New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) The audience has become more accepting and an actor does not need to stay tied to a particular role, says Shubhangi Atre, who is bidding goodbye to her popular screen persona of Angoori Bhabhi with the new movie “Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain! – Fun on the Run”.
Atre took on the role of Angoori Bhabhi on the popular sitcom “Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain” in 2016 after actor Shilpa Shinde left the serial due to her differences with the makers. Shinde is back on the show’s 2.0 version.
She is happy that she got to play the character for one last time in the film. She is also looking forward to exploring different opportunities that will lead her beyond her image of a homely wife whose broken English leads to funny moments on the show.
“Social media has come to have a huge benefit for actors. It gives you a platform to showcase different looks. Earlier, if you played a character on TV, you became that. In shows like ‘Ramayan’, Arun Govil ji used to be greeted like Lord Ram, people would touch his feet whenever he stepped out. The advantage of social media is that people know me as Angoori on the show, but they also know me as Shubhangi,” the actor told PTI in an interview.
Recalling an incident where she met a group of women at the airport while on her way to meet her mother in Bhopal.
“They were going on a jungle safari and the moment they spotted me, they got their pictures clicked and asked me why I left the show. When I told them that I wanted to do something else as an actor, they very sweetly offered what all I should explore next,” she said.
“That way, the audience has also become very accepting… Now you don’t need to stay tied to an image. There is no stigma like that… It takes some time but after a short break, you can start afresh,” she added.
Saumya Tandon, Atre’s co-star in the show, recently played the wife of Akshaye Khanna’s Rehman Dakait in “Dhurandhar” and received a lot of praise for her portrayal. Atre said she immediately called Tandon to congratulate her after seeing the movie, a blockbuster hit now.
“She was so beautiful, graceful and poised… She could speak through her eyes… If you can do that, then that’s the best thing as an actor. I remember when I worked with Anurag Basu, he told me, ‘Shubhangi, you don’t need to say too many dialogues, I want you to speak through your eyes’. She has done great in ‘Dhurandhar’. Now I also want to experiment with new characters after ‘Bhabhi ji… There are some offers for my next,” she said.
Atre, who began her career in 2009 with the popular show “Kasauti Zindagi Kii” and later appeared in “Kasturi” as well as an Anurag Basu story on Tagore, is best known as Angoori and for her catchphrase “Sahi pakde hain”. The dialogue has now become a part of her, so much so that she ends up saying it everywhere.
“The other day I was shopping for sarees and I was pointing towards a particular sari, and when the shopkeeper picked that up, I instantly said, ‘Sahi pakde hain’.
How did the film version, also starring Vidisha Srivastava, Aasif Sheikh, Rohitashv Gour, Ravi Kishan, Mukesh Tiwari and Nirahua in pivotal roles, evolve? The actor said it was a decision taken by the makers and the channel but the team wanted to do a film as the show has been popular for years with each of its characters etched in public memory.
“We got to know in November 2024 that they are planning to make a movie and we were all very happy and excited. It was the dream of our writer Manoj Santoshi ji. He passed away. This is the best tribute for him from all of us because this was very close to his heart. The show is also very dear to our director Shashank Bali. I was very happy because we shot in Mussoorie and I love mountains,” she said.
When she first joined the show in 2016 at the peak of its popularity, the actor said she was scared to step into a character that had already become popular but she felt relieved when fans embraced her version.
“As they say, I climbed into an already moving car, but thankfully all the actors supported me in a big way and welcomed me with a lot of love. I think if you do something with heart, it will definitely reach others. I am from Madhya Pradesh, my mother is a housewife. I have seen women whose world revolves around their husbands… I was scared but also determined that I will do a good job. God was so kind to me that people easily accepted me as Angoori,” she said.
Leaving Angoori behind is hard but the film serves as the best closure, said Atre, adding that she will always cherish the memories of being part of the show and its team for 10 years.
“Everyone became a family on the show. You work for 12 hours… It is a huge amount of time to spend on the set, to have fun, and celebrate all the festivals together. During Covid, we were in a bio bubble in Surat as we were not allowed to leave the hotel.
“In the serial, Angoori is always in the kitchen and I have done that for real on the sets. When we were in the bio bubble, I made ‘paalak ke pakaude’ for Aasif ji and the unit. I also made puris. They are all like family to me,” she said.
Produced by Zee Cinema, Sanjay Kohli, and Binaiffer Kohli, presented by Zee Studios and Sanjay Kohli, “Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! – Fun on the Run” is an Edit II production.
The film is directed by Shashank Bali and Zee Studios is set to release theatrically on February 6. PTI BK RB BK BK
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