Sunday, April 20, 2003		In The Spotlight

Namrata Shirodhkar gets Insaaf

NAMRATA Vaastav Shirodhkar has had a slow start to her career. But, right now the actress is basking in the limelight, having bagged a performance-oriented role in Shrey Srivastava's Insaaf-The Justice.

Namrata Shirodhkar's USP is in not getting slotted. At ease with both style (Pukar) and substance (Vaastav, Tera Mera Saath Rahe, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar), the former Femina Miss India, albeit a slow-starter, is now enjoying the limelight. This unconventional Aquarian has an unusual pick of roles in forthcoming films Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye, Bride And Prejudice and Tehzeeb.

But the soon to be released Insaaf-The Justice, director Shrey Srivastava's debut drama, has her playing the angst-ridden protagonist. Inspired by the real-life rape of an IAS officer's wife, Champa Biswas, Namrata says she has through this role, 'tried to create an awareness about the serious issue of rape, in an attempt to contribute to the betterment of society.'

At her suburban apartment, the soft-spoken Namrata reveals the fire in her, as she speaks about rape, its disguised definitions and the need for women to stand up against it.

In the serene backdrop, a Sai Baba idol, eavesdrops on our conversation....

What inspired you to accept Insaaf-The Justice?

The script deals with the issue of rape, a very prominent ill in our society. Just as people do advertisements for a cause, we in our capacity can make people aware of the seriousness of rape and how women can fight for their rights and dignity. Being a woman, I felt that by working in this film, inspired by the real-life rape of an IAS officer, I would be creating such an awareness.

I have tried to put across that rape is not something to be ashamed of, as it happens without a woman's consent. Rape has many definitions. It implies not only being forced to sleep with a stranger but also with your boyfriend or husband. This kind of giving in happens in the lower middle classes and other uneducated parts of the world. Through the film we want to make a beginning for the underprivileged, who do not have access to a platform and are ashamed to speak up. I have read all the newspaper articles on Champa Biswas and have tried to convey her feelings through those years.

The climax, which is a very long one, has two or three high points. The confrontation scene between me and the rapist (played by debutant Dayal Singh), where I make him realise his mistake and get him to admit it in front of the village was very challenging. We have succeeded in justifying our aim.

I'd say Vaastav (a Mahesh Manjrekar directorial where she played an-in-your-face kind of prostitute) was the turning point. Also Pukar. With these two films I proved that I could do both, commercial and offbeat cinema.

Even though the film Hathyar (a sequel to Vaastav) did not work, it did win good feedback.

In Sanjay Jha's Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye, we are all (Diya Mirza, Raveena Tandon, Shweta Menon) playing cameos. I play Mona, a junior artiste, the support system of her family. She is outspoken without mincing words and lives life on her own terms. Yet she is the life of the chawl. I have some performance-oriented scenes which helped me evolve as an actress.

In Khalid Mohammed's Tehzeeb, I have done a special appearance only because of my relationship with Khalid. I play an aspiring singer who has a zest to prove herself. I have a beautiful A.R. Rahman composition picturised on me. In Gurinder Chadha's Bride and Prejudice, Aishwarya Rai and I play siblings of marriageable age. While Ash is the outspoken one and wants to marry for love, I am the one who'd marry for the family's happiness.

Yes, I do appear reserved. It takes time for me to open up. I cannot be outrageously friendly to people I do not know. I have a few close friends and I do not feel the need to make new ones.

— Leisure Media News