Life let me carve my own path; it has been a hell of a fun ride: Chitra Palekar

MUMBAI: Chitra Palekar’s peach-hued Bandra home is bathed in the soft glow of the evening when she greeted this writer with a warm smile, and chai and cookies. Taking a break from the whirlwind of activity ahead of the launch of her autobiography ‘Tar… ashi aaari gammat’, she settles down and says, “Like the reader who would get to know me when they read this book, I had also rediscovered myself while writing.” “There are so many little things to do that sitting down like this makes me both relaxed and guilty,” she says animatedly, her gestures betraying the enthusiasm of a teenager rather than that of a 78-year-old theatre and film veteran. “The film won a Jury Award at Nantes, France.” Over the years, her cinematic contributions evolved behind the scenes—writing screenplays, scripting and eventually directing the critically acclaimed ‘Maati Maay’. “I want everyone to access it.” Cause and effect In the book she also engages with her commitment to social causes, which extended beyond women’s rights. “Life let me carve my own path, and just like the book’s title suggested—it has been a hell of a fun ride!”