Aruna Irani on taking up Sony TV’s ‘Porus’
Veteran actress Aruna Irani, last seen on ‘Saubhagyalakshmi’, is all set to return to TV after a gap of two years with ‘Porus’. This will be her second historical show after ‘Jhansi Ki Rani’. She will play an Oracle (in ancient Greece, Oracles were usually priests who acted as an inspired medium between men and the Gods), who is a philosopher and adviser to Alexander.
About staying away from acting for so long, she says, “I was offered a few shows, but their sets were located quite far. So, I had no choice but to decline them. I met ‘Porus’’ producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary some time ago and appreciated him for the way he is making the show. Two days later, I received a call from his team and I was on board. I immediately agreed as I wasn’t doing anything for long and wanted to get back in action. The best part is that I am stationed in Umbergaon where the shoot happens and don’t have to fight traffic.”
While many actors find the process of getting ready for a historical show time-consuming, Aruna has no such qualms. She says, “I usually get ready within half an hour. However, for this project, it takes me about an hour because of the heavy and elaborate eye make-up and wig.”
While she wants to be active in acting, the actress, who has produced several fictions shows, including ‘Naaginn — Waadon Ki Agniparikshaa’, isn’t too keen on donning the producer’s hat again. “It’s too taxing. Utna pressure lene ki hamari umar nahi rahi. You can afford to be hyper about things at a certain age, but it could be detrimental for my health now. I have hypertension and diabetes and my doctor has advised me to not take too much stress. While as an actor, the responsibility is not solely on you if a show doesn’t do well, as a producer, you have to take care of everything.”
In the recent past, several seasoned actors have complained of lack of work. Ask Aruna about it and she replies, “Yes, for actresses, the offers have certainly dried up in films, but that’s not the case on television, as it’s female-dominated. Jahaan performance ki zaroorat padti hai, veteran actresses ko dhoondhna hi padta hai.”
