a Saraswat dish from the coastal regions of Goa, Karwar and Mangalore. She especially loved the one my father would prepare.”
One of my biggest regrets is missing out on working with Amitabh Bachchan-Padmini Kolhapure
10:02 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; May 6, 2025)
Padmini Kolhapure is making her return to the small screen with the historical drama Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, nearly 12 years after her last major television role in Ekk Nayi Pehchaan (2013). “It doesn’t feel like a long time has passed because people still tag me about Ekk Nayi Pehchaan. Social media has given longevity to all our work,” says Padmini. In an interview with us, the actress gets candid about the kind of roles that excite her now, shooting bold scenes back in the day and her niece, Shraddha Kapoor. Excerpts:
‘I’M QUITE IMPULSIVE ABOUT THE FILMS I DO’
Padmini has appeared in only a few Hindi films in the last two decades. She was last seen in Panipat (2019). “I did Panipat because I thought it would be a great experience to work with Ashutosh Gowariker, given the kind of films he makes. Similarly, I did Phata Poster Nikhla Hero (2013), because it was centred around a mother and son. I loved working with Rajkumar Santoshi. He’s such an actor’s director,” she says.
Ask her about being choosy, and she says, “Honestly, I’m not excited about a lot of projects that come my way. I’m quite impulsive. The story has to resonate with me, and even if it turns out to be the worst decision of my life, it just has to touch me. I did a Marathi film called Prawaas (2020). I really liked the narrative and also enjoyed working with Ashok Saraf.”
‘I HAD MY FAMILY AROUND ME WHEN I SHOT BOLD SCENES’
The conversation touches on Padmini having filmed a few bold scenes as a teenager in movies like Gehrayee (1980), Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980) and Prem Rog (1981), long before intimacy coordinators became the norm. When asked if an intimacy coordinator would have helped back then, she replies, “Maine iss baat par dhyaan bhi nahi diya. I had my family around me then. Besides, the entire unit felt like a family.” She also points out that earlier, even small gestures could spark an uproar.
Recounting one such incident, she says, “People made a hue and cry over the peck I gave King Charles on his cheeks. Aur abhi toh sab kuch chal raha hai . Back then, it was considered taboo,” she says.
‘SHRADDHA LOOKS AND CARRIES HERSELF JUST LIKE HER MOTHER’
Padmini also often finds herself addressing frequent comparisons to her niece, new-gen actress Shraddha Kapoor. Clarifying the resemblance, she says, “She looks like her mom, who is my sister. Shivangi and I resemble each other. In fact, at one point, we were often mistaken for twins. Now, just because I am in the public eye and Shivangi is not, people tend to think her daughter resembles me. Shraddha looks and carries herself just like her mother. Despite clarifying this so many times, people still refer to her as my daughter and say, ‘ Aapki beti bilkul aapke jaisi dikhti hai ’, so I’ve started saying thank you.”
‘I AM ENJOYING THE EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING RAJ MATA’
Padmini, who is gearing up for her TV show Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, says, “I play Raj Mata and I am enjoying the experience. The last historical character I played was in Panipat, which I enjoyed. When you wear the costumes, your demeanour changes automatically, right down to the walk.”
‘Missed working with Mr Bachchan’
Padmini was reportedly part of the original cast of Silsila (1981) alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Parveen Babi. She was replaced by Smita Patil, but the role eventually went to Jaya Bachchan.
Looking back, the actress says, “One thing is for sure, I really missed out on working with Amit ji . It was probably one of my biggest regrets, as I have worked with everyone else, and he is the only actor I haven’t worked with.”
I never wanted to act; I’m the only graduate in our entire family-Tejaswini Kolhapure
9:22 AM
Debarati S Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; March 7, 2025)
Sisters, actors, and now co-stars—Padmini and Tejaswini Kolhapure recently shared the stage for the first time ever in the musical play Ammi Akhtari, that premiered last October and feature renowned ghazal singer Talat Aziz. While the sisters’ artistic journeys have been vastly different, their deep-rooted connection with performing arts remains unchanged. In this candid conversation at Padmini’s Juhu home, the sisters discuss theatre, family, and navigating comparisons.
We are like one unit, but we also argue: Padmini
Despite their close bond, working together came with its own set of dynamics. “It was comfortable yet casual and because it was us, our rehearsals weren’t too strict! But there was a lot of learning, especially in perfecting Urdu. Padmini guided me with diction and of course Talat Ji helped us both.”
Padmini adds, “There was also extra pressure! I felt if Tejaswini is loved on stage then it’d be like a reflection on me as well and it’d be vice-versa.”
Their sisterly camaraderie has always had plenty of fun moments. “Oh, we’re always arguing, and we keep nagging each other! Our elder sister, Shivangi, is also a nag—it just runs in the family!” Padmini laughs.
I never wanted to act. I wanted to be in aviation: Tejaswini
Coming from a family deeply rooted in cinema and music, acting seemed like a natural choice. But not for Tejaswini. “I never wanted to act! I’m the only graduate in our entire family! I admired my mother and wanted to be in aviation, like her. I even worked with Jet Airways. But during training, my instructor told me, ‘You’re meant to act.’”
That set her on an unexpected path—participating in Miss India, modelling, and eventually entering TV and films. “Earlier, I’d visit Padmini’s sets and get bored. My only thrill was collecting autographs there because she worked with everyone in the industry! Theatre and working with Satyadev Dubey was actually an important part of my life,” she admits.
Padmini, on the other hand, embraced the craft early on. “Acting is an endless learning process—you never reach a point where you know it all. My father used to say that he spent his entire life mastering just one raag. It’s the same with acting.”
Earlier, comparisons with Padmini were very disheartening: Tejaswini
With Padmini being a well-established actress, comparisons were inevitable. “I didn’t feel the pressure, but others did,”
Tejaswini says. She explains, “Directors would say, ‘Padmini used to act like this, waise karke dikhao’. My response? ‘Then take her, why call me?’” Those comparisons took a toll. “In my early 20s, it was very disheartening. I withdrew for a while, went into a shell, but theatre and Satyadev Dubey’s encouragement kept me going. He always told me, ‘Your Mother India moment will come.’”
Over time, the comparisons faded. “People saw we’re very different,” says Tejaswini. “Padmini prefers commercial projects; I like offbeat roles. We have distinct identities. The kind of work I do, I don't think she’d be interested in. I like to take risks, she doesn't.”
‘We are always there for each other’
Beyond the stage and screen, the Kolhapure sisters share an unbreakable bond. “Padmini and Shivangi have been like mothers to me,”
Tejaswini shares. “When my daughter Vedika was 10 months old, I had to shoot and Padmini stepped in without hesitation. Later when Vedika was three, she took her to Abu Dhabi so I could focus on my flea market project. She has this trait of going out of her way to do things. She’s always there and she is the person that everyone in the family will go to for advice.”
Their niece, Shraddha Kapoor, also values their guidance. “She values our opinions, asks advice but eventually does what she likes!” says Tejaswini. “We’re tight-knit —Shivangi, Padmini, Shraddha, and I are always there for each other.”
Padmini, in turn, is a staunch supporter of Tejaswini’s work. “Tejaswini is a brilliant actor, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister,” she says. “Her performances in Paanch, Ugly, and Yes Papa were exceptional. She’s incredibly composed on stage, and she was outstanding in the English play The Graduate.”
Bringing Ammi Akhtari to life
For Padmini, Ammi Akhtari wasn’t an immediate yes. “When Saif Hyder Hasan offered the role, my first reaction was, ‘No way! Does he expect me to sing?’” she laughs. But once rehearsals began, she found herself enjoying the process. Tejaswini, who returned to theatre last year with The Graduate, was the one who convinced Padmini to take on the title role. “She was hesitant at first, but once we started rehearsing with Talat Aziz ji, it was mind-blowing!” she recalls. The play also marked a first for Tejaswini—her first full-fledged Hindi-Urdu theatre production. “I had to refine my Hindi because I grew up speaking Marathi and English.”
I don’t think many actresses have had a career like Shashikalatai-Padmini Kolhapure
8:03 AM
Padmini Kolhapure fondly remembers veteran actress Shashikala, who passed away at her Mumbai home on Sunday
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 6, 2021)
Veteran actor Shashikala Om Prakash, popularly known as Shashikala, who was a part of over 100 films and has essayed many memorable characters, passed away at her Mumbai residence on Sunday. The 88-year-old actress was seen in movies like V Shantaram’s Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953), Bimal Roy’s Sujata (1959) and Tarachand Barjatya’s Aarti (1962), to name a few. Her other prominent projects included Anupama (1966), Waqt (1965), Gumrah (1963) and Khubsoorat (1980).
Born in Solapur, Maharashtra, Shashikala started working at an early age to support her parents. While she earlier shared screen space with actors like Rajesh Khanna, Nutan, Dharmendra, Rajkumar, Shashi Kapoor and Sunil Dutt, among others, in recent years, she also worked with Govinda, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Her last few films include Chori Chori (2003) and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004). Earlier in her career, she often featured as the antagonist, while her second inning saw her making the transition into a sweet, doting grandmother on screen. Besides films, she also dabbled in television with shows like Sonpari (2000) and Kise Apna Kahein (2003).
Padmini Kolhapure, who also started out young as a child artiste, had worked with Shashikala in the film Ahista Ahista, in 1981. Padmini, at that time, had just blossomed into a leading lady. Remembering the actress, who she fondly called Shashikalatai, Padmini says, “I have always called her Shashikala tai as she was elder than me. We bonded while shooting Ahista Ahista. I was a newbie as far as playing the leading lady was concerned. Her grace before the camera, her poise and the way she played her part inspired me in a big way. I had the good fortune of having the chance to see her perform. I had seen many of her films, and the way she held the audience’s attention when she came on screen, was truly impressive. I don’t think many actresses have had a career like she did — she started in the 1930s and continued well into the new millennium. I think she was commendable as an artiste and also a wonderful human being. I remember while shooting Ahista Ahista, we would chat a lot between our shots and share laughs. We would talk about so many things, including some of her older films. She had a fabulous sense of style and was legendary for so many reasons.”
Talking about her last meeting with Shashikala, Padmini says, “It’s strange, but life takes people in different directions. When you’re shooting, you’re together all the time and then suddenly, you’re on your own. We drifted apart, too. Shashikala tai had her own films to work on, and I had my career, and eventually, my marriage and family life. We met several years later socially, but we didn’t lose our connection. We spoke like no time had gone by, and our special bond was still intact. This was a few years ago. Today, she has left the mortal world. I am going to miss her, but I also know that she will live in all our hearts through so many of her incredible movies.”
Dev Anand uncle rubbed brandy on my feet himself, trying to warm me up-Padmini Kolhapure
8:11 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 26, 2020)
Padmini Kolhapure was just nine when she made her debut in Dev Anand’s Ishk Ishk Ishk. The 1974 romantic drama featured the evergreen actor in the lead opposite Zeenat Aman. It was Shabana Azmi’s first commercial outing, had the hunky Kabir Bedi and introduced Dev saab’s nephew, Shekhar Kapur, along with Zarina Wahab.
The daughter of renowed vocalist and veena player, Pandharinath Kolhapure, Padmini and her sister Shivangi, started out as playback singers. As the niece of Asha Bhosle, Padmini was mentored by singer-composer R D Burman, along with music directors Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyanji-Anandji. The songs of Ishk Ishk Ishk were scored by R D, with Ashaji lending her voice to five of them. “There’s a moment in the film, maybe in a song, when I call out to Dev uncle, ‘Ei dost’ and he responds to my greeting with ‘Ei Munni’. I remember trying to imitate his inimitable style,” laughs the actress, who went on to become a powerhouse performer herself.
Almost half a century later, Padmini is grateful she started her new innings with her Dev uncle. “Not every filmmaker takes such good care of child artistes, but in his production, I was a star. Once, when I was driving to the location in Kufri with my father, we were hit by a heavy snowstorm. Since the wipers were not working, the driver of our jeep couldn’t see ahead and had to open the windscreen. We were shooting high up in the mountains and cars back then didn’t have heaters. By the time we reached, I was frozen. When Dev uncle heard this, he came running and rubbed brandy on my feet himself, trying to warm me up. He was so loving and caring, full of life and energy, and yet so chilled out,” she reminisces fondly, admitting that she had always been a fan of Dev Anand, mesmerised by the music of films like Guide , Hare Rama Hare Krishna and even Darling Darling that not many remember. “When I started interacting with him, I discovered that he was an even better person than what I had expected.”
Eight years later, they reunited for Swami Dada and Padmini recounts that there was only one awkward moment when he told her that he wanted her to smoke a bidi. “Dev uncle, I don’t think I will be comfortable doing that,” the teenager wailed. Decades later, she acknowledges that another director might have insisted on her lighting up, but Dev saab simply nodded, “Okay, just hold the bidi in your hand, you don’t have to puff it.” Remembering him as an “amiable and flexible” filmmaker, Padmini shares that while Dev saab would explain a shot to her in his distinctive style, he was okay with her doing it her way.
Dev saab and she did not work again, but Padmini would often drop by at his office for a chat. “He had a very disciplined lifestyle and retained his youthful looks and charm till the end. In all the years that I knew him, he didn’t change. He was an actor, a filmmaker and a gentleman with an undying passion for his craft,” she avers, recalling that in the two films they did together, not once did she see him leave the set, except to grab a bite during lunch time. “Those days there were no air-conditioners or coolers. But he never took off his trademark cap, muffler and jacket. While others would stand by the table fans occasionally to cool off, he was impervious to everything. I will always remember Dev uncle as a man who loved films, who loved weaving celluloid dreams,” she says.
Had he still been around, he would have turned a sprightly 97 on September 26. And Padmini and I would have sung “Chal Saathi Chal, Chalta Jaaye Har Ek Pal… Hey Parbat Pukare, Aa Mere Pyare, Peechhey Na Reh, Aage Nikal…”
Like a hero, Rishi Kapoor saved me from fire-Padmini Kolhapure
8:10 AM
As told to Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; May 1, 2020)
It is hard to believe that I will not see him again, in person. The worst part is that I couldn't be there with him and his family for the final rites. I met him in the latter part of 2019. He was jovial. I remember looking at him and thinking that the worst phase of his life is behind him. There wasn't an iota of [weakness] in his eyes. One couldn't, from his body language, gauge that he was enduring any pain or difficulty. The unfortunate turn of events was unexpected.
More than being his co-star, I was a fan. I loved Rishi and Neetu, as a couple, and wouldn't miss a single film of the duo. For me, the turning point [in my career] came when I signed a movie with him. Rishi was the one who recommended my name to Nasir Hussain, and that's how I landed up in Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai.
The first shot that we did together was for the song Poocho na yaar kya hua. I remember it vividly. I had to do a dance sequence and then hug him. I was shivering because I was a fan.
We shot [Hoga tumse pyara kaun] on a train, and it was a surreal experience. It was hot, and we were trying to look our best, and do the best that we could. Unfortunately, my scarf caught fire, and, like a true hero, Rishi ran towards me and rescued me.
He was a foodie. I'd get prawns and fish curry to the sets and we would eat together. More than him, we loved his Punjabi lunch that Neetu would send. Neetu would send healthy food, but she never knew that he'd, in fact, be eating his co-stars' meals.
He is going to be missed. My heart goes out to Ranbir and Ridhima.
When Anil Kapoor tried to play matchmaker for Padmini Kolhapure
7:47 AM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 28, 2017)
Anil Kapoor turned 61 on Christmas Eve and Padmini Kolhapure, his leading lady of Woh 7 Din, which was produced by his father Surinder Kapoor and brother Boney Kapoor, is quick to acknowledge that 34 years later, Prem Pratap Singh Patialawale is still brimming with the same energy, enthusiasm and dedication to his craft. That’s what had set him apart from the crowd of new faces when they had worked together in this Hindi remake of the Tamil hit, Andha 7 Naatkal, in 1983. And that’s what makes him still jhakaas today.
“Anil hasn’t changed much except for the fact that he seems to be getting younger with the years. And for that I’d give credit to his wife Sunita. A woman can make or break a man and Sunita has made Anil the man he is today,” she asserts.
Going back by three decades, Padmini informs that since her parents knew his well, she was in and out of the Kapoor house when they were growing up and the camaraderie they shared, spilled over to the sets. “We would eat our lunch together, sometimes the food coming from his home and sometimes from mine,” says the actress who played Maya, the landlord’s daughter who falls in love with a struggling singer and the new tenant who thinks himself unworthy of her till she convinces him that they are made for each other and should elope. But they are caught, Prem is married and Maya forcibly married off to Dr Anand, a widower with an ailing mother. “Anil was absolutely brilliant as the flamboyant Punjabi Prem in the first half who is thoda darpok, thoda macho, thoda naïve, thoda shana. Bapu (director) would enact the scenes for us and I would marvel at how naturally Anil would slip into character,” Padmini flashbacks.
The plot changes when Maya attempts suicide on the night of her marriage and on being questioned by her husband admits that she’s in love with someone else. Dr Anand promises to unite Prem and her after his mother’s death and keeps his word too. But by then Maya has grown close to her step-daughter and husband and Prem leaves her home, alone, pointing out to Anand that it is against our culture to walk away with another man’s wife. “No matter how independent we are in our thinking, it’s hard for a woman to walk out on her husband and marriage. Even today, it’s painful,” Padmini justifies the conventional end.
She remembers how Anil tried to play matchmaker, trying to get her to meet his producer-friend Pradeep (Tutu) Sharma, insisting he’d keep her happy. “Tutu and I had already started dating by then and to ensure that our secret remained between us, my ‘No way!’ to Anil was loud and rang with conviction. Little did he know then that I was on the studio landline chatting for hours with Tutu who gave a different name every time he called and asked for me so no one would suspect,” she laughs at the intrigue.
Soon after she eloped with Tutu and married him. Padmini admits that Anil has still not forgiven her for keeping him in the dark. “Every time he sees Tutu and me together he shakes his head and says, ‘Kya ullu banaya mujhe, kabhi maaf nahin karoonga tujhe!’” she chuckles.
Woh 7 Din remains memorable even today and Padmini who was in Varanasi recently was pleasantly surprised when a judge she was sharing the stage with at a function, mentioned it among his favourite Padmini starrers and even in Japan, people were raving about it. Three years after its release, Anil and she reunited for Pyar Kiya Hai Pyar Karenge and were to do Kasam together in 1988. “I had even shot for it but by then I didn’t want to work in films anymore and since co-producers Indu (Indra Kumar) and Ashok (producer Ashok Thakeria), director Umesh Mehra and Anil were friends, Tutu could confide in them and Poonam (Dhillon) ended up stepping in for me,” she signs off, still laughing at how she fooled Anil.
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