Not many people can forget Kitty, Pankaj Kapur's clumsy secretary in the TV serial Karamchand. Neither can TV actress Sushmita Mukherjee herself, who played the part with great aplomb.
Says Mukherjee, a resident of Crystal Palace on Link Road, "The audiences liked my performance so much so that people still call me Kitty.
Not many actresses are remembered 18 years after they have played a role, and I feel honoured to be among the lucky few.
A stage actress from the National School of Drama in Delhi, Mukherjee started her acting career in TV with Karamchand.
From there, she went on to do serials like Hakke Bakke, Isi Bahane and Tara, among others.
Currently, she is acting in Public Hai Sab Janti Hai, which is aired on SAB TV.
"The serial is a spoof on topical political issues and I get to play a variety of characters like Jayalalithaa, Sonia Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj and Mayawati, she says, adding, "This role will be another memorable one."
Sushmita Mukherjee in
Public Hai Sab Janti HaiHer career has also extended to the silver screen.
Mukherjee has acted in 37 films including Sir, King Uncle, Geetanjali and Khalnayak, but she concedes that she couldn't make a mark in films.
Mukherjee now devotes time to her production company called Prayas Productions, which she set up with husband Raja Bundela. She manages the finances, looks into production and gives creative inputs.
The company, which has produced serials like Colgate Top 10 and Oh Maria, is now into film production. "Two years ago we made the film Pratha. Our next release, Kisne Bharmaya Mere Lakhan Ko, is also ready," she says.
She claims her favourite role is that of a mother to her two sons. "I am in the best phase of my life. I have a wonderful family and an amazing serial on air."
malad@mid-day.com
Life in Malad
Nearly 10 years ago Mukherjee and her husband were one of the first from the industry to shift to a quaint row house in Malad.
"Malad has developed over the years, but thankfully the privacy of our little bungalow has been retained. I wouldn't like to shift to any other part of Mumbai," she says.
