Having tasted success both on big and small screen, veteran actress Aruna Irani feels that like Bollywood, even television is in the forefront when it comes to promotion of its shows, which are now providing meatier roles for middle-aged women as compared to Hindi films.
Aruna ventured into television, early in the decade and acted and produced a dozen shows like Mehndi Tere Naam Ki (2002), Zameen Se Aasman Tak (2004), Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand (2005), Tum Bin Jaooun Kahan (2005),Vaidehi (2006), Naaginn (2007), and Jhansi Ki Rani (2009) among others.
"Like Bollywood films are promoted, these days even television shows are also marketed. We do see banners and posters, events and interactions etc. Besides, this I feel there are no exciting roles for middle-aged women in Bollywood. The last I saw was Jaya Bachchan's role in Khabhi Khushi Khabhi Gham," Aruna told PTI in an interview.
"Television is doing pretty good. Everything is of high standard like even the sets are huge, costumes and it is so colorful. Even in terms of roles there are strong character roles in television for everyone," she said. She would seen essaying the role of Rajmata Mrinalini Devi in Dekha Ek Khwaab. It is a story of an ordinary girl called Monica, played by Priyal Gor, whose suddenly finds herself becoming the princess of a royal family of Devgarh.
"In the past few years, I have done roles which were negative but this role has so many edges that I was not able to say no to it. I loved the way Mrinalini Devi portrays elegance, charm and glamour without being overboard. There are no exciting roles for women of my age in Bollywood and even if they get there are hardly few scenes. Everything has changed in Bollywood in terms of technology to genre to scripts and concepts to film-making business. It seems today there is not much requirement for family oriented films," the 59-year-old actress said.
Aruna made her debut in Bollywood with Ganga Jumna (1961). After doing small roles in several films she shot to fame with Caravan (1971). She went to do lead roles opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Mehra in the films like Bombay To Goa (1972), Garam Masala (1972) and Do Phool (1973).
Later she played grey and supporting roles in Beta(1992), Raja Babu (1994), Chhote Sarkar (1996), Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997), Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999) and other. She was last seen in a movie in the Akshay Kumar-starrer film Khatta Meetha (2010).