Jyoti B Mukerji: My family time was, is and will always be very important and that’s why I took a break of 16 years

7th February, Mumbai: Jyoti Mukerji took a long hiatus and made her comeback with Tera Mera Saath Rahe in 2021. The show did well and fans rejoiced her return. The actor will now be seen in Yash Patnaik and Mamta Patnaik's new web series Dear Ishq that will be aired on  Disney+Hotstar. Jyoti talks about the project, her career and much more.

"I restarted my work with Tera Mera Saath Rahe on Star Bharat and currently I am Durga Aur Charu on Colors. I wanted to do something different and Dear Ishq gave me that opportunity. It was a great setup and that is what prompted me to try a new platform," she says.

Jyoti plays Niyati Fatnani's mother Shailaja Roy in the series. Shailaja has a very strong emotional connection with her daughter. It’s more of a friendly relationship. Niyati plays the role of Asmita Roy in it.

"Asmita shares her work issues with Shailaja mother, but at the same time there are other issues going on and how the family problems lead Asmita to do what she has to. It’s a sweet single mother's role," she adds

There is a lot of prep work that happens every time Jyoti approaches a role. "We do a lot of workshops, we do reading before the shooting starts, there are look test, costume trials etc. A lot of creative inputs come from different departments. We work on the dialect , body language You also work on the language and mood of the character. As an actor, the minute you get into the costume, that minute I become the character. As the show progresses, you start living that character," she says., more so because on set everyone starts addressing you with your character name 

Praising Yash and Mamta, she adds, "It’s a new production house for me and when I met them, they were very warm and welcoming. I am looking forward to a very healthy working space with them that we can create together."

For those not in the know, Jyoti is the wife of Raja Ram Mukerji , Rani Mukerji’s brother. 

'I have been in the family for 25 years now and I am very proud of my sister in law’s achievements and for the person she is and what she has created for herself. She is more like a sister to me , my family is my backbone in every way , they support me and encourage me for all my endeavours whole heartedly..

Jyoti is particular about maintaining a balance between her work and personal life. One of the reasons why she took a break from a acting in between.

"My family time was, is and will always be very important and that’s why I took a break of 16 years break from work. In 2006 when my daughter Myiesha was born I quit working and in 2009 my son Viaan was born. I only started work again in 2021. I took this break because I wanted to be with my children and wanted to grow with them. But now my kids are teenagers so now I have that time and space that I can give myself. I live in a joint family and my mother in law is very understanding, loving and caring .While I am away she takes charge and is more excited about me getting back to work. She never wanted me to leave my work but that was my call. She takes care of everything while I go shooting, so my work and family is all balanced with the grace of god," she says.

On her journey so far, the actor adds, "I started with Anurag Basu's Manzilein Apani Apani and then I did Mulk and Kittie Party for Zee and Aandhi as well. I did Asha Ki Kiran with Manjul Sinha and then I did Santaan and Prratima. It’s been a great journey. I came back to work in 2021. I have a great 6 years of working and then I had a great 16 years of growing up with my children. I have cherished every moment with them. Now since I have got back to work there is a lot that has changed. Industry has grown and there is a lot of creativity and channel inputs. It has become a huge industry. I left the industry when I was doing TV so wanted to restart my life with TV and that’s what I did. I am proud to be a part of this industry," she says.

OTT series are doing extremely well and viewers preference have also changed a lot.

Agreeing, Jyoti says,"The content that is available now is phenomenal. There are so many different subjects coming up. OTT has opened the gates and has made people creative. I am very excited about it too. There are so many job opportunities that have opened up not only for actors but for technicians and other craftsmen as well. Writers were sitting with brilliant scripts and not finding anyone to fund them , now they can bring their story , their vision to the public. I am looking forward to doing more work and going along the flow," she adds.

As an actor, Jyoti says believes in learning from her juniors and her seniors. So the list of people who inspired her and continue to inspire her is endless.

There is something that you can learn from each and every person. Just keep your mind open and let the knowledge flow.

"In my earlier days, Anurag Basu who got me into the industry and taught me the nuances of performing told me something very significant, which is still with me. He asked me to observe every person around, because everyone is a different character, there tone, there body language, the way they walk , sit ,eat, each one is different in some way. Observe, absorb and make notes of them , you don’t know which character you’ll have to play suddenly.

I find so much to learn from everyone that I meet and interact in my life and it’s not one particular person. I am here to learn and grow," she ends.