Maa is one of the few serials being aired today that has been consistently getting good TRPs. Launched on January 12, this show on Zee has already won the minds of audiences cutting across age barriers. In fact, so popular is this serial amongst women that Tellychakkar was flooded with mails requesting change of the time slot to a prime time! Chitrapama Banerjee who plays the Maa in Maa talks to Tellychakkar about the show and her future plans.

The actress was last seen in Hema Malini’s Kamini Damini. “Most of the viewers feel that Kamini Damini was my first show. Let me clarify that I have done shows before that. In fact my first serial was Thodi Si Bewafai on Sony. However, my name was changed in that show. The producers thought Chitrapama Banerjee would be too long a name for an actress and thus changed it to Diya,” says the actress who has been climbing the popularity charts with her performance in Maa. “Only after I did Kamini Damini with my real name did people start knowing me. I thought be it long or short, it is best to use the name that my parents have given me,” says Chitrapama.

The actress was out of the radar after Kamini Damini and was busy playing the role of a housewife and mother in real life. “I got married to famous makeup professional Gladwyn James and we had a baby after that. Today she is almost two years old and we have named her Alicia,” informs the mother in real and reel life. “Now I am back because I think I will be able to balance my personal and professional commitments. Any woman would like to do this after a certain point and I feel this is the right time for me.”

How did her comeback vehicle happen? “I really do not know how Shakunatalam Telefilms (the producers of Maa) got my number, but they contacted me and literally pulled me out of my house on to the sets! I had worked with Neelima Bajpai (head honcho of the production house) long time back and somehow when this role came up for casting, she thought of me,” remembers Chitrapama. “I feel this is the best role for me – I am playing a mother on and off-screen. As you know the current track demands me staying back at home and taking care of my kids. But once things settle down a bit, I will be back in office in Maa.”

There has been lot of discussions on the time slot for Maa. Is it true that Maa was supposed to be given a prime slot? “Yes, it is true that we were initially slated for the 9 or 9:30 PM slot on Zee since Kasamh Se was scheduled to go off air then. However, that did not happen and thus we were given the 7pm slot,” clarifies Chitraprama. Apparently, there was a survey conducted by Zee which found that in tier 2 cities housewives preferred the 7pm slot because the ‘prime time’ would be too late for them. “Plus we had already shot a few episodes and there is a limit up to which the creative team can wait and thus we decided to go ahead with the slot that was allotted to us,” says the actress.

“It is extremely satisfying for all of us at Maa to see it being so successful. My biggest strength is my daughter who I feel is the biggest fan of my show. She has even started singing a part of the title track and comes to the sets with me quite often. In fact she even acts as a mother to my on-screen children during breaks!” says a beaming Chitrapama.