The star-next-door

After starring in innumerable films and popular teleserials, actress Bhanupriya is all set to compere a dance programme on TV, aptly cashing in on her talent in creative arts too.After 140 films, some crass commercial and some creatively satisfying, she stormed into our homes and hearts with "Shakti" and "Vazhkai" and is now all set to cash in on her classical dance training to anchor Jaya TV's Bharatanatyam game show, ``Thaka dhimi tha''.

To track Bhanupriya's transition from an actress to an anchor, when you reach her house, she opens the door herself to usher you into her modest, but tastefully done up apartment. And the first thing that strikes you about Bhanupriya besides her good looks, faultless figure and coy gait, is her warm and friendly attitude.

Dressed in a red salwar kameez, hair neatly plaited and face scrubbed clean with just a small bindi and equally small earrings, she doesn't bear any resemblance to one of her blown-up photographs on the walls of her living room, a reminder of the days when she was a glamour queen, gyrating to throbbing filmi beats. But in the few other pictures with her husband, Adarsh Kaushal, she looks the quintessential Indian woman.

Mention marriage and a happy smile reaches Bhanupriya's big fluid, dark eyes. ``It's the best thing to have happened to me,'' she reveals. Two years ago, it was during the making of the teleserial "Shakti" that she tied the knot. Soon after, the actress shifted base to the U.S to be with her husband. But after Shakti's success, interesting acting offers pulled Bhanupriya back to Chennai. ``It's difficult for an artiste to say `no' to meaningful roles, '' she says. And now divides her time between Chennai and U.S. Besides serials, she is also doing a Telugu, Tamil and Kannada film.

``Adarsh and I have no problem with this long distance relationship, as we enjoy our work and want to keep our professional life going. Being a businessman, he tours a lot and right now is in Chennai to spend time with me,'' she says gleefully.

She's had her shot at stardom, and now prefers to strike a balance between home and work. ``I don't want to do films and television to show people that my career is happening. It's now important for me to be happy with what I am doing. I can afford to be choosy and try out different things. During my peak in films, I did a mythological serial, "Vishwamitra" with NTR for Doordarshan. People were aghast, but I went ahead. Luckily, over the years, I have been getting roles that match my age and maturity. After a tearjerker like "Vazhkai", the dance game show will portray a vibrant and vivacious me," enthuses the actress.

She was hardly 16, when she entered films. In fact, it's the big screen popularity that got her coveted roles on the small screen when her career was on a low.

After a 17-year career, nothing can now hold her back before the camera, whether she's acting or anchoring. ``However, Sita's role was particularly endearing as she was quite like me — tolerant and reticent,'' she quips. But unlike Sita, Bhanupriya will not put up with things beyond a point. ``Compromises are justified only till they don't hurt one's self-respect and are for valid reasons,'' she says.

For the actress, "Vazhkai" will always be special for giving her life a new meaning. "I had never felt so good before. Though I had liked the serial's script, initially I was a little hesitant about accepting such a long project. But my husband suggested that I take it up. For the first time, someone advised me to do things I want to. He made me feel independent and gave me my space to lead life on my terms,'' reveals the actress.

For all the success and fan following, Bhanupriya sounds as normal and simple as the girl-next-door.

CHITRA SWAMINATHAN

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