|
FIRST PERSON
I believe in possibilities
Would you describe yourself a
‘director’s actress’?
 To
me, an equation with the director is a must. I need to believe
in him. For, he is the captain of the ship and it is his vision
that finds expression on screen. So it is of utmost importance
that I share that vision. Fortunately, I have worked with the
very best directors, from Mani Ratnam to Priyadarshan to Pradeep
Sarkar to Raj Kumar Hirani to Aziz Mirza.
Why did you want
to be an actress?
I had never
thought of doing anything else. From the time I was in Class
VII, I’ve had this passion to be an actress. That passion has
not dulled over the years. I still derive vicarious pleasure in
being someone else — of course, without losing my identity.
Is it important
for you as an actress to relate to the characters that you play?
I need not
identify completely with every character I play. But I can
always work on the nuances. In my sociology classes, we were
taught about the ‘possibility of possibilities’. It is
possible that something that does not work in our society could
work elsewhere. Likewise in acting, I believe it is possible
that something, which does not work for me, might work with
someone else. In Parineeta, initially I could not relate
to my character of a girl who is waiting for a man who does not
even acknowledge her. But later, I realised that this is a
conscious choice that she has made and she derives her strength
from it. So, even though I may not agree with my character, I
would believe in the possibility of possibilities.
Which has been
your most challenging role so far?
The split
personality in Bhool Bhulaiya. I had no point of
reference, the emotions were alien. Before the filming of the
climax scene, I went up to my director (Priyadarshan) for help
and the only advice he gave me was not to research my character.
So, however, bizarre it might have appeared on screen, I did
what came naturally to me. And it worked!
Do you like the
attention, invasions into privacy?
I wouldn’t have
it any other way. I have been in the industry for three years
and I am enjoying every moment of it. I have learnt to detach
myself from all incursions into my privacy because I understand
that people would want to know more about me. I am not a
hypocrite to say that I resent the attention I am getting.
How did you relate
to your character in Kismat Konnection?
I play Priya, a
girl from Toronto. She is like any other girl next door –
someone who is emotional, believes in the basic goodness of
life. She also believes that destiny has a hand in everything
that happens in life. And that is also what the film is about
– that everything happens for a reason, only that we may not
always be aware of it. Like Priya, I am also emotional by
nature. I, too, stand up for my beliefs. I, too, believe in
destiny but I am not fatalistic.
What films do you
have in hand?
I am not allowed
to give away too many details. There’s Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s
Chenab Gandhi, being directed by his assistant Vibhu Puri
with Amitabh Bachchan and Harman Baweja as my co-stars. And
then, there’s Vishal Bhardwaj’s Ishqiya with
Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi as the male leads. Abhishek
Choubey is the director.
— D.B.
|
