Veteran actress Usha Nadkarni, who primarily works in Hindi and Marathi cinema, is best known for her role in the hit television show ‘Pavitra Rishta’, She recently spoke out about the “trend” of auditions.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, she mentioned that she received a call for an audition for Zoya Akhtar’s film ‘Gully Boy’ but declined it. 

Usha Nadkarni recalls being asked to audition for Gully Boy

Usha shared her reaction when she was approached by a prominent production for an audition. She said, “Do you want to do a role?, to which she agreed. But they asked her to come to the office for an audition.

Her strong response: “What have I done in 78 years?”

In response, the veteran actress asked them, “What have I done in 78 years that you are asking me to come and give an audition?”

Why Usha Nadkarni turned down the Zoya Akhtar film

She also recalled turning down the audition for Gully Boy by saying, “Ek ladke ka call aaya, usne kaha audition dene aajao, maine kaha bete teri umar kya hai? Usne kaha 25 saal. Maine kaha jab teri maa ki shaadi nahi hui thi naa uss time se kaam kar rahi hun main. Yeh sab faaltu kaam nahi karti main audition dene ke. Maine pucha director kaun hai, unhone bataya Zoya Akhtar, maine kaha voh toh bada baap ki beti hai naa…mera kaam dekh computer pe naam mera laga, tab maloom padega ki maine kya kya kaam kiya hai.”

About Gully Boy: Cast and release

For those who may not know, the film ‘Gully Boy’ was released in 2019 and directed by Zoya Akhtar under the banner of Tiger Baby Films and Excel Entertainment. The Bollywood film features Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Vijay Varma, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz and others in the key roles.  

Usha Nadkarni’s journey in Hindi and Marathi cinema

On the work front, Usha Nadkarni was last seen in Sony Liv’s crime drama thriller series ‘Kankhajura’ alongside Roshan Mathew, Mohit Raina, Sarah Jane Dias, Vyom Vyas and others. In her acting career so far, the 78-year-old actress has featured in over 100 television shows and movies. Her notable performances include ‘Simhasan’, ‘Pratighaat’, ‘Vaastav: The Reality’, ‘Kuchh Is Tara’, and ‘Pavitra Rishta’, among others. 

For the unversed, she made her debut with the 1979 Marathi film Sinhasan, where she was cast opposite Mohan Agashe, Suresh Bhagwat, Suresh Bansale and others.

Usha Nadkarni’s personal life

Talking about her personal life, she lives alone. According to reports, she got married to Ravindra Nadkarni but got separated after a few years. They have a son together. However, in an interview with Pinkvilla, Usha Nadkarni, also referred to as “Usha Tai”, mentioned that her son does not live with her.