Gwalior, which is known as the city of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was visited by the lead actors of TV serial ‘Atal’ Neha Joshi and Aayudh Bhanushali on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Neha is playing the role of Atal ji’s mother Krishna Devi in the show, while Aayudh is seen in the role of young Atal. Both the actors visited the historical places of Gwalior and shared their experiences and told interesting things about their characters. Standing here, I felt how special Atal ji’s family was: Neha Joshi Neha Joshi shared her experiences standing at Atal ji’s house. She said emotionally, ‘Coming here, I felt a different kind of peace and belongingness. This is the place where Atal ji spent his childhood with his family. Even though this place has changed now, every corner here tells the story of him and his family.’ She further said, ‘When I read about his father Krishna Bihari Vajpayee and mother Krishna Devi, I feel how empowered and educated this family was. His mother taught her children to differentiate between right and wrong and always taught them to trust themselves. While playing this character, I realized that no matter how difficult the situation is, a mother’s confidence makes children strong.’ Talking about the learnings from her character, Neha said, ‘Atal ji’s mother was an educated woman, which was a big thing for that time. She taught her children values and ideals, and taught them that one should not give up even in difficult situations. I have learned from this character that how big a responsibility it is to play the role of a strong mother.’ It is a privilege for me to play the role of Atal ji: Child artist Aayudh Bhanushali Aayudh Bhanushali expressed his happiness and said, ‘Coming to Gwalior and seeing Atal ji’s house, it feels like I have touched a part of him. Our set and this real place are a little similar, but the feeling here is different.’ Sharing the learnings related to his character, he said, ‘Atal ji’s biggest quality was to treat everyone equally. He never considered even his enemies as enemies. This lesson inspires me a lot. I am very lucky that I got a chance to play the character of a great person like Atal ji. I want to get a chance to play such big characters in future as well.’ Taste of Gwalior and Atal ji’s favourite sweet During the visit to Gwalior, Neha and Ayudh also tasted Atal ji’s favourite sweet Motichoor Laddu. Neha said, ‘We came to know that Atal ji used to order laddus from Bahadura Sweets. We also came here and tried these laddus. Really, its taste is very special. Apart from this, the Kachori and Samosa Chaat here are also amazing. This city is known for its sweetness and warmth.’ Atal ji’s thinking and our roots Talking about Atal ji’s thinking and his contribution for today’s generation, Neha said, ‘In today’s time, when everyone is in a race to move ahead, it is very important to connect with our roots. Personalities like Atal ji teach us that we should never forget our traditions and culture. His stories remind us of our Indianness. This visit was not only special for me personally, but it also helped me understand my character better. Atal ji’s life is like a book, from which we get to learn something new on every page.’
