A PERSONAL HEART RENDING TRIBUTE TO FORMER SUPER STAR BHARAT BHOOSHAN

 (As told by his daughter APARAJITA BHOOSHAN to JYOTHI VENKATESH exclusively )

Yesterday happened to be the 101^st birthday of an evergreen super star of Indian Cinema- Bharat Bhooshan. Stars come down to earth and contribute in their own unique way through art, music, dance and many other glittering gifts time and again. My dear father Bharat Bhooshan was one of those stars who gifted us all with his passion for music and flare for enacting the roles of saints and musicians and romantic lovers of all times ! Popularly known as Baiju , for the role he played with such ease and abandon in Baiju Bawra, he continued to play the roles of saints and poets with great talent and precision. Bhakt Kabir, Mirza Ghalib, Sangeet Samrat Tansen, Angulimal. These are just a few of the many characters he had played though he was ruling the rostrum as a leading superstar all through the stunning 50s and exciting 60s.

 

Yet, no matter how busy he was with his shootings, he always found time for his music and books. He had an incomparable library of books at home and a collection of music in which he would so often lose himself and immerse with joy! His spacious bungalow had gardens which he personally attended to and decorated with rare plants and flowers. Alas, the garden is no longer his as he had sold it to Jeetendra who was then emerging as yet another super star in the late 60’s .

 

And of course he loved his two daughters beyond all else, trying his best to give them the love of a mother they had lost very early. After the death of our mother, father had married actress Ratnaji when they were acting together in a film. Though totally an integral part and parcel of the film world, my father Bharat Bhooshan was known as a very shy, reserved and largely introverted soul, who would rather be by himself when not at work. He was not the one to indulge in parties or social gatherings, but yes he often hosted mushairas and musical programs in the lawns of his beautiful bungalow and invite film personalities with great enthusiasm.

He was an inspiration and his life reflected how one needed to adapt to sudden and frightening changes in financial status, career and personal challenges. As he saw himself losing the grandeur of stardom and his material possessions he accepted it all gracefully and held on unflinchingly to his principles and his spiritual strengths.

My father did not at all hesitate to move on to character roles gracefully in films like Pyar Ka Mausam, Taqdeer, Khoon Pasina, Daata and many more, when he stopped getting offers to play the young romantic roles since he was no longer young and several new youngsters had started invading the film scene by then. When required he would even work in a couple of scenes in a movie – he knew he had to keep going!

Never ever did he succumb to any weaknesses – in fact in his final moments he was still the dignified star who had walked with life at every step with fearlessness and acceptance! Yes. Bharat Bhooshan was not only a superstar of his time but an inspiration to many who knew him intimately! He will always live on in the memory of his fans and friends with his gracious contributions!!

I, his daughter Aparajita Bhooshan, frankly had never ever thought that someday I would also, like my father, end up as an actress! Yes, when I had just finished my Senior Cambridge, my father Bharat Bhooshanji had asked me what I would like to do henceforth. Very fearfully I had tried telling him I would like to take up acting by following in his footsteps, but his strict words of admonition made me retrace my thoughts immediately.

Since childhood I loved writing, reading and music, definitely an inheritance from my father! Fate had me predestined for a journey as an actress. An early marriage at the age of just eighteen, and the demise of my husband when I was 32, somehow inevitably brought me to a career I had forsaken years ago – Acting! Circumstances necessitated that I resort to first dubbing and then acting, as I had innumerable responsibilities as a single parent. And my journey began as an actress !

I was offered the role of Mandodari by Ramanand Sagarji in 1987 at a time when frankly I knew nothing of camera or dialogue delivery and I also had no focus on fame, name or a grand career as an actress. I just needed work badly to look after my own family- my kids and the monetary benefits. I learned the details of acting by trial and error when I was working in Umbergaon on the sets of  Ramanand Sagar’s magnum opus Ramayan !

 

I was taken aback by the success of my role as Mandodari – the adulation, the fan following and the fame I acquired so suddenly, like people say palak jhapakthe hi.

When I look back I wonder – I had never really acted in that character of Ravan’s wife Mandodari. I was a perfect, natural reflection of Mandodari – gentle, emotional, sensitive, a little fearful and yet strong in her principles and visions. Yes. I could one hundred per cent relate to my role as it was indeed me as I was in reality!

Thereafter I enacted a beautiful role in the Govinda starrer “Hatya’ which fared very well and once again I was appreciated.

Life had opened doors for me so graciously. I had the opportunity to work with very distinguished directors and actors. And most of my films did very well. Films like Vishwatma, Mohra, Gupt, Pyar Ka Devta, Maharaja, Bal Brahmchari, Hum, Phool Bane Angarey, Lahoo ke Do Rang, Kasak etc etc!

Looking back at my ‘accidental’ career as an actress, I realize now that I have acted till date in around 50 films as a character artists, and also played a very interesting negative role in a famous serial directed by Ravi Rai – ‘Imtihan’ opposite Anang Desaiji , which was aired on Doordarshan. I had the good fortune to work with Mr. Shyam Benegal too in a couple of episodes of the popular Bharat Ki Ek Khoj alias ‘A Discovery of India’ !

Acting and being in the film industry had opened a new life for me. I had always lived in a cocoon like existence as a daughter and wife but fate had willed that  now I had an opportunity to know what the outside world was about and it made me stronger and wiser every moment, though often it left me apprehensive and thoughtful. But even as I kept on with my film career there was a spiritual tug at my heart when I realized that my soul saying that there was something I was missing and which was calling me away. I knew I must move on. My financial needs had been taken care of, my responsibilities were over in a sense and I wrapped up my acting career 23 years ago all of a sudden way back in 1997 and moved to Pune where I had built my little home brick by brick . I began my research on life, transformation and spiritual healing and I began writing once again, something I have passionately loved all my life! Now I smile, when I think of my father on his 101^st birthday and miss his loving presence in our midst!

I smile, because I genuinely feel that my life has now indeed come a full circle. I began playing the pious character of  Mandodari in the epic serial Ramayan , continuously trying to teach and guide Ravan not to walk the wrong path in life, to be righteous, to live within certain laws,  and today as a motivational speaker and writer I do the same, in my little, humble way,  though this time only through my pen and words, not camera and lights! Signing off while penning down my personal thoughts for the public and my fans, all that I’d say is that as far as I am concerned, I am thankful not only to God up there but also to my scores of fans that it has been a beautiful journey indeed!!