Vijayabai acted in my Marathi film Thang [2007] and its English version, Quest. Both films were an attempt to explore the complexities of man-woman relationships against the backdrop of same-sex relationships. When they were made, there had been virtually no Indian-language films that dealt with this subject.

Vijayabai played the mother of a young lawyer whose husband is revealed to be in a same-sex relationship. She portrayed a deeply supportive mother with remarkable restraint — never patronising, never transgressing her daughter’s personal space. The quiet dignity and empathy she brought to the role were extraordinary.