Age is no criteria to do what you want to, we find, as Metrolife caught up on Veena Bhat’s exciting journey which any woman like her would envy.
Veena lived and schooled in Mumbai. A plump teenager, the butt of many jokes, she went on a crash diet, joined a gym, just to spite everyone.
Just when the rolls had turned to curves while doing her third year B Com, she decided to visit Mangalore for the first time in 18 years for a temple festival. Ramesh, a young and prosperous Chartered Accountant, was also visiting Mangalore for the festival after 28 years. He saw Veena and for him it was love at first sight.
A year later they were married. Rahul was born a year later. She completed her B Com and took a beautician’s course. Aditi was their second child. The children were her priority and to be around them she started a beauty parlour from home, in 1981.
“Ramesh, his family and mine, have been very supportive about all my endeavors. I think beauty and fitness go hand in hand and therefore I extended my space and started a gym”, she says. Then Ramesh was transferred to Bangalore in 1990, I opened Veena-Vani Wellness Centre in Indiranagar, and “Viva” a grooming school for models followed.”
It was in 2001, that Gladrags had a Mrs India competition, and in 2002 Veena’s family and friends persuaded her to contest.
“I did not even know what a portfolio was,” she confided. From 30 contestants, 25 were eliminated in the first round and among the five contestants, she was the third runner-up and also nominated Mrs Vivacious.
“It was such an electrifying moment. To think I at 30, could have scored over all those 20-something year olds!” she recalls.
Then Veena did advertisement films for saris and jewellery for Alapat, Tanishq, Malabar Gold. It was on the assignment with Malabar Gold, that on the eve of a shoot, she was told the director had changed. Talk about destiny!
Veena says she was not comfortable working with a new director, but it turned out to be Priyadarshan, who did films under the Ad Film banner, and he offered Veena a role in his feature film.
The shooting for Bhool Bhulaiya started in February 2007, and the movie with Akshay Kumar, Amisha Patel, Vidya Balan is due for release in October.
“It’s been a great experience. Bollywood is not about casting couches, unprofessionalism and taking it easy. It’s a gruelling schedule. One has to be on a strict diet, exercise and beauty regime.
You have to be ready to do a scene at any given time. There’s no drinking and late nights. It was a month of sobriety and shooting. Working with professional actors, has been a learning experience”, she says.
Veena is gearing up for her second movie, Bang Bang, a Kannada children’s movie. Always well-groomed and a trendy dresser, Veena’s weakness is perfumes.
“I tell housewives, age is no criteria. One can’t do everything when you are young. I’m so satisfied motivating and making women look beautiful. Interacting with a range of age groups and social background is invigorating and my clients are delighted with their new image.”
