Quite the opposite

the unassuming girl from maine pyaar kiya is now a ruthless businesswoman in ujala. kshama rao meets bhagyashree to find out more about her role in the serial: when you meet actress bhagyashree, you can't help but marvel at her 'forever young' looks. a soft face and a smile to match, the actress who had a smashing debut with sooraj barjatya's maine pyaar kiya still seems to be 'suman', the character she played in the film, who is frozen in time.a mother of two, bhagyashree like most film stars turned to television a few years ago and is enjoying every bit of it - like her new avatar of a business magnate in the serial ujala. the serial that began telecast on dd 1 on tuesday, has the actress playing something she has never played before -- a woman, who is rich and successful and has a negative look. "the character has shades of grey, and as an artiste it's fun to do it considering i have never played such a role. besides, people have a certain image of me, and this will show me differently," reveals bhagyashree. the 'negative' look consists of a 'blunt cut' wig and a power-suit. so how do i look? she asks excitedly. you want to tell her that the wig is hideous and the power-suit doesn't quite live up to her simple salwar kurta/sari clad image but politeness doesn't permit you. talking more about her role she says, "the girl i play has in her life a man who is already married. he is ambitious and is a rung below me in terms of status and success. i can help him reach the peak but not without a price. he has to forsake his wife and family for me, only then would i help him to realise his business dreams." a woman who will use all her charms? "she's an extremely intelligent woman who doesn't use sexuality or any vulgar means to get her man. instead, she chooses to use her mind to get him on his knees." does that mean there is badle ki aag simmering somewhere in her? "yes, he has something to do with her past." the serial, produced by jatti verma also stars sumeet sehgal, kiran kumar, nishigandha wad, shilpa tulaskar and amit behl. while bhagyashree is looking forward to the response to her new serial, she's also excited about her home production, kaagaz ki kashti, a daily on zee "which will soon go on air." besides looking after her two kids (a son and a daughter), the actress is also giving creative inputs to her home company shrishti entertainment. "i sit on scripts, i decide the cast and the costumes, in fact the works. i even directed an episode of khauff on sahara," she reveals. so is there a director in her waiting to come out? "definitely. i think i have always been more focused about direction than acting. i enjoyed directing that one episode and i'm sure i can do it in the near future." one thing at a time is her credo and so bhagyashree is right now concentrating only on ujala.