There is always something new to try your hand at, even after 60 years in the acting business. Sharmila Tagore will vouch for it. The veteran actor, who was last seen on screen in Break Ke Baad (2010), is making her OTT debut this week with Gulmohar. From shooting in the ’60s without vanity vans, to headlining an OTT project in the present day, Tagore has witnessed a sea change in showbiz. “I remember there were no vanity vans until Amitabh [Bachchan] got the first one. Now, it has become so much more comfortable to work in films, and OTT is even more organised. Everybody is punctual. While shooting for Gulmohar, everything was spot-on — from the first shot, to the outfits, to the time you pack up,” she marvels.

Gulmohar sees Tagore as the Batra family’s matriarch, with Manoj Bajpayee playing her son, and Suraj Sharma, her grandson. In Rahul Chittella’s directorial venture, she got not only a powerful script, but also a spirited character. “Kusum is independent, has clarity of vision, and is a senior who leaves the door open for the younger people to reach out to her. While she loves her family, she is clear about what she wants to do, and has no guilt [about pursuing it],” says the actor, admitting that she shares many similarities with her on-screen persona. She praises Chittella for making a film that goes beyond a family drama.