Exclusive - Jaya Bhattacharya on earlier false bankruptcy reports: Random people would message on WhatsApp to offer me money or ask me to meet in person

Jaya Bhattacharya, who is seen in the role of Veena Devi Singhania in Thapki Pyaar Ki 2, spoke to ETimes TV about her life, struggles and more. The actress during the chat revealed that as a kid she was trained to become a classical vocalist and Kathak dancer, but she gave up in 1988. She opened up about the rumours about her bankruptcy going viral and how she dealt with it. The seasoned actress spoke about how she consciously decided not to have children, her love for animals, and just how she loves to wear her heart on her sleeves. In this exclusive conversation, the veteran actress bared her heart out about sailing through all the hardships with a strong mind and heart. (Photo: Instagram)

I wanted to become a trained vocalist and a Kathak dancer. My parents wanted me to be. I’ve trained for many years and I gave them up in 1988. My mother was a singer and my father used to play the tabla. Everyone from my family has been into music some or the other way. I just gave up one fine day and there were personal reasons why I gave up. But the universe gave me a different medium to showcase music, dance and some more creativity. My training for dance helped me when I was playing my career’s first negative role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The knowledge of music comes when I am delivering a dialogue. It is never flat and has some modulation and it is pleasant to ears. So they have helped me a lot in becoming the actor that I am today. (Photo: Instagram)

I don’t socialise, you’ll hardly ever find me at parties. I take my responsibilities very seriously. I’ve stepped into my 50th year and earlier on in my life only I had decided that I will always stay grounded no matter how successful I become. People usually feel they have arrived just after one show. Thankfully, we were around seniors who always clipped my feathers when I’ve even tried to do that. I am thankful to them. I’ve always led a carefree life. I don’t worry about what people think about me or if I need to make them happy, if they like me I am fine, I don’t have to take them home. I cannot please people or pretend to be someone else. I lead my life like this and that’s the reason I do what I like to do. People who know me, consider me as genuine and that’s a big thing for me. (Photo: Instagram)

I just concentrate on my professional life, I’ve my own trust and I also have a medical center for stray animals. Earlier, I used to do all this alone but now thanks to the Trust I’ve other people also and we reach out to more people. So this keeps me busy. I am proud of myself that I’ve also been able to motivate others to do something for humans and for animals. (Photo: Instagram)

I’ve always been a person who has never bothered about her looks. Once I was in a market buying vegetables a few years ago and I got a call for a project. I was told I had to go and meet the makers urgently. I had two pigtails with full oil in it, in my simple clothes. I wasn’t even aware which popular director I was meeting. I reached there, did my meeting and ended up not getting the role but it did not matter to me. I was back to my life. I have not been a politically correct person or have never been conscious about my looks. In fact, I don’t even wear makeup in my daily life. I don’t even use cosmetics to enhance my beauty. (Photo: Instagram)

I have learnt to deal with rumours during the beginning of my career when I came from Lucknow. Though we are in the 21st century, people still don’t look at actresses in a good way or respectful way. This I’ve noticed and observed and when I get this offer to do a ribbon cutting ceremony I don’t accept it. Because I see that difference in their eyes how they treat a male star or a female star. I feel like asking them why are you judgemental towards me, have you led my life for me or have you contributed in any way in making me what I am. So what used to happen, people who visited me in Mumbai would gossip about me. Oh we heard you got married, they kept asking me. I was angry at that time that people are not asking how I am surviving, do I have work or money to eat food, all they are interested in is marriage. People even asked me if I’ve done abortion. They are just useless people and they are only interested in gossip. I realised very early on in life that I can’t be unhappy reading or listening to these rumours. I was contributing towards their life by being an object about whom they could gossip. It stopped bothering me. (Photo: Instagram)

But when the bankruptcy rumours went around, it was very difficult. I was going through a very tough time as my mother was on a ventilator for 6 days. She was not responding, I had just come out of the ICU to have water and a lady journalist called me up and the first thing she said was that we heard that your mother is dead. These were the exact words. Supposedly, someone goes through such a tragedy, there is a way to talk, you can’t just say is your mother dead. I got worried because you have often read about hospitals purposely keeping dead patients to make money. How can she be so insensitive. After that news went viral I was so scared of even looking at my WhatsApp because random people were messaging me asking if I need money they can help. There were also people who told me if I didn't need money, I could meet them in person. I was scared. I made a standard message that I have money and I’ve not gone bankrupt. I actually had money which I had made from Thapki season 1. I was in fact saving money to buy my own shelter for stray animals.

I did not create a ruckus because I was getting my mother’s life on track. She was pale, weak, she even passed away after 3/4 months. Even when my mother expired at 6:30 am, I was shooting for Delhi Crime and I got a call. I shot three scenes which were scheduled and I told my director that I should be leaving by 5 o'clock to go back and do the rituals as I am the only child. My father is 90 plus so I came back by 8:30 and did the rituals. I am a very practical person and try not to intentionally hurt that person. (Photo: Instagram)

People who love to get married should definitely do it. People who want to have kids and can take the responsibility should only have kids. They should be able to take care of the kid mentally, physically and monetarily. People don’t have jobs, there is no security and when the entire day parents are out to work and provide good life to the kid, who will give them morals, values especially in nuclear families. Then you realise the kid has got into the wrong things. Consciously I made a decision to not have kids because I was working. I am the only child of my parents. I wanted to take care of them. I was working day and night. I had even adopted a young boy who was abandoned by his mother on the roads. He was 11 years old. He would steal money and give it to his mother. Later, after 10 years, he searched about me and had come to meet me at one of the sets. He owned up to his mistake and regretted having made wrong choices in life. (Photo: Instagram)