Talluri Rameshwari on everyone wanting a daughter-in-law like her after Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye, “I used to get scared that I am not like that”; also shares how the movie “spoilt” her future projects : Bollywood News

Veteran actress Talluri Rameshwari is known for being the female lead of iconic films like Seetamalakshmi and Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye. She looked back at her career and the days when she was active in an interview with us.

Talluri Rameshwari on everyone wanting a daughter-in-law like her after Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye, "I used to get scared that I am not like that"; also shares how the movie "spoilt" her future projects

Talluri Rameshwari on everyone wanting a daughter-in-law like her after Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye, “I used to get scared that I am not like that”; also shares how the movie “spoilt” her future projectsNamaste Rameshwari ji. It’s such an honor and pleasure speaking to you
Oh, thank you.

I have been looking for your number for years and years No one seemed to have it
Because I am not popular.

No, you are popular even if you didn’t do anything after doing Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye and Seetamalakshmi. Those of us who belong to that generation were crazy about those films
Actually, even today, there is a freshness in Dulhan Wahi….. There is so much innocence in Rajshri movies.

And you became an instant star. Do you remember those days? I mean, you were like the bride of the nation. Everyone wanted a daughter-in-law like you.
At the same time, I used to get scared that I am not like that. I am not like that. I played this simple, straightforward woman, who is willing to please everyone, but she was no doormat. But still very obedient, very Indian, very traditional. Yes, yes. It was an amazing role.

There were elements of My Fair Lady in Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye
Yes, I mean, not that much.

And of course, everyone expected, Rameshwari ji, that you are the star, you are going to be the star. Then, I know what happened, but I want to hear it from you. After that, you did a very successful Telugu film.
No, actually, at that time, I had done some 12-15 films. Yes, 3-4 were also quite successful. Yes, yes. But after that, after about 30 films, I felt I stagnating. The realization came to when I was doing an Odia film called Manini in 1985. It was a very good work, even better work than Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye. I had evolved as an actress. But I felt (I) was not going anywhere.

Did you want to somewhere move away from the image of the ideal bride?
No, no, that was not a big problem. But people misinterpreted the character of Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye a lot. They felt that, like you just used the word, she was a doormat when she was not. But somehow, people wanted me to be a doormat in the film. During shooting, I used to ask questions from the directors. Directors like Lekh Tandon ji (who directed Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye) were happy with the questions. Other directors resented it. I did my second film, a Telugu film Seetamalakshmi. That was a big hit. And I didn’t ask questions in that.

So, would you say Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye spoilt your future projects?
Oh absolutely! Recently I was doing something for a forthcoming film where I’m supposed to be someone who is eagerly waiting for someone. And she’s become old. And then she has a lathi in the hand and she walks with, you know, oh my God, that person is here, that person is here. And the director says, where did this come from? You did it in one minute, you didn’t do any preparation, you didn’t do anything. I said, it came to my mind that this is how it should be. I did it. I didn’t want to be involved with projects where I had no voice. And mind you, I’m not a rich person and I’ve never been a rich person.

I recently saw you playing a very funny mother in a Telugu film Uppu Kappurambu
I initially didn’t want to do it. The old character has to keep coughing and talking all the time. That wasn’t easy to do. You know what is the difference between the time I was offered Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye and now?

Tell me please?
The difference is this. When he thought about me for this role in Dulan Wahi…, Mr. P K Gupta had called me at least 5-6 times. I didn’t go. Because I had some ego in me. I felt that these people would make me sit there and finally say there is no work for you. So, I don’t want to go. So Mr. Gupta came home. And he said, what is the problem? I told him I would come to the Rajshri office on condition that the door should be open. You can’t believe it. When I went there, they kept the door open. Raj Babu (Sooraj Barjatya’s father) was laughing. He treated me like his own child. I got Rs. 10,000 for the entire film. And how much love did I get? So much! There used to be forty sarees for me to choose from.

Prem Kishen was also very unproblematic as a hero. Otherwise, a hero can say that you are giving the heroine a bow. He was also new. Yes, but he was a man from the film industry. He was veteran actor Prem Nath’s son. He could have been troubled. But he was also so accommodating. So of course Raj Babu and Rajshri Productions spoilt me. They treated me like a little princess. I didn’t have a hairdresser or a make-up man. I didn’t have anyone. I never needed anyone. Because they were providing everything for me.

It wasn’t same in other productions?
I didn’t understand how to behave outside. If they used to say that the shift is at 9 o’clock, I used to reach by 9 o’clock. And they used to sit there till 12 o’clock. No one came till 12 o’clock. I didn’t understand what I was doing there. So, slowly over the time, I felt very disappointed with the whole thing.

But Rameshwari ji, there was an accident, right?
That happened in the Rajshri Productions only. During the film Sunaina.

Your eye was hurt, I believe?
Well, it was very tragic, very tragic. I suppose it had to happen, you know.

But did that affect your career, Rameshwari ji?
It did, it did. And also my attitude. I didn’t give a damn about what people thought. I said, if it’s a wound, it’s a wound, what can I do? I had a black eye, actually. That black eye took nine months to heal. Maybe in today’s medical world, it’d be a different kind of treatment. I did quite a few films even after the injury. J Om Prakash’s Asha was a big hit. But I didn’t know how to capitalize on that.

Are you open to all kinds of offers right now? What is your criteria for selecting now?
I want to see what kind of impact the character has on the story. In Uppu Kappurambu, actually the director convinced me to do it. I didn’t want to do it because it was physically strenuous.

I was part of Devara. I enjoyed it for a different reason. Because of that, the mysteriousness of that character. It’s a small character, but it’s a very mysterious, very, you know, what is she exactly? What does she know? That kind of a thing. I have a lot of time to do films. But at the same time, I don’t want to be underpaid. There are a lot of offers, but they want to kind of downgrade you in some way. There are two or three incentives for a character artist. One is that you get lovely characters. So, when you do those lovely characters, even if it is a two-day job or a five-day job, it’s very satisfying. You know, you feel that you have fulfilled the need of the character. That is what I want. And the other one is that I want job satisfaction.