"Was scared whether my daughters would discontinue education and get interested in acting after seeing me on-screen again," says, actress Anjali on her acting comeback after twenty years

She once ruled the Kannada film industry as one of the most glamourous actresses. Having acted in superhit movies in the '90s, ace actress Anjali is back in action after a gap of two decades. The actress has made her acting come back with the daily show 'Netravathi'. Shedding away her glamourous avatar, Anjali is seen playing a role of a doting mother in the show. In an exclusive chat with ETimes TV, the actress spoke about her career, comeback, and much more....

I was just thirteen when I started my acting career. I started off playing a supporting character. But then, my debut as a lead was with Kashinath sir. He is my Guru. He was the one, who introduced me as 'Anjali' to the industry. I was very fortunate to have a great start to my career. There was no looking back for me after my debut as the lead heroine in the Kannada film industry.

I got married in 1998 August and that's when I took the decision to break from acting. But I did finish all my work commitments before shifting abroad. I wanted to dedicate myself to my family. My husband is a movie buff. He was very much ok with me acting. But, for me, I felt my kids' education was more important. I wanted to give them time and enjoy each and every stage of their growth.

I wanted to give the best of the best to my daughters. But I had this fear. I was scared if my daughters would discontinue their education and get interested in acting if they see me on-screen again. This was indeed my biggest fear. I waited for them to complete their education. It was my dream to give the best education for both my daughters. Also, as a mother, I wanted to enjoy the little joys in life. From dropping my kids at school to picking them up and doing household chores, I have just lived my life like a typical homemaker.

We shifted back to India due to personal reasons. This phase was quite challenging for all of us as the pandemic also came in at the same time. Both my daughters have grown up. They are pursuing graduation. My second daughter completed her twelfth grade here while the elder one is pursuing her graduation in London. Now that both of them have grown up, I felt this is the time for me to make a comeback.

I was waiting for a good opportunity to make my acting come back. I did get a lot of opportunities too. But I was offered negative character roles. I was somehow not ok with doing it. Being a mother of two daughters, I was a little skeptical of choosing my characters. I wanted to do a positive role.

Anjali is known for her glamour quotient. Back then, my situation demanded to take up what came my way. I wanted to support and look after my family. I was able to pay the house rent only if I could bag an opportunity. Maybe then, I never had a choice to choose my characters. But now, I am capable of choosing what I need. By god's grace, I am leading a happy life and looking forward to resuming my career in a positive manner.

That's when Netravathi came my way. I was excited because it's from Appaji's (Dr.Rajkumar) banner. On the other hand, I was somehow not comfortable with giving auditions and conveyed the same to the team as well. The team was very cooperative. The makers dropped by my place for a small look test. I was also pretty well prepared for it. Since I was already briefed about my character, I decided to have a makeover. I dressed up as a typical naive mother. From my saree to the makeover, I managed to meet the look of the character. I wore a simple cotton saree and teamed it up with traditional accessories and hairdos. The makers were very impressed and asked me to join the team the next day itself.

The makers narrated the script to me and I just loved it. I fell in love with my on-screen character. Everything started falling in place. My look was apt, shoot dates were finalised and moreover, I was excited to face the camera after two decades. Trust me, I just could not sleep that night. My excitement level was that high. All I knew was I was getting back to the profession where I belonged to. It was indeed a fresh start for me.

I might have acted in many projects earlier, but my comeback after two decades was equivalent to a kid attending the school for the first time. I don't know if it was nervous or excitement. It was just to live in that moment. The next day, when I entered the set, the director made sure I felt comfortable on the set. He told me that he grew up watching my movies.

Being on the Netravathi set is bliss actually. From the co-artists to the technicians and the director, everyone is very friendly. In fact, they do treat me like a motherly figure and I personally like that bond. Many times, I cook food at home for the entire unit and take it to the set. I like serving the food to them and enjoy it. There are times when the team misses me when I have my day off. They call me from the set and convey how much they miss me. I like this bond. It feels great to be back.

Oh! Despite a gap of twenty years, I feel blessed that viewers have accepted me on-screen. I get a lot of DM's and mail from fans. While some say they are happy to see me back on-screen, a few others say that they were surprised to see me acting after a long gap. They also talk about my previous flicks and share their memories related to them

I realised it is very difficult for an artist to sustain in the industry now. only the lucky ones among the lot manage to hog the limelight. The competition is that fierce. But yes, alongside Netravathi, I will be seen in another new show, which is expected to premiere soon on a leading Kannada general entertainment channel.