Madhuri Sanjeev who plays Bela, a very dignified widowed lady in Colors’ Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha (Sunshine Productions) is the same in real life. After her husband’s premature death she brought up her son on her own. Her son Sivendra Sanjeev is a talented young man who is currently studying Mass Media in London with specialization in Advertising and Marketing. He is a sincere student who cleared the first semester with a distinction. He won the first prize in college for an advertisement he had made. He wishes to pursue direction and story writing in advertising in future. How did she accomplish the amazing feat of bringing up a child single-handed? She replies, “It is determination and honesty which helped me in mothering. I have always been a fighter. There may have been moments when I felt lonely but I overcome those phases.” We then asked her a few questions on her show and the character she plays. “I am very happy with the way Bela’s character has progressed. She now has her own boutique. She was excellent at needlework in the first season too. However she would mainly stitch for her family members and earned small amounts by stitching for her customers. Having a boutique is a very profitable business for women. They have a good sense of embroidery, art and fashion anyway.” Does she dabble in embroidery too? “Yes, I paint and make cards. I made covers for electronic appliances in the house with embroidery designs on them.” Continuing to talk on her character arc she says, “As Bela’s brother and sister-in-law are staying away from home in an ashram in Season 2, she has to undertake more responsibilities in the family. Her happiness resolves around the happiness of her family members, especially around Megha (Akanksha Singh).” Why does she think that Megha and Bela bond so well? Is it because both of them are simple, honest and had undergone widowhood? “You have hit the nail on the head. Also she didn’t want Megha to suffer like her. She has missed out on a full life because of widowhood. She had hence encouraged her greatly to get remarried.” She avers that Bela is very open-minded. “My character isn’t orthodox at all. She believes in women’s emancipation. After all she had wanted Megha to be happy and independent.” It is nice that Bela is so caring that her happiness pivots around the happiness, why shouldn’t Bela reap joy from her personal life too? As Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha is about widow remarriage why can’t Bela get remarried? Madhuri replies, “Megha is the female protagonist of the show. The focus on the show is on Megha, Mohan and her children. Bela is a side character. So if Bela marries the focus will shift to her. Then Megha’s track will become less prominent which won’t be conducive to the serial.” What is the most endearing fan feedback that she has got on her portrayal of Bela? “I am told that Bela is an excellent support system to Megha. She confides in her. Bela gives her mature guidance. Viewers often wish that they had a family member in their sasural as caring as Bela.” Whereas other characters have often doubted and suspected Mohan (Kunal Karan Kapoor), Bela has had unwavered faith in him and has always believed that he is a genuine person. Madhuri explains, “Bela remembers well that Mohan went to great lengths to convince Megha and both their families to win her hand in marriage. That is why she went on telling Megha that Mohan would come back someday.” If Bela had to pen the third season of Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha how would she have taken the story? “I would show a time leap of 15 years. Mohan and Megha would have become grandparents.” Madhuri is a veteran actress. How does she think the TV industry has changed throughout the years? “It has changed for both the better and the worse. I often think that to garner TRP we twist the story unrealistically. Often the artistes gain more importance than the stories. Now we have dailies instead of weeklies. There has been a lot of technological advancement but a lot of simplicity has been lost over the years.” We wish Madhuri all the best. For more updates on the show keep watching this space.