'I was mentally disturbed for the longest time'

After an untimely sabbatical, yesteryear singing actress Sulakshana Pandit is now looking forward to cutting an album and doing some motherly roles on celluloid.

After having led a solitary life for so long, Sulakshana has moved in with sibling Vijeta Pandit and is presently recuperating from ill health. After being out of work the actress has seen poverty very closely. She even sold her belongings including her car, furniture and jewellery. We're no stranger to the fact that she wanted to marry her co-star the late Sanjeev Kumar. However, Sanjeev Kumar never acknowledged Sulakshana's presence in his life. 

Talking about her absence from the film circuit, Sulakshana says, "I had no film offers or singing assignments. Then Sanjeev Kumar passed away. Even my mother passed away at a time when I needed her most. These deaths had a lasting impact on me. Needless to say, they took a toll on my health. I was mentally disturbed and shaken for the longest time."

With the passage in time, and the love and care of her siblings, Sulakshana is now leading a normal life. She says, "I have always wanted to have a family of my own. My sister Vijeta has been looking after me for a while now. Her husband Aadesh Srivastava has been more than a brother to me. It feels good to be a part of their family now. I don't feel lost any more."

Recently, the singing actress made a surprise appearance at the launch of Vijeta's music album, Propose. However, Sulakshana informs that she was nervous like never before, at the event. "I had stopped going out of the house completely. I was not ready to attend the music launch. But my sister insisted that I accompany her. Honestly, I was quite nervous and didn't know how to conduct myself in the public after so many years," she says.

She reveals that her devotion to Lord Krishna has also helped her regain her composure to a great extent.

Of late, she has been doing riyaaz with sibling Vijeta and is planning an album with Aadesh Srivastava. "The gift of music has been passed on to us by our father Late Pandit Pratap Narayan. I do riyaaz with Vijeta whenever I feel like. But who will be ready to compose an album with us except for Aadesh. Jatin and Lalit, who are like family, have also parted ways now." She's doesn't mind a second innings in Bollywood too. "I can no longer play a lead role. I should be ideally playing a mother on screen," she says.