Smita Dongre completed her degree in Homeopathy, did her internship and even worked in a hospital but somewhere dreamt of becoming an actor one day. During her college days, along with her studies, she participated in different cultural events, dramas and singing competitions. Her brush with these art forms prepared her for the future.
“One of my friends, who knew about my love for acting, told me about an audition. At that time I didn’t know much about auditions, but I still tried and to my surprise got selected. I started my career with Apradhi Kaun. It was a Nitish Bhardwaj production for Star Plus. They chose me for one story and that experience taught me a lot. Then they approached me for a few more stories because they liked my work,” says the Mere Sai – Shraddha Aur Saburi actor, who always gave priority to her family and ended up compromising on her work from time to time.
For those who might wonder why she studied to be a doctor if she always wanted to become an actor, the reason was to fulfil her mother’s wish. Her elder sister is also an established dental surgeon in Aurangabad. In fact, Smita’s husband is also a doctor.
“My mother got married when she was in ninth standard and the next year she gave birth to my elder sister. After that, she completed her M.Sc. B.Ed but didn’t get admission in a medical college and missed her chance. So it was her wish that her daughters would become doctors,” says Smita, whose favourite role and show so far is Saibaba (Sagar Arts). Her prominent shows also include Balika Vadhu and Maharana Pratap
“Many things happened to me while I was doing this show. I was about to do the character for two months but it got extended. I conceived my younger son while working on the show and also I lost my father… I didn’t get any support from my parents or in-laws when I decided to pursue this profession, so I struggled a lot, but when Saibaba worked out, my father and the rest of my family members were happy. When I wanted to leave the show because of my pregnancy, Moti Sagar ji asked me to continue and I listened to him and shot till my ninth month,” she reveals.
Next, Smita will be seen in a show tentatively titled Chota Pandit. Speaking on her character, she says, “I play a typical Indian mother. It’s the character of a thakurain. She is firm and sober, but she wants things to be done her way. Devi Singh is the name of my character, and Thakur’s character is being played by Manish Khanna ji.”
Amid acting, Smita also took her passion for singing and driving forward. “I run a banner named Music Mantra. I’ve had many singers working with me… JK tyres and WIIA organises a car rally for women on Women’s Day, and I have been participating in that for the last three years. And, for the last two years, I’ve won prizes too. The result of 2019 hasn’t been declared,” she adds.
So, does she regret not practicing medicine anymore? “That’s there, but not much because at home, in my family, and even on the sets also, if anyone is suffering from anything, I’m always ready to help. I’ve not just suggested people on the set medicines but also tests. So all these things are going on but my passion is acting, so I’m happy being able to do that,” she signs off.
