Being a TV actress is not an easy task: Neelu Vaghela

Neelu Vaghela gained immense popularity with her television debut in Star Plus’ mega hit, Diya Aur Bati Hum (DABH).She has also garnered praises as an actress performing in more than 50 Rajasthani films.

We had a candid chat with the ‘Bhabo’ of Indian television, as she talked about her inspirations and plans of working in Bollywood.

Neelu said, “Well, DABH was my first show in Hindi and I am truly amazed at the response the show’s character ‘Bhabo’ has received. I have worked in more than 50 Rajasthani films, three Gujarati films and acted as a child actor in a Hindi film so if I get a chance in Bollywood film I will surely do it.”

When we asked the pretty lady about how similar Neelu is to Bhabo, she quipped, “Unlike my onscreen character, I am not at all so decked up in real life. I usually wear dresses and not saris. I am not at all used to this pallu, heavy saris, heavy jewellery sets, etc.” She further added, “In real life, I have learnt a lot from Bhabo as she is so disciplined and cares for her family. Initially, I used to be very bindaas, but after playing ‘Bhabo’, I have become disciplined and more caring towards my family. Being a TV actress is not an easy task at all,” she concluded.

When we asked her about her biggest inspiration. Neelu said, “I am inspired by Jaya Bachchan and Sridevi. I was just 11 years old when I saw Jaya-ji in ‘Guddi’ and I fell in love with her performance.”

So how do you balance between your work and family? She said, “I always try to allocate defined hours for my work and family. Yes, there are days when I have to give extra hours at work, but I make every attempt to spend the remaining time with family.”

What inspired you to start your own production house, Aruneel Films? Neelu shared, “I always wanted to promote people who had talent, but were not getting the right platform in Rajasthani films. There is a lot of talent there but artists have to go through a lot of struggle. Hence along with my husband, Arvind Kumar, I started Aruneel Films Productions, to promote talent.” She added further, “We are proud of producing Rajasthani films under our banner, namely, ‘Oji Re Deewana’, ‘Preet Na Jaane Reet’, ‘Hiwde Su Door Mat Ja’, ‘Raju Bangayo MLA’, and ‘Raju Rathod’.”

What does success mean to you? “I measure my success through the love and support of my fans and the place I have made in their hearts. Most of us in the television industry are known by the characters we play, but I am blessed as people recognise me not only by my character name Bhabo, but also by my real name Neelu,” she said.

We wish the actress success with her acting career as well as her production house.