Actress-singer Ila Arun, who has featured in films such as Lamhe, Jodhaa Akbar, Shaadi Ke Side Effects and Begum Jaan and did a cameo in Manto, says she was never away from Bollywood. On the contrary, she is doing much more work in tinsel town than ever.
‘Work-wise I was never away from Bollywood… I am doing much more work in tinsel town now. Being basically a theatre actor, Bollywood kept offering me significant acting assignments in the last ten years in films like ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’, ‘Well Done Abba’, ‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’, ‘Begum Jaan’, and I have a big surprise coming this Diwali for you.
“Not to forget that I also did an international film called ‘West is West’ with late Om Puriji a few years ago,” the veteran told IANS in an email.
Ila is coming together with film, television and theatre actor K.K. Raina to present their latest play “Baby’s Blues”, a story of a new mother and the challenges she goes through while handling her baby.
“Right now I cannot think beyond ‘Baby’s Blues’, the play which I am directing with K.K. Raina.
It takes nine months for a baby to be born, but here this baby has taken nearly two years to deliver. Scripting, casting, rehearsals, planning and yes talking to media, all of this has kept me busy,” she said.
The play will run at NCPA – Experimental Theater on Sunday.
Being a woman and a mother, this play is very close to Ila’s heart. She recalls that how her career started to bloom when she became mother to Ishita, an actress. Asked how she relates to personally with this play, she said: “My career had already started much earlier but it started to bloom after Ishita was born, due to family support. In fact, till I read Tammy Ryan’s play ‘Baby’s Blues’, I never knew what post-partum depression was. (PTI)
