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Today's generation must know Santoshi Maa: Anita Guha (INTERVIEW)
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, June 3 (IANS) Her mind is alert. Her attitude is warm, humble and gracious. Anita Guta who rose to national fame after playing Santoshi Maa in the 1975 film "Jai Santoshi Maa" is back in the news.

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Vijay Sharma's "Jai Santoshi Maa" was released in the same year as Ramesh Sippy's "Sholay". And now STAR Gold prepares to premiere the mythological feature June 4.

"That people have forgotten my real name used to hurt me. But now I like it. People would be scared of approaching me, thinking I was a real goddess. That didn't seem right. I am after all a mere mortal," Anita Guha told IANS.

"I remember how embarrassing it would be when elderly ladies would come and sit at my feet. That was painful. Even today when I go out on the roads they call me Santoshi Maa. Even kids call me by that name. I guess my image of the goddess lingers. I can't complain. 

"Our Hindu religion and its mythology are ideals that we must uphold. I'm glad to have given the country a new goddess to worship. Today's generation must know about Santoshi Maa. In fact, I want mythological films to be revived."

The film was made on a shoestring budget. 

"It was just a few lakhs (of rupees). I still remember when the producer came to me saying they were making a film on Santoshi Maa, I had never heard of this goddess. The producer explained who the goddess was and that they wanted to make a mix of a social and mythological film. Since I was known for being part of both kinds of films, I readily agreed. 

"They told me I was a guest artist in 'Jai Santoshi Maa'. I had to give dates only for 10-12 days. The footage shot was interspersed throughout the film. The film started, got stalled, we thought it wouldn't be completed. Then the producer, who loves me a lot, came back and we revived the project. The rest is history."

Anita featured in several mythological films before "Jai Santoshi Maa". 

"My role as Sita in 'Sampoorna Ramayan' was a big hit. But before mythological films I was known for doing socials like 'Sanjog' which had Madan Mohan saab and Lata-ji's (Mangeshkar) immortal melodies like 'Woh bhuli dastaan lo phir yaad aa gayi'. 

"But after 'Sampoorna Ramayan' I was labelled a mythological heroine. I wasn't too happy with that. But I had no choice. Then the mythological films stopped. I stopped working. 

"Then I came back in mothers' roles with Shakti Samanta's 'Aradhana'. That's where I first put grey in my hair. After that, 'Sharmilee', 'Anurag', 'Anand Ashram' and lots more. It's strange but people don't recognise my colleagues. But they haven't forgotten me...I don't like being called Santoshi Maa, though I'm a god-fearing woman."

Now work has ceased. After her husband-actor Manik Dutt's death she lives all alone in Mumbai. 

"I'm tired and I don't feel like working. Today when you talked to me, it brought back memories of the past. I have no children. But I don't feel bad about it. All the children of my relatives are like my own. And when people point at me and call me Santoshi Maa I feel the whole world is my family. 

"Yes, I do have friends in the film industry, like Mala Sinha, Helen and Salman Khan's parents...I keep going to Kolkata to meet friends and relatives. I know after the telecast of 'Jai Santoshi Maa' on June 4, I'll be accosted on the roads. I'm looking forward to that."