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There’s no stopping Aruna Irani . Sixty-five years after making her debut as a child artiste in Ganga Jumna (1961), the veteran actress continues to embrace every new storytelling medium that comes her way. From films and television to OTT and now micro-dramas , she has moved with the times. While she says she still enjoys being on set and working with people, she admits that friendships in showbiz have always been complicated.


Aruna says, “When it comes to friendships, hamari industry badi ajeeb rahi hai. While we’re working together, it feels like we can’t even eat a meal without our co-stars. But the moment a project wraps up, everyone just moves on.”
Still, Irani counts herself fortunate to have found a few close friendships. Looking back, she remembers Smita Patil, Divya Bharti and Mumtaz with immense affection.

“My best friend was Smita Patil. Khair, woh bahut hi jaldi chali gayi. I also bonded really well with Divya Bharti. She too left us very early. Mumtaz was one of my first friends in the industry. She was incredibly helpful. If I needed anything, she’d immediately come to my rescue. If my makeup wasn’t right, she’d fix it. If I couldn’t afford makeup, she’d share hers. She even gave me her clothes.”

Even after more than six decades in front of the camera, Irani remains excited by the way entertainment continues to evolve. The veteran actress has now ventured into the world of micro-dramas with Don’t Mess With My Grandma, and says adapting to changing formats has always been part of her journey. “Earlier, television brought us into people’s homes, and now this format has brought us into their palms through mobile phones. It’s incredible. Through every technological evolution, we’ve remained actors. Hamara kya hai? Hume toh bas perform karna hai aur apna scene dena hai — whether it’s on stage, the silver screen, television or in a micro-drama. The crew takes care of the shooting; we just have to be ready with our dialogues.”

‘At 80, I don’t dare to play younger roles’

Having spent over six decades in the film industry, Irani has experienced it all — the highs, the lows and bouncing back. Best known for films such as Caravan, Bombay to Goa and Beta, she says she is content embracing the grandmother roles that have become synonymous with her on-screen persona. “At this stage of my career, I’m happy playing a permanent dadi. I’ve played a vamp, a sister, a mother and now a grandmother. At 80, I don’t dare to play younger roles,” she says with a laugh. “I’ve also seen the lows in my career. Downfall aaya toh ghar baithte the. Then, by God’s grace, something exciting would come along. That’s the life of an actor. Through it all, I never once thought of taking a break. Even today, I don’t want to. I want to work till my last breath.”