From overnight stardom to stepping away at 19, the actor opens up about choosing family over fame
For most actors, a success like Maine Pyaar Kiya would mark the start of a long, carefully charted career. For Bhagyashree, it became a turning point of a different kind. Ahead of her upcoming historical drama Raja Shivaji, where she will be seen essaying the role of Rajmata Jijabai, directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, Bhagyashree recently spoke on the ThinkRight podcast hosted by Rajan Navani and BK Shivani. “I did not really aspire to become a film star, I wanted to go abroad for my education,” she says, adding that she was initially “very averse” to the idea of acting. Looking back, her entry into films and the overnight stardom that followed was never part of a larger plan, but something that unfolded unexpectedly.
Her understanding of success, she says, was shaped early on by that very experience. Speaking about Maine Pyaar Kiya and its impact, Bhagyashree reflects, “One doesn’t plan success. Success is something that happens…somewhere the stars align, somewhere the universe blesses you.” She adds that crediting one person for a film’s success is misplaced. “There are so many people that are invested in the making…we cannot forget the viewers. It’s their blessings that make us who we are.”
At the peak of that success, Bhagyashree made a decision that continues to stand out decades later. Framing it as a matter of clarity rather than sacrifice, she says, “It’s all about prioritizing… what will make you happy?” At just 19, she chose to step away from films, adding, “For me, my family, my husband and my children were more important, so I made that choice.”
What defines that moment, she says, is not sacrifice but certainty. “When you make a decision, you should believe that it is the right decision at that time,” says Bhagyashree. “If you keep looking back, you are just walking around in circles. If you want to reach somewhere in life, you have to look ahead.”
That clarity, however, did not mean the journey was without its challenges. Years later, after devoting herself entirely to her family, Bhagyashree reflects on what she calls “the most important phase” of her life. “For me, my family was the priority.
My children were the priority…my whole life revolved around them,” she says. But once that phase settled, she found herself confronting an unexpected void. “The house was running on its own, a system was in place… so I had nothing.” she shares. “Despite having everything, there was an emptiness within me…I felt lonely.”
Speaking candidly about that period, she adds, “Now I understand that I had depression… I didn’t know what it was back then.”
Even in hindsight, her perspective remains rooted in learning. “When one looks back at mistakes or something that didn’t go right… you learn from that. Life teaches us,” she reflects.
Decades after Maine Pyaar Kiya, Bhagyashree’s story continues to stand apart, not for the success she achieved, but for the choices she made at its peak, and the conviction with which she continues to stand by them.