Vijeta Pandit: Life Has Become One Big Tragedy
By Farhana Farook | posted Aug 16th 2013 at 1:00AM
Image Courtesy: Akshay Kulkarni
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"I have gone into a shell. I dislike meeting people," says Vijeta who has taken to yoga to calm her disturbed mind. "One after the other, all my dreams are shattered. God gives me a glimpse of happiness and then snatches it. Life has ups and down but some people only go through downs," she laments. "This was life's biggest sadma," she says, referring to the murder of sister Sandhya (50), wife of Indore-based senior customs officer, Jaiprakash Singh.
Reportedly, Sandhya, a resident of Navi Mumbai, went missing on December 13 last year, when she had gone to a bank to deposit jewellery worth 20 lakh rupees. Forty-nine days later, her skull and bones were found by an ornithologist at a marshland in Vashi. While investigations to nab the culprit are on, it's a tough time for Vijeta. What is tougher is keeping this tragic news from sister Sulakshana, who is in a mentally fragile condition. "Didi will never be able to take it. We see to it that she doesn't watch the news. I go to the police station without letting her know where I am going. I smile and say I am going for rehearsals. I cry in the bathroom but not in front of her," she says. "Sandhya was cut out to be an actress. She was fond of wearing jewellery and dressing up. We'd caution her not to wear so many ornaments but she never paid heed," she says. It was with Sandhya that Vijeta, as chorus girls, sang the song Rona kabhi nahin rona for Apna Desh(1972). "In childhood, we were so inseparable that we were dubbed lovebirds'," she remembers.
Dreams bite dust
When a teenaged Vijeta hit the limelight with her debut blockbuster Love Story (1981), she never could have imagined that life would not be a happy chronicle forever. Neither did her career last long nor did her alleged romance with hero Kumar Gaurav. "I wish I had concentrated on my work. It's wrong to think of marriage until you have established yourself. Love doesn't necessarily lead to marriage," says the actress who was seen in films like Mohabbat, Jeete Hain Shaan Se, Deewana Tere Naam Ka and Zalzala.
But more than acting, it's not having been able to pursue a singing career that bothers her. Being the niece of renowned vocalist Pandit Jasraj, daughter of classical musician Pandit Prasad Narayan and sister of Bollywood music directors Jatin-Lalit, Vijeta's Love for music is deep-seated. "I always dreamt of being a singer. But neither my brothers Jatin-Lalit nor my husband Aadesh Srivastava could really give me a break. They believed that if they suggested my name to producers, it would be looked upon as pushing' me. I became a loser in the bargain. They did give me some songs, but those were not prominent."
A few of her numbers include Jawan ho yaaron with Udit Narayan for Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) and Sacchi yeh kahaani hai for Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993) composed by Jatin-Lalit while Jab nahin aaye thhe tum in Dev (2004) was one popular number she sang for husband Aadesh.
Aadesh and I
It has been almost 22 years since she married Srivastava. "Aadesh was a friend of my brothers. Ours was an arranged love' marriage." During the initial years, Vijeta became part of his struggle. "When we married, his focus was on establishing himself as a composer. He didn't have a separate recording studio. We lived in a small flat, and he worked in the hall. I would remain confined to the bedroom all day since there would be a stream of producers and musicians outside. It was terrible to sit at home. I kept myself busy with cooking and managing the house. I tried to forget that I was once an actress and singer." She adds, "I never approached anyone for work. It would have offended my husband. I didn't want to mar my reputation."
When Jatin-Lalit were trying to make it as Bollywood music composers, she dubbed a lot of songs for them. "I even sang Pehla nasha (Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander). But ultimately, all the songs would be recorded in Alka Yagnik's voice. I would be left dejected because I'd rehearse and polish the nuances and Alka would get to record the song all ready on a platter."
The same thing would happen when she dubbed for Aadesh. But in all this disappointment there was a redeeming moment. "When Bhupenda (Hazarika, composer) heard my dubbed version of Kitni sardi kitni garmi for Chingari (2005), composed by Aadesh, he asked, This singer sounds like Lata (Mangeshkar), who is she?' Kalpanaji (Lajmi, director) and he insisted (he was co-writer of the film) that my dubbed version be retained. I always suffered the pain of having Alka sing the songs I had dubbed. But I'm sure Alka, must have understood my pain this time round." She wishes aloud, "I hope to sing again."
Coming back to Aadesh she says, "It was a horrific time when Aadesh developed multiple myeloma (a form of blood cancer) in 2010. I faced it bravely or else it would have become difficult for him to deal with the disease. I locked my sorrows and put on a confident face. Thankfully, he's out of it."
Sulakshana's saga
Another painful area of Vijeta's life is the mental breakdown of her sister and singing star Sulakshana Pandit. The actress featured in films like Uljhan, Hera Pheri, Apnapan, Sankoch and Khandaan in the 70s-80s and acted with top actors, from Sanjeev Kumar to Jeetendra. "Sulakshana didi sang for a range of composers from Khayyam to Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Being the heroine, she'd insist on singing her own songs (Tu hi saagar from Sankalp in 1975 won Sulakshana the Filmfare Award). In those days, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle enjoyed a monopoly. But didi was determined and fought to sing her own songs."
But Sulakshana hit chronic depression in the mid 80s, reportedly due to her failed relationship with the late Sanjeev Kumar and his sudden demise in 1985. "Initially, our family of seven brothers and sisters (brothers Mandheer, Jatin-Lalit Pandit and sisters Maya, Sulakshana, Sandhya and Vijeta) lived together but after each of them got married, they went their separate ways. And after we lost our parents, Sulakshana didi became lonely. She was also heartbroken when Sanjeevji passed away. Yes, she was in Love with him. Whether it was one-sided, I don't know. She surely loved him but how much he liked her, I wouldn't be able to tell. However, she never behaved like his wife," she confides.
Vijeta is now like a mother to her older sister. "Didi had a huge flat in Juhu, which she couldn't look after and so asked us to sell it. We bought a smaller flat for her yet couldn't leave her alone there," says Vijeta.
Today, her didi is absolutely normal. "People said she had gone mad, but she was suffering from depression like I am right now. Would you call me mad?" she asks. "Didi doesn't like meeting anyone and prefers listening to the CDs of her earlier radio programmes. In us, she has found a family; she loves my sons Avitesh (17) and Anivesh (14). It's my good kismet (destiny) that I can look after her."
The Sandhya story
The police had earlier named her deceased sister Sandhya's son Raghuveer (23) as a suspect, given his reported altercations with his mother. "I am sure the culprit is not her son or husband. Friction between parents and children is normal," she says in her nephew's defence. Reportedly, the police have also focussed its investigation on an assistant police inspector, whose number was found in Sandhya's call records. "I want Sandhya's aatma (soul) to get shanti (peace). We still haven't performed her kriya karam (last rites). Says Vijeta, "Life is unpredictable. I want God to be kind to the family. No more sorrows for us..." Amen to that.
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