‘Like Bela I was widowed when very young’- Madhuri Sanjeev

Madhuri Sanjeev like her character Bela in Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha was widowed at a young age. This adversity groomed her into a very strong and independent woman.

Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha on Colors is about widow remarriage. So why can’t Bela fall in love and marry too? There is a misconception in India that there is a cut off age for love and marriage. In reality nobody can be too old to feel the pure emotion of love and the sacred relationship of marriage.

Actually Bela’s family is a very orthodox family. I would like to see Bela remarried however I don’t think her family will think like that. Bela was indeed instrumental in getting Megha remarried as she didn’t want her to suffer like Bela had to. There must be a story behind Bela’s widowhood which is yet to be revealed on the show.

Do you sometimes feel sorry for Bela? She is confined to the four walls of her house and has never been a working woman. Her happiness is based on the happiness of her family members rather than on factors in her own life.

Bela doesn’t think of herself at all. It is true that she is happy on seeing her family happy. She lives with her brother and is busy with her stitching work which gives her happiness.

Bela has always supported Mohan. Will she support Mohan now that he has done bigamy?
I am clueless about the forthcoming tracks. The creative meeting on this matter is yet to take place anyway.

How are you similar to and different from Bela?
Like Bela I was widowed when very young. My son was just a year old. He is now all grown up and going to England for higher studies. Unlike Bela I am not childless. Whereas she stays with her brother, I am an independent woman and a strong single mother.

Anjan Srivastav told me that Bela’s role should gain prominence now. Do you agree?
It is very sweet of him to say so. Anjan Srivastav is my rakhi brother. We started our careers together and have known him for 25 years. He is a very fine actor.
The protagonists of the show are Mohan and Megha. Naturally with Megha’s marriage the focus has shifted mainly to the both of them. Also Bela is a positive character whereas Renu is a negative character. In India negative characters get more screen time than positive characters. Renu is by nature inquisitive and a trouble monger, people enjoy watching her. Having said that, Bela will also have her screen time in future as she is always instrumental in solving Megha and Mohan’s problems.

Are you a Ranbir Kapoor fan like Bela is?
I am a big fan of Ranbir Kapoor. He is one of the most promising young heroes who has done diverse roles with elan. I love him.

Ranbir Kapoor visited the sets of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Won’t it be nice if he comes to Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha and meets Bela?
Bela would be speechless in Ranbir visited her on the show. The theme of Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha would comically hold true for this speechless silence.

Have you watched Punar Vivah which runs on Zee TV? It is also on remarriage. How would you compare both the shows? Why do you think it is higher in TRP than your show?
I have just watched one episode of Punar Vivah. The story is similar but the treatment is different. May be Punar Vivah is higher in TRP as the lead actor Gurmeet Choudhary has an ardent fan following. Our hero Kunal Karan Kapoor is a very powerful actor but with less fan following than Gurmeet. Actually I can’t really pin point the reason as to why Punar Vivah has higher TRP.

Do you feel that senior actors are often sidelined nowadays? I mean they don’t get main roles, only young actors get main roles. Would not senior citizens like to watch a show where the leads are older people?
I have many ideas on this theme. However which channel will accept this? The bottom line is will a show like this garner high TRP?