MS Design is a creative studio founded by me (Marjia Sultana), a passionate graphic designer dedicated to crafting visual identities that speak louder than words. Blending art and strategy, MS Design brings bold ideas to life through innovative, eye-catching designs that inspire.
The beauty of long running television shows is that they sometimes give you the opportunity to spend time with people who may have existed in worlds very different from yours until then..and then, almost magically, they end up shaping a significant part of who you were during those years. And long after the experience ends, some of what they stood for continues to find a home within you.
We spent so many days sharing a set floor and many lunches over the three years we worked together on Ishqbaaaz. I’d often complain about the boring sabzis (read: lauki, karela) she’d bring, and she would continue to insist that we try her food. She didn’t give up. I never gave in.
My earliest memory of her was filming my very first scene with her on Ishqbaaaz at around midnight in Turbhe. A solemn moment between the matriarch and her grandson. There was something about her presence that made you feel so present in every scene. She liked rehearsals. So did I. It was a match written in the stars. I say so because in television, rarely do you have the discipline and mostly the time… for multiple rehearsals.
She came from the rich tradition of Punjabi theatre. She wrote, directed and produced in her time, but never for once brought that heft onto set. She had more years in the business than the entire ensemble put together, but may have been the lightest co-actor to work with. Only sometimes complaining about the crazy schedules of television. Okay, often :)
I’d quite often drop her back home if we packed up at the same time, and those drives are some of my fondest memories of her. She’d be excited about writing back to every audience member who messaged her on Instagram (she embraced technology). She was thrilled about collaborating with Vishal Bhardwaj. She spoke so fondly of her husband and their love story, and mostly of her son, Kanu, and the wonderful filmmaker she believed he was.
We kept in touch over the years much after the show ended, and @jank_ee and I had the good fortune of celebrating her on her 75th birthday in October 2024.
I doubt I ever called her Maam! None of us did. It was always Dadi.
We will miss you, Dadi. ♥️
#NavnindraBehl
70 minute nahi, poori zindagi ka sawaal hai! And Mumbai Police has committed their lives, to prioritise our safety!
Thank you @MumbaiPolice@CPMumbaiPolice for your selfless duty & congratulations on the remarkable 10 years on social media!
#MumbaiPolice4All#MPsPuntastic10