Wanted to inspire housewives, says Jayati Bhatia

Jayati Bhatia hopes she has been able to inspire women of her age to utilise their free time pursuing their hobbies or favourite activities.

New Delhi: TV actress Jayati Bhatia "rediscovered" her passion for dance on ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5’ and the 41-year-old hopes she has been able to inspire women of her age to utilise their free time pursuing their hobbies or favourite activities.

She didn`t expect to be eliminated from the dance reality show so soon, but is happy with her performance. "People never thought I`d be able to do what all I did on the show. I hope that I have inspired ladies of my age, who have nothing to do at home, to realise that they can take up dancing, singing and painting when their husbands are at work," Jayati told reporters. "It is very important that women realise their passion and pursue it. My journey on `Jhalak…` has come to an end, but I have promised myself to join western dance classes from Aug 7 and I will pursue it regularly from now on," she added. Jayati was eliminated on the episode aired Saturday, which also happened to be her birthday. A trained Odissi performer, Jayati says her last stage performance was a decade ago. But "Jhalak…" was a different tryst with dance as she got a chance to learn western forms. Her expressions and grace always charmed the show`s judges - Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar and Remo D`Souza. But she failed to impress them with her last two performances, which included tap dance and salsa. "After these performances, I was on shaky grounds. But I thought, maybe I would get another chance. But it has been great to be part of an international format, which is so popular worldwide. So I was very fortunate to be a part of it," said the actress, who is seen as Mataji in ‘Sasural Simar Ka’. The rehearsals, she says, were tough as after a 9 a.m. to 9 p.n. shooting schedule, she used to start her practice at 10 p.m. everyday. Jayati also had a fear of dancing in heels, but she has been able to overcome that and calls it a great motivator. Now she wants to perfect the art for herself. IANS