Beyond the arclights - Bindya

Beyond the arclights

Debolina Ray uncovers facets of versatile television actress Jayati BhatiaAs the serious and sensitive Kavita of Kanyadaan or as Geeta Kaki of Kasauti Zindagi Ki, as the bubbly Bindya of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, or as the effervescent Titli Mami of Sindoor Tere Naam Ka, actress Jayati Bhatia has essayed roles on the small screen with effortless ease. And now, as Meera Lamba of Viraasat, Jayati is taking another step towards becoming a household name in television. At just 26, Bhatia has displayed a versatility that is rare and precious.

She started her career as an Odissi dancer, became a national scholar from the Ministry of Culture and attained a diploma in drama from the Living Theatre Academy. No wonder then, that her performances on the small screen are mature and consist of more than just soapy lather.

"I began acting by doing theatre with Ibrahim Alkazi in New Delhi. When I started doing plays in Mumbai, television happened. But I always managed to act in plays alongside. In fact, theatre is a medium of relaxation and refreshment for me. It rejuvenates me", says Jayati. She has created a name for herself in theatre by working in productions such as Feroz Khan's Mahatma v/s Gandhi, Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal's The Vagina Monologues and Q Theatre's Acid. Her achievements in theatre won her the Best Actress Award in 1991-92 from the Urdu Academy in Delhi.

But most of Jayati's fame has come for her acting in a variety of television serials. She is presently working in the much-talked-about soap, Viraasat (Star Plus), where she portrays the character of Meera Lamba (mother of Aman Verma and Rohit Roy). Speaking about her role, Jayati says, "Meera is a woman who does not cow down under adversity and always attempts to change the state of affairs. This makes her a very believable character, someone with whom even I can relate."

She says she has always broken her own image through the range of characters that she has portrayed and this role in Viraasat is yet another of her attempts. Regarding her long-time association with Balaji Telefilms she says, "Though I have worked a lot with Balaji, the only problem is that there are too many characters in a particular scene."

Compared to this, BR Chopra Films, she says, is different. "If there are six characters in a scene, all of them have a specific importance in that scene". Presently, she is working both under big banners like Balaji Telefilms (Kasauti Zindagi Ki) and BR Chopra Films (Viraasat) as well as relatively new production houses like Jay Mehta Productions (Sindoor Tere Naam Ka). A workoholic and perfectionist by nature, the Delhi-based Bengali works from seven in the morning to midnight and loves to read during her free time.

"Live and let live" is the simple philosophy of this jovial, ambitious and articulate actress, who feels she has reached the peak of her acting career. Which doesn't mean she has set a limit to what she wants to achieve and refuses to do "walk-on roles". Right now, Jayati is looking for a break in Hindi films as well as Bengali serials and films, as she thinks that there are roles in today's cinema which suit actresses like her. Jayati is standing on the threshold of a film career, and though not a conventional good-looker, she is armed with perfect diction, acting skills and a will to work hard.