Aruna Irani on Microdramas and Social Media: ‘If You Ask Me to Make a Reel, I Would Never Do It’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Even after decades in the industry, Aruna Irani remains driven by her passion for acting. The veteran actress had made her debut with “Ganga Jamuna” in 1961. She went on to act in “Anpadh” (1962), “Jahanara” (1964), “Farz” (1967), “Upkar” (1967), and more. After a strong career in films and television, she is ready to venture into the world of microdramas. Now, she insists that the medium may change, but her craft remains the same.

The actor who will be seen in the microdrama “Don’t Mess with my Grandma” with Karanvir Bohra tells Variety India, “We are actors, we only want to act, be it on stage, silver screen, television or the web. Acting is acting, and it’s our business. This is our job. This was the right time for me because Karanvir Bohra was very friendly. I liked the story and felt that my role was different.”

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The format itself added to the excitement, as Aruna shares, “Whenever you go into a new world, it always feels exciting. This was also a new world for me.”

Known for memorable dance numbers, including "Dilbar Dil Se Pyare,” “Chadti Jawani Meri Chaal Mastani,” “Haye Haye Ye Thanda Pani” and  “Daiya Yeh Main Kahan Phasi,” among others, she has no issue with dance numbers being rephrased as item songs. In fact, she views the phenomenon positively. “I have a very positive take on it. Every era has its own style of dancing. There was a different style in our era. What is happening today is different. Such songs are a requirement from the fans these days. So, cinema is presenting it accordingly.”

The actress points out that actors today enjoy comforts unimaginable when she began her career. She says, “Today, everything has become easy. Sets have become air-conditioned. There were no vanity vans earlier, but actors have them now. There were difficulties, but that was our job. We used to hide behind cars and change. But we did not feel bad about it. It feels good that there are so many wonderful opportunities today.”

While some senior actors like Zeenat Aman and Saira Banu use social media to share their memories and thoughts, Irani remains largely detached from the digital world. Reflecting on the trolling faced by actresses such as Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone, she says, “It is truly concerning. But social media never interests me. Kukuji (filmmaker Kuku Kohli’s) assistant had opened an account for me during the re-release of “Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa,” but it was more engagement for the film. Otherwise, I don't have time and I don't feel the need to be involved in such things. It is boring. If you ask me to make a reel, I would never do it.”

At this stage of her career, her ambitions remain simple. She still wants good roles. Retiring is not on the cards for her. "I want to work till my last breath. I have done all kinds of roles. But there must be other roles left to be explored,” she says.

The one thing she is sure about is that she has no desire to return to production. "Production is too hectic for my age. It is a lot of work and I have health issues that don’t permit me to be on sets for so long. So, I don’t think I would go for it anymore.”