Urmila Bhatt’s granddaughter recalls how people worshipped her as Sita’s mother | Exclusive

New Delhi: Late actress Urmila Bhatt’s granddaughter, Vishwa Bhatt, recalls her grandmother’s portrayal of Rani Sunayana, Sita’s mother, in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic television serial Ramayan. She shares childhood memories of watching the epic with family and friends, reflects on Deepika Chikhalia and Sai Pallavi playing Sita, and speaks about the painful loss of her grandmother in an exclusive conversation with News9 Digital.

Q. With the new Ramayana coming up, what do you remember about your grandmother playing Rani Sunayana, Sita’s mother, in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan?

I remember my grandmother playing Rani Sunayana, Sita’s mother, in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan. People revered her as though she were Sita’s mother in real life!

I remember an incident from my childhood when Dadi Ma took me along to a function where she and Deepika ji (Deepika Chikhalia, who played Sita) had been invited as chief guests. As a child, I found it confusing to see how overwhelmed people were by their presence. Idol worship seemed to take on an entirely different meaning for actors who portrayed revered characters on television.

Q. What are your memories of watching Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan as a child?

Back then, most families had just one television set at home, and ours was no different. We would all be glued to the television every Sunday morning to watch Ramayan.

Our friends and neighbours would join us, and as children, we felt immense pride watching our grandmother on screen in an epic saga that the entire country seemed to be in awe of.

We were completely engrossed in the storytelling and the special effects used to bring various aspects of the epic to life. It was a time when friends from different backgrounds and beliefs came together every Sunday to experience the television marvel created by Ramanand Sagar ji.

Q. Your grandmother played the mother of Deepika Chikhalia’s Sita. What do you think of Sai Pallavi being cast as Sita in the new Ramayana? How would you compare the two?

I don’t think I am the right person to rate or compare these artists.

Deepika ji was perfectly suited to the role she played back then, and Sai Pallavi is equally suited to the role today. After all, casting depends on the director’s vision, the story and who is best suited to portray a particular character.

Q. Do you have any special childhood memories of your grandmother?

As children, her journey in films and her work with leading directors and actors of the time never overshadowed her role as a grandparent.

I remember her being the most loving grandparent. All of us grandchildren always had a treat because she was the genie! In her purse – which was a storehouse of all her belongings – she would always have toffees and candy for us. And she would surprise us with treats in the most magical way at the most unexpected times.

If she were asked today, ‘What is the one thing she would never leave the house without?’ I am certain that one of those would be a bag full of toffees and sweets!

Q. Your grandmother’s tragic murder shocked the film industry. Is that something you feel comfortable talking about?

As a family, we prefer not to talk about it. It was, and still remains, an extremely painful chapter in our lives.

We choose instead to remember the time we got to spend with her, her warmth, her love for her craft and the beautiful human being she was.

Q. How did the family cope with such a sudden and devastating loss? Have you been able to come to terms with it over the years?

We were not prepared for this loss. As a family, she was the glue that held us together.

Urmila Bhatt’s greatest achievement in life could perhaps be described as her humility, the values she instilled in her children and grandchildren, and the love and warmth she brought to everyone around her.

It is never easy to cope with the loss of a loved one, and it was no different for us. But I would like to believe that the pragmatism my grandmother lived by was passed on to us.

We continue to live with the warmth, love and values she so generously left behind.