Actors Bhagyashree and son Abhimanyu Dassani talk about his debut

Back in the 90s when actor Abhimanyu Dassani was growing up he hated that his mother Bhagyashree was an actor The fact that she was recognised everywhere as Suman the character she played in her debut Maine Pyar Kiya 1989 opposite Salman Khan which went on to become one of the most successful movies ever didnt help the causeThe more time she spent on set she spent away from me So I didnt want her to act I was possessive he says when we meet the motherson duo at their Juhu home on a Friday afternoonBhagyashree doesnt wear her age on her face and Abhimanyu strikes us as a heartthrob in the making Later I realised how iconic that character was That people still remember her as Suman is testament to the impact it has left I wish one day people remember Surya like that says the 29yearoldAbhimanyu is speaking about his character from his debut film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota which follows the journey of a young man who suffers from congenital insensitivity to pain and is on a quest to destroy the bad guys The movie directed by Vasan Bala has been gathering accolades across international film festivals and got Abhimanyu the Best Debut Award at the Macau Film Festival It released in India this week to appreciative reviews from critics fans and his mum especiallyYoung people in the film industry work so hard these days There is so much competition and you are living the pressure film to film Abhimanyu became the character At times we would tell him go out party with your friends But he didnt He became an introvert like Surya When my movie came out I didnt even care I had just had Abhimanyu then and I was focusing on that When I watched his movie for the first time I realised what the fuss behind a successful first film is Bhagyashree says Abhimanyu interrupts I have told her to watch the film objectively and then give me feedbackBut as much as she loves seeing her son on the big screen Bhagyashree admits she never wanted him to become an actor Neither did he at first I didnt want to get into films either I wanted to become an entrepreneur But a teacher in school pushed me into dramatics and later I became an assistant director because I was only interested in the creative process Where can you create something and then move on Bollywood says Dassani She didnt know her son wanted to become an actor until after he finished school Abhimanyu says I went to New York to study acting and she would call me and say go to Columbia and attend some other class Its an insecure profession So of course I wanted to protect him she addsOf late Bhagyashree has been acting in Telugu and Kannada movies and doing fitness videos on Instagram I am inspired by my kids son and daughter Avantika They introduced me to Instagram and I share these videos because two years ago I had a dealignment of the scapula known as shoulder bone I couldnt even pick up a pencil let alone a glass of water So I had to work on myself and I decided why not share that knowledge with women out thereAs far as Bollywood is concerned Abhimanyu is happy that his work is being well received despite not having a grand debut celebration I didnt get a trailer launch Nobody announced me as a big hero to watch out for I didnt get a welcome to Instagram shoutout from the celebrities I didnt arrive for my premiere in a big car and thousands of people outside I reached my world premiere in Toronto in an Uber paid for it crossed the road and was denied entry The organisers had to come out to get me This has all happened organically I am doing this for myself and my parents The rest doesnt matter Bhagyashree smiles with a hint of pride I have been getting messages every day saying where have you been hiding this gem and he always tells me Mom dont fly yetAsk him how he keeps himself grounded and he grins I dont want anything external to affect me I have seen highs and lows and I now know how to remain undisturbedCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates