Bhagyashree

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ught up in Mumbai like normal children. In her interview she said she used to visit Sangli thrice a year and would be embarrassed by royal reverence made towards her. Her father, despite being a royal prince was down to earth and had passion for education. He was an accomplished lawyer, an engineer, a businessman with factories in Mauritius, Africa and all around the globe. Like her father Bhagyashree too was a studious student. She wanted to go abroad for studies but destiny had other plans.

Bhagyashree won her first TV serial accidently In Mumbai, her neighbor was actor and filmmaker Amol Palekar. His daughter Shalmalee and her sister Purnima were of the same age hence they were great friends. Hence when Amol Palekar started the TV serial Kachchi Dhoop (1987) he offered Purnima a role as Shalmalee was also working in the TV serial. It was a children drama about a mother’s poignant trauma and her three daughters. On the first day of the shooting when everything was ready and shooting was to commence, Amol Palekar was in tight spot as the third girl to play the third sister did not report on sets. Hence Amol Palekar requested Bhagyashree (who had come to see her sister’s acting) to play the third sister. Initially she resisted as she had not worked in any play but Amol Palekar cajoled her and interestingly she became the most famous among the three girls in the TV serial. Later she did few more TV serials as child star Honi Anhoni and Kisse Miya Biwi Ke Bhagyashree had declined Maine Pyar Kiya Sooraj Barjatya, the grandson of Tarachand Barjatya, was making his debut film Maine Pyar Kiya hence there was a lot of talk around. But Sooraj Barjatya had no air. He wanted to make the film on small scale and roped in new artist for the film. He had already signed a new comer Salman Khan and approached Bhagyashree father to sign her in the heroine role. He had seen Kachchi Dhoop and was quite impressed by Bhagyashree. But Bhagyashree was not interested in film career and wanted to go to US and study but her father was against sending her to US as he was aware Bhagyashree’s boy friend Himalaya Dassani too was accompanying her. He was against their union. Hence Bhagyashree was forced to do the film but call it destiny the film broke all records and became a landmark classic. Bhagyashree was flooded with roles. After Maine Pyar Kiya Bhagyashree’s career was ruined After the huge success of Maine Pyar Kiya, Bhagyashree was flooded with offers from big banners but Bhagyashree killed her career herself as she got married to her childhood friend Himalaya Dassani. To make things worse she insisted filmmakers to work only with her husband, Himalaya. Since she was so popular few filmmakers agreed to her condition. The result was that both her films Qaid Mein Hai Bulbul and Payal released in 1992 were total washout! To make matter worse Bhagyashree made a statement in press that she wasn’t comfortable doing intimate scenes with Salman Khan in Maine Pyar Kiya. She informed media that since she is married hence intimacy begins and ends at home. According to Bhagyashree this statement created flatter and producers began declining and she was forced to quit Bollywood. Bhagyashree had to sought relief in regional cinema and TV After a disastrous failure in Bollywood, Bhagyashree had to seek relief in regional cinema. She did Mappillai Manasu Poopola (Tamil); Ammavra Ganda (Kannada); Rana (Telugu), Janam Janam Ke Saath (Bhojpuri): Mumbai Aamchich (Marathi). She even did Sati Behula, a Bangladeshi film. Besides regional cinema she continued working on TV for her survival. Some of her popular TV serials are Didi Ka Dulha; Samjhota; Saraab; Aandhi Jasbaton Ki; Jaan; Sambandh etc.