ANITA RAAJ
The reluctant heroine

After five years of no-show, Anita Raaj returns to grease-paint with not one, but two shows, that will debut within the next two months. The long lay-off hasn't taken anything off her physically, although she seems a little reluctant and undecided which way she wants her acting career to go from here.

The daughter of a character actor, it was natural for Anita Raaj to opt for a career in films. She debuted on the silver screen at the age of 17 and the glam babe didn't take long to achieve success. But she got married at the "peak" of her career and quit movies when she was doing very well for herself. But now after a hiatus of five years, Anita is facing the camera. Not for a movie but for serials. Yes, Anita Raaj will be seen on the small screen starting March 15.

During the past five years that she was away from the arc lights, looking after her home, hearth and kid and doing lot of physical workouts, Anita didn't miss acting and the fast life of the glamour world at all. "In fact, I didn't even think about it," she confesses. "I was quite happy at home, looking after my son and his studies."

Then how did suddenly television happen? "Actually in the last two years I was getting lot of offers for serials but I kept on saying no to them," she elaborates. "About six months back Barkha Roy came with an offer for her serial, Ladies Only, in which her sister Reena (Roy) is also acting. And it was because of Reenaji that I agreed to do the serial and shot for the pilot."

Not too keen on acting, she forgot about the pilot till another producer came up with the offer for a role in his serial, Aashiqui and persuaded Anita to do it. And though she shot for Ladies Only first, it is with Aashiqui that Anita is making her debut on the small screen.

Aashiqui is a love story of four couples of different age groups in which Anita is playing a no-nonsense business-woman who falls in love with Vijayendra Ghatge. "It is an interesting role blended with romance and career," is all that she has to say about her role.

Ladies Only is also coming on air soon. The serial, which revolves around three women who are friends living under one roof, will hit Zee Airwaves in April. This serial has Anita playing an attractive nurse who has to put with sexual harrassment at workplace. While in Ladies Only, she is a hep ma'am wearing minis and jeans, in Aashiqui she is a little sober and mature woman. "Both the roles are poles apart and I am really happy doing them," she gushes.

Though she was away from acting for five years, she didn't have any problem in emoting before the camera and saying her lines. But compared to films where she had a long innings, she finds television a little tougher medium work-wise because of its fast pace and deadlines.

Anita Raaj made her screen-debut with Prem Geet in 1981 and went on to do several successful films like Ghulami, Mera Haq, Taqatwar, Zara Si Zindagi and Naukar Biwi Ka. Success came her way quite easily and when she was doing very well that she met Sunil Hingorani, who directed her in Karishma Kudrat Ka, fell in love and got married to him in 1986. But she didn't quit movies. "In fact, I got more busy after marriage," she recalls with a smile. But she quit acting in 1993 after acing in about 50 films, "because I needed to give enough time to my son."

At the moment she rules out working in movies. "I haven't thought about working in films yet," she says. "I am trying to concentrate on the two serials I am doing." Since home and hearth is still her first priority she doesn't want to get too busy in serials. "Ideally I would like to work for just eight days in a month," she adds.

But what about having a long innings on television? "Nothing is decided," is her brief answer. Obviously acting doesn't figure too high on her list of priorities. Besides home and her son, she gives a lot of importance to her health and figure which is still perfect as it was a decade ago. "I love doing workouts," she informs. "In fact, I enjoy them a lot because I like to be fit and trim." Does she love workouts more than acting? Anita laughs. That says a lot.