Supriya Pathak

I love growing old and if I get good work playing women of my age and talk about their issues and lives, I am happiest doing that.

Our films are now portraying the real woman of today, and thankfully, female characters are pretty close to reality. This is a welcome change, and I think it is a reflection of our society.

For older actresses, the story is still the same. They are either subservient wives taking care of their husbands - like that typical age-old character of a woman, who serves her husband a hot cup of tea as soon as he comes home; or they are mothers dependent on their sons.

Things have definitely changed from my times, when there were just no strong roles written for women, I will not deny that.

Cinema might have it's share of ups and downs, it can't go. It is a very major part of everybody's life. It is a process like going to cinema halls, watching films on the big screen.

When TV came, it was a very strong medium. It reached out to so many people and it could have made difference but we got into mundaneness of it.

I was keen to become a dancer and was studying for it. Somehow, it did not work out and I joined theatre. I do not regret it.

I am a product of theatre and whatever I learned there helped me emote in front of the camera.

Based on the role's requirement whether it needs genuine portrayal or going over the top, I understand the whole process and deliver the performance.

Once I decide to play a character, I believe in giving my best.

Any creative professional lives on high emotions and while others might handle stress of life in a calmer manner, we are sensitive and vulnerable to issues.

I wasn't ambitious though I loved acting.

When I started, my mother was already an actress and I wasn't keen on being one.

And I love making people laugh.

Even after being in the industry for so long, I still have a dream - a dream to work with my daughter Sanah.

You achieve only as much you are destined to.

I must agree with the role. As actors, we influence people.

The work pressure in a daily is much. There is no time to etch out characters.

It becomes difficult to do weeklies as I need to be with my children.

I'm a very proud mother as Sanah has been getting lots of rave reviews. She has done good work and shown herself as a promising actress.

I would love to play Hansaa again if somebody offers me that role. In fact, I have been pleading with the producers of 'Khichdi' to bring that show back.

I don't watch any shows but I have been following international series such as 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Clue' and 'Modern Family.' I would love to be part of any of these if they are recreated in India.

TV is a medium that can be used to spread a positive message but people are spreading bogus ideas in people's minds.

I have always wanted to do Gujarati films but I wasn't offered any good films.

I said yes to a Gujarati film because I loved the script.

I wanted to give the best to my kids. Thankfully, my husband has done tremendously well for us and I was never stressed to continue working at the cost of neglecting them.

Hansa is very different from me as a person. But I fell in love with her because of her innocence.

Whenever I see a film or read a book, the only thing which keeps me alive is acting and the fact that I will be offered a good role and I would be able to perform it. That is all that life means to me.

I am itching to play every character.

My sister is a very good actress and when we are working together, we become our characters. We are not sisters then.

Earlier, I used to always ask people if they want me to answer as Supriya or Hansa. If they said Hansa, and asked me a question, I would say, I don't know. That's because Hansa doesn't know anything! For me, it was important to reach that state of thing in mind where I don't question anything.

I feel Hansa is an evergreen character which has been a sheer pleasure to perform.

Initially, I was worried about playing Hansa, because Hansa is someone who talks a lot but does nothing. But after I started playing the character, it was such a relief.

It is great that the industry is open to accepting character roles and moving away from the cliched Bollywood Hindi masala films.

Although the need or demand for a lead actor and actress will never fade in the Bollywood film industry, character roles have also become popular and more importantly they are very integral for the script.

I think the only thing wrong about our profession is the frustration you go through, when you don't have work, when you are going up or down. All the time the stress is there.

I didn't want Sanah to be an actress. I was very concerned.

My sabbatical from Bollywood was a conscious decision. I was never in the rat race.

I would be ready for any kind of weather changes and carry different kinds of clothing in my car.

It is a dream come true to be working with Mr. Bachchan again. I played his sister in 'Shahenshah,' but then I had many questions unanswered as an actress.

I feel amused when women in Indian films are unfailingly shown screaming at their kith and kin who are involved in nefarious activities. Please, let's get real! How can a woman react so dramatically to something that has been happening under her nose ever since her marriage?

When TV came, it was a great medium and then daily soaps came in and ruined the quality of the work we were doing.

Sometimes, I do think about direction but I haven't much about it. I don't know if I want to put my foot in the other boat.

Earlier, I couldn't work a lot as my kids were growing up.

I gauge if I can create a different a woman. But sometimes, you feel the character isn't given enough space to perform.

As an artiste, I have learnt a lot from Pankaj and still get amazed at his dedication to give nothing but the very best each and every time.

I didn't mind the extra weight as a change in myself but I feel I need to reduce it because of my age and before all the aches and pains kick in!

I want to be able to give ample time to my children and my home.

I don't like doing too many things at a time.

I have been offered other roles on television but I don't think I'll be able to enact those crooked characters.