आज किस हाल में हैं ‘महाभारत’ की ‘उत्तरा’? ‘शकुनि मामा’ की 1 नजर ने बनाया स्टार, जैकी श्रॉफ संग किया था डेब्यू

New Delhi: The story of Varsha Usgaonkar, a well-known face of Marathi and Hindi cinema, becoming ‘Uttara’ in ‘Mahabharat’ is no less than a film script. Born on 28 February 1968 in Goa, Varsha Usgaonkar’s father wanted his daughter to be a part of this historical serial, but Varsha never made any formal audition or tried for it. Interestingly, when a year had passed since ‘Mahabharat’ started, Varsha had gone to the set with her family to watch the shooting as just a spectator. The track of younger Abhimanyu was going on there and the makers were looking for a new face for the role of Uttara. On the set, Munjud Gufi Paintal (Shakuni Mama) noticed Varsha and without any delay he asked her if she would like to do this role. Varsha’s parents were also there and they immediately said yes, after which she got this big break without any screen test.

Varsha’s entry in ‘Mahabharata’ was with a spectacular Kathak dance, which was choreographed by Gopi Krishna ji. That one scene gave him recognition across the country overnight and the doors of the Hindi film industry opened for him. Although Varsha started her career with Marathi theater and Sachin Pilgaonkar launched her with ‘Gammat Jammat’, the success of ‘Mahabharat’ made her a shining star of Bollywood. After this, he entered Hindi cinema in 1990 with the film ‘Doodh Ka Karz’ with Jackie Shroff. Varsha says that for her, coming into Hindi films was like a dream which came true through this show. He worked in many big films like ‘Tiranga’, ‘Honeymoon’ and ‘Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi’ and created a distinct identity for himself.

Difference explained between Hindi and Marathi cinema
Describing her experiences of Marathi and Hindi cinema, Varsha says that the way of working in both the industries is quite different. While in Marathi films, more emphasis is given to story and strong characters, in Hindi films glamour, looks and style are given a lot of importance. In Hindi cinema, it is important for an actress to look beautiful and stylish according to the national audience, whereas in Marathi cinema, simplicity and cultural attire is more preferred. Apart from acting, Varsha is also an excellent singer and is still active in Marathi, Hindi and Konkani art world. His journey, which started by a coincidence, still maintains its place in the hearts of the audience.