Popular actress Dolly Zahur has maintained her screen presence, both on television and on the silver screen, winning two National Awards for her stellar performances in "Shonkhonil Karagar" and "Ghani".

In a candid interview with The Daily Star, Dolly talks about her journey and more.

You live in both Bangladesh and Australia. How has your experience been so far, living in two very different cultures?

To be honest, I love living in my home ground. I have grown up here and am very attached to my culture and my roots. My son and daughter in law lives in Australia. Thus I have to visit them often. However, my heart lies in my country and its beauty.

It seems like your volume of work has decreased.

I was ill a few days ago and even had to be admitted in the hospital. I had to take a break from shooting due to weakness. However, I have worked in Azizul Hakim's Eid production. I have also Shetu Arifin's Eid special project.

I will begin shooting for a drama serial after Eid.

Age comes with a lot on constraints and thus, I have to take care of myself while keep working. Maintaining the balance is tricky.

Do you still remember your experience from the popular drama "Eishobb Din Ratri"?

I will never forget Humayun Ahmed's "Eishon Din Ratri". I had appeared as Neelu in the production.

This role brought me immense response from the audience. People still remember their Neelu Bhabi and Tuni, and that's the biggest achievement for any actor—to be remembered for decades through the performance of a lifetime.

You have the experience of working with some of the most popular directors in the industry. On the other hand, you have also prioritised the scripts send to you by young promising filmmakers. What difference have you noticed among the two generations of directors?

When it comes to acting, there is very slight difference. However, the ambience and environment of the shooting is quite different.

I have acted more or less with all the big directors, including Mostafizur Rahman, Mostafa Kamal Syed, and Atiqul Haque Chowdhury. They were talented people. Now I am also acting under the direction of those who are young directors. I was often intimidated to share my views infornt of such lenegdary directors as television used to have a director-centric vibe to it. How, I often share my views and even give suggestions to my directors. While I put forward my perceptions in a humble manner, they also take to accept it gracefully.

Having played the role of a mother in numerous plays and movies, how much emotion does it take to blend in with such a character?

I became very emotional while playing the role of a mother. You have to choose roles in accordance to your age and appearance. I've played the role of a mother numerous times and I still do.

A lot of artists call me mother because of my on-screen characters and I cannot express the intimacy of such bonds in words.