Jayshree Arora – Bhagwanti of iconic TV series ‘Hum Log’ of mid-1980s

Jayshree Arora plays character roles for Bollywood movies, plays and TV shows. She is also a performer of Kathak and Manipuri dance. Arora shot to fame after playing the supporting role of Bhagwanti in the iconic Doordarshan series, Hum Log. Since then she has been regularly associated with Doordarshan serials, sharing screen space with Shah Rukh Khan for a couple of shows, and also played his mother in Chak De! India in 2007. Resham Dadi in Diya Aur Baati Hum is one of her popular shows in the recent past.

Jayshree Arora hails from Kolkata. This popular character artist started her acting journey through theatre at a tender age of just 9. Since then she has been fully active in entertainment industry, portraying different kinds of character roles. Hum Log in 1984 marked her television debut, and Mujrim in 1989 marked her Bollywood debut. In between she has been a part of several iconic shows of Doordarshan. She has been a seasonal actress in films in the 1990s, and was fully involved with theater.

Her active career in television restarted soon after Chak De! India happened, and Jhoome Jiiya Re marked her comeback. After that she mostly played grandmother roles on small screen. She was seen in TV shows – Yahaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli, Jhoome Jiiya Re, Dev, Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke, Mere Ghar Aayi Ek Nanhi Pari etc.

Jayshree Arora – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. Her name is also pronounced as Joyshree or Jayshri Arora.

2. Unlike other actresses, she mostly copied Bollywood heroes during her childhood. She mimicked Shammi Kapoor most, followed by Kishore Kumar.

3. She received her first film offer at the age of 12. But her father wanted her to complete her studies first.

4. Though she was interested in acting and dancing since young, she never thought of joining television industry. But as an artist, she got fame through small screen roles.

5. Interestingly she also became a part of India’s first television serial – Hum Log. It was just a co-incidence.  

6. She played Shah Rukh Khan’s mother in Doordarshan series, Dil Dariya in 1988 and also worked with him in Fauji the same year. Then she moved to big screen roles. Years later she played his mother once again in sports film, Chak De! India.

7. She played the role of Nivedita’s mother in the iconic series, Buniyaad.