‘Despite acting in some 100 films and television plays, people still remember the daadi of Hum Log.’

The doyenne of stage and cinema Sushma Seth has scored several milestones in her theatre, film and television career, which has spanned over five decades.

Whether as the daadi of Hum Log or the grandmother in Kal Ho Naa Ho, she has always made an impression with her judiciously projected mix of steel and velvet.

The actress, who will turn 90 in June, looks back at a life rich in anecdotes and achievements.

“Initially, the director felt I did not look the part of Hum Log‘s daadi at all. Daadi was a rustic 70-80 year old whereas I was in my 40s!”

Congratulations on turning 90 this year. Your skin glows and you are very active. What’s your secret elixir?

The yoga discipline I follow is my secret elixir! Fifty years ago, I discovered the Ashtanga Yoga discipline of Patanjali which I have regularly practiced ever since. Yam, niyam, pratyahar, asan, pranayama, dharna, dhyan and ultimately praying for samadhi — I believe in the eight-point blueprint for the entire life which impacts us on the physical, mental, emotional, ethical and spiritual level.

The bittersweet daadi of Hum Log, the imperious matriarchs of Prem Rog and Chaandni, the indulgent grandmother of Ram Teri Ganga Maili… do any of these characters reflect shades of the real Sushma Seth?

All these characters reflect shades of women I’ve met or known in life. I had stored some of their mannerisms and personality traits.

You have been acclaimed for playing the genial granny and the domineering daadi. Which is closer to you in real life?

The indulgent grandmother of Ram Teri Ganga Maili is like me when it comes to my relationship with my grandchildren. I’ve been a supporter of my children’s talents and dreams, but have also been firm in their upbringing. I am a little less firm with the grandchildren.

Two of my granddaughters are getting married in February and March, and I have been busy completing two paintings that I am making as gifts for them.

You hold a unique position as the first Indian actress to have studied acting and direction in an American university in the 1950s. Tell us how that came about in the cultural milieu of that time.

I was born in a very progressive Mathur Kayasth joint family where all the arts — music, dance, drama — and sports were encouraged and supported.

I was offered a scholarship by Briarcliff College, in upstate New York. There, I chose to major in drama and all the allied subjects — acting, direction, costumes, set design — as well as painting and western music appreciation. I was elected president of the student council and crowned May Queen.

Why did you veer towards theatre? Being a woman, was it difficult to be one of the founders of a theatre group Yatrik and direct plays in the 1960s and 1970s?

I loved the stage. In New York, I used to go to see fabulous plays, musicals, art galleries and revel in the experiences.

Once in Delhi, I was extremely fortunate that all the roles every actress yearns for were offered to me. All the theatre groups offered me wonderful lead roles in English, Hindi, Urdu plays such as Rano in Rajinder Singh Bedi’s Ek Chadar Maili Si, Gurdafarid in Agha Hasahr Kashmiri’s Rustom Sohrab, Sabrina in Sabrina Fair, Fatima in Ali Baba, Kate in Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, Shen Te in Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan and Champa in Sakharam Binder.

I directed plays, designed costumes, sets and we founded a repertory company, Yatrik. We were on stage every weekend! Those were an exhilarating and fulfilling 20 years.

For most actresses, Bollywood was the holy grail but you chose to remain in Delhi as a young actress. Were your options constrained by marriage?

My husband brought flowers every opening night with ingeniously written notes! My parents encouraged and supported me.

Was it tricky perfecting the balancing act between motherhood and career?

My daughters, Divya and Priya, were born in the next three years. They were exposed to rehearsals in our homes, and would watch with rapt attention, and would often fill in for absent actors!

Divya would read stories and dramatise them with her friends during the summer holidays. That was the incentive for me to start Children’s Creative Theatre. Some of my young actors are now seen on television and in films, like Rituraj, Ashish Vidyarthi, Deepika Deshpande, Loveleen Misra, Kamya Malhotra and Divya.

I was invited by the principal of Convent of Jesus & Mary to teach elocution. I introduced choral dramatised speaking, which led to ticketed performances of Rabindranath Tagore’s Land of Cards. The play was a huge success with students’ performances.

The director of National School of Drama also requested me to hold the children theatre workshops, and the response was overwhelming!

I was teaching speech and drama in the mornings, conducting workshops in the afternoons and rehearsing for our Yatrik plays in the evenings! We travelled with two-three plays to schools and colleges. My infant son Kavi accompanied me.

It was not tiring. It was exhilarating!

You were in your 40s when you segued to films with Shyam Benegal’s Junoon (1979). How did it happen?

Mr. Benegal was in Delhi, casting for Junoon. I was an ardent admirer of all his films, so I was overjoyed when he offered me the role of Chachijaan.

As a film newcomer, what was the experience like working in a Shashi Kapoor production?

We stayed in the same hotel, hosted every evening by Shashi and Jennifer Kapoor. There was no two-tier system at all. There was respect and excellent hospitality. And that continued when Mr. Benegal cast me in Kalyug (1981) with Shashiji as the producer again.

Raj Kapoor was also an extravagant producer-director who pampered us when I worked in Prem Rog (1982).

What was the new element that you brought to Hindi films? You signed a spate of films with major directors.

In the 1980s, most films narrated a similar story pattern with stock characters. The female leads were between 15 and 21 years old. Older actresses were indulgent mothers and grandmas or caustic mothers-in-laws.

I tried to colour my characters with an unseen-onscreen past to bring subtle changes and depth to the role.

Did being an experienced stage veteran help in films?

Stage actors and actresses have always been sought by directors and producers because dedication and commitment is deeply rooted in most theatre folk.

On the sets, if my suggestions contributed to the story, they were accepted by the directors. The stage is an actor’s medium; whereas television and films are the director’s.

Which film directors impressed you?

Shyam Benegal (Junoon, Kalyug), Raj Kapoor (Prem Rog, Ram Teri Ganga Maili), Harmesh Malhotra (Nagina), B R Chopra (Tawaif), Dharmesh Darshan (Dhadkan), Vinod Chopra (1942 A Love Story) and Karan Johar (Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kal Ho Na Ho, Student of the Year).

Despite your flourishing career, why did you continue staying in Delhi?

There were suggestions that I should move to Mumbai when Dev Anand and Yash Chopra offered me Swami Dada and Chandni respectively. Living in Delhi, I could not attend film mahurats and parties. But I opted for travelling to Mumbai or Chennai or Bangalore for the subsequent shoots. My mother, father and husband were my pillars of support while I was busy with films.

As the endearingly quirky daadi of Hum Log (1984), your popularity soared. Tell us about the early days of Indian TV.

P Kumar, director of Hum Log, wanted me for the role of daadi, but felt I did not look the part at all. Daadi was a rustic 70-80 year old whereas I was in my 40s at the time. But on reading the script, I only wanted to play the daadi.

Daadi of Hum Log was a role of a lifetime, for which I have received boundless love and appreciation. Despite acting in some 100 films and television plays, people still remember the daadi of Hum Log. I received sacks full of fanmail. I replied to them all.

The very talented cast shared a familial bonding. We spent the whole day rehearsing, shooting and revolting against the inedible food provided on set. We supplemented it with food brought from home, and shared the wonderful experience of creativity and togetherness. Whenever we meet now, it is with nostalgia for those days.

What was it like to work with daughter Divya (she played the middle sister, Manjhli) in Hum Log?

Mr. Kumar sought my help when casting for Manjhli and Chutki. I suggested Divya and Loveleena’s names because they were both talented. Divya had been performing in her St. Stephen College plays, and with like minded actors had formed a group called TAG. Subsequent, sensitive and powerful performances led to her television and film career.

What led to your turning author and penning a book, Stageplay?

After seeing school and college stage productions, I realised that a comprehensive book on practical drama material was required for all those who aspired for a career in teaching drama, holding workshops and forming amateur theatre groups. So I decided to put together my observations, findings, experiences and guidelines into a practical manual, with some biographical material and photographs.

And Stageplay was written, published by Amaryllis. Later a Hindi translation brought out by the National School of Drama.

Your later plays, painting and singing showcase a more spiritual bent.

In the summer of 1998, I was asked to hold drama workshops in the slums of south Delhi by the Arpana Basti Vikas Kendra, a spiritual, inter-faith, NGO (non-governmental organisation), which believes that service with love is true worship.

The excited faces of the children was so remarkable that I agreed immediately. In the next 22 years, I directed Gopal Bhaiya, Shabri, Ken Upanishad, and Krishna Sudama with casts of 80-90 students in each production. All the dance dramas were written by Guru Ma of Arpana.

You recently lost your granddaughter. Tell us about your relationship with her.

Our youngest Mihika introduced me to Maharashtrian cuisine, which was her favourite, as was Thai, Italian, Chinese and various milkshakes.

She was a sensitive, fearless and exceptionally gifted wildlife photographer. Losing her has been most painful and tragic for us.

What is the biggest life lesson you can share at this stage of your life?

Each one of us is gifted with a special talent. It is important to pursue that vocation with study and involvement, to feel joyous and creatively fulfilled.