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Home is her world!

Photo: Sandeep Saxena

Perfect poise Sonali Bendre

Stunning is the word that continues to describe Sonali Bendre even years after she bid goodbye to tinselville.

The lady is still in demand. A mother of one, her lush charm continues to add the glamour quotient to reality and talent shows on television, but she is in no mood to commit to a film.

“My son is my priority right now. Films, even if I do a supporting role, require at least 10 days at a stretch, which I can’t afford.

I don’t mind adding glamour to reality shows as long as the concept is meaningful and I am not expected to wear short clothes and say inane lines.”

Did fame come early to her? “No, fame never comes early. It is always late,” she gets the subtext. “And I do keep in touch with acting through theatre. Soon I am going to Bangkok with ‘Apki Sonia’,” she adds.

However, Sonali feels these are right times for actresses like her, who never believed in overdoing things. “Even my mother-in-law believes that I should give it try!” she laughs. She knows she was not super-talented but somebody who believed in keeping things simple. “And I used to work the corporate way — organised and punctual — even when the word had not become common in the film industry.”

She is still promoting Omega, while Shah Rukh Khan has moved to Tag Heuer. “Well, I am loyal to the brands I promote.”

She doesn’t want to venture into the past, but nudge her a little and she picks Sarfarosh and Anahat as her best performances. “Sarfrosh brought forth my love for comedy and Amol (Palekar) gave me a character with layers, but the film was not projected and publicised well.”

Drona may have sunk without a trace, but Sonali is confident that her husband Goldie Behl will bounce back. “He doesn’t know anything else. Films are his family business. It is too late to think of any other profession. Soon he will announce his next venture.”

These days she is busy with India Has Got Talent, where she is one of the three judges. “It is one show where I can take my son along.

We are learning about so many untapped skills. Recently I saw Bihu dance and was amazed at the detailing and intricacies they achieved in the two-minute act.

More than that, it gives an opportunity to people who could not express their talent for years.

When a 60-year-old came to sing, he was unable to connect and we knew he could not make it, but the effort he put in and the satisfaction he got out of it made the exercise worth it.”

She agrees she is not equipped to judge all of them. “What we are looking for is how they hold us for two minutes. The time duration comes with the format. I expect each act to have a beginning, middle and an end.” Given a chance to express her own talent, she would like to polish her Odissi dance.

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