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Staunch Ganesha-bhakt ARUNA IRANI -who celebrates her B’day on Aug 18 th,

unwilling to ‘shoot’, unless corona makes its final exit.

Published

4 years ago

August 18, 2020

Team CineBlitz

by Chaitanya Padukone

Incredible as it may sound, charismatic senior yet evergreen actress-danseuse Aruna Irani-Kohli ( actually she prefers to spell it as ‘Aroona’) has a frenzied fan-following among Chinese cinema-buffs . That’s because her mega-jubilee-hit musical movie ‘Caravan’ ( 1971) has been released twice (in 1979) at Chinese theatres and last year (2019) at their international Hainan film festival. The film has proved to be a mega-hit when it released in China with Chinese sub-titles. In 1979, it was then tagged as “the highest-grossing foreign film in China”. At every theatre-screening, the Chinese cine-goers were going ga-ga loudly cheering, humming when the vivacious, seductive, agile Aruna sways and swings to the ‘Caravan’ gypsy-centric rhythmic melodies. Epecially ‘Dilbar Dil Se Pyare’ and Chadhti Jawaani Meri ’. Always effervescent and friendly by nature, multiple Filmfare Awards-winner Aruna ( with around 400 movies and dozens of chartbusting dance-songs to her credit ) always comes across as an outspoken, warm-hearted yet down-to-earth actress. Excerpts from our recent brief tele-conversation : You have been a loyal Ganesha-devotee. Will you still go ahead with an at-home Ganeshotsav this weekend, in the wake of the pandemic ?
Over past three decades I have been a staunch Ganesha-bhakt and will continue my annual tradition. Frankly I have always preferred a private homely pooja-aarti of Ganpati-bappa for one-and-a-half days and avoid any media-hype, with no outsider guests. Ever since I came to know about the eco-friendly papier-mache Ganesha idol- option with non-toxic pastel colours, I decided to patronize it and bring it home. It looks so much like the conventional P-O-P idols and yet it is not. In my own little way I am also contributing to environment-friendly initiatives. Any plans to resume facing-the-camera in showbiz , considering the recent ‘age-no-bar’ favourable High Court judgement ? It’s very heartening latest news for all senior cine and TV artistes, that as per the recent Bombay High Court judgement, they have quashed the State Govt. Resolution (GR) that previously prohibited Cine Artistes above 65 years (age) from shooting, in view of the corona pandemic. On a personal level, as I will be completing 74 years of age on Aug 18 th . Although for me ‘work-is-worship’, unless total normalcy is restored with absolutely no naam-o-nishan of Covid-19, I am in ‘no mood’ to step out of my house for shootings or indulge in creative activity.