Padmini Kolhapure returns to television with Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan

Padmini Kolhapure as Rajmata

She was petite but powerful - that's the impression Padmini Kolhapure left on audiences during her heydays. Though she has reduced her on-screen appearances over the years, she continues to stay relevant, charming fans with her candid social media presence. Now, as she returns to television after more than a decade with Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, Kolhapure says the opportunity was too tempting to pass up. "When this came to me, the entire package excited me - a big production, a historical saga, and I play Rajmata, a key figure in Prithviraj Chauhan's life," she shares, adding that a flexible shoot schedule sealed the deal.

She admits that while Prithviraj Chauhan's name is widely known, the finer nuances of his story will be explored through the series. She calls the show "larger than life", and credits to the scale and technical evolution of television today. The role did come with its challenges, but Kolhapure tackled them head-on. "What was really challenging for me was the language… the dialect, the royal and princely words. But barring that, nothing really [stumped me]," she states.

Ask her how much the industry has evolved, and she says, "It's getting more complex and easier for makers. [But] very challenging and competitive for actors. It has never been easy. Getting into films, sustaining - it's just not easy. However, there's so much competition now. You're only as good as your last film. Back then, we would work in so many movies at a time, jumping from one set to the other." Although offers kept coming, she wasn't interested unless the project sparked excitement. Did she ever feel sidelined? "I was in my own space. Offers came in, and I only picked what I liked. I'm totally a homebody. During COVID, I was the happiest being home, doing chores and watching a few movies," she smiles.

While fans were delighted to see her on screen again, it was her husband's reaction that warmed her heart. "He said, ‘So sweet you're looking,'" she laughs.

If I wrote an autobiography

Padmini Kolhapure shares that if she ever wrote a book on her life and career in the Hindi film industry, it would include her milestone films. "It would be about my films Insaaf Ka Tarazu [1980], Ahista Ahista [1981], Prem Rog [1982], and Woh 7 Din [1983]."