‘Parents always want to provide the best to their child’
Mrunal Thakur speaks about her relationship with her parents
Actress Mrunal Thakur, who has been promoting and awaiting the release of her film Jersey, sadly has to wait longer as the Omicrom has postponed the release the film. But the actress is keeping her spirits up.
In a relaxed tête-à-tête, she gives us insights into her life before she ventured into films.
YOUR TAKE ON RELATIONSHIPS
Any relationship, say, of a husband and wife, goes through ups and downs. If the husband makes an equal effort as the wife, the spousal relationship will last and thrive. But if a husband stops putting in efforts to maintain the relationship, then it starts fading away.
WHAT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENTS LIKE?
My parents were very strict. I remember the first time I hugged my father was during the pandemic in 2020. I don’t remember if I’ve hugged him since I turned 14 or so; it was something I missed. That being said, I know the struggles my father underwent to raise me and my siblings, working day and night; it was not easy and I really appreciate him.
Parents always want to provide the best to their child. But I was a hesitant child and not an affectionate person. When I got my first house, however, he’d said, ‘Tu majha mulga ahai (you’re my son); you’ve done what even a son can’t do’ and then he hugged me then. That moment remains a very precious one for me.
HOW DID THEY REACT WHEN YOU DECIDED TO WORK IN BOLLYWOOD?
Earlier, Dad was worried about my safety in the industry, which every family feels. Later, when they saw my approach and attitude on the set, they realised I’ll be able to manage it, and have not been worried after that. Even recently they were constantly worried about my decision to start working after the first and second waves of COVID especially because we actors can’t wear masks on the sets.
ARE THEY SUPPORTIVE?
They’ve always been supportive and still support me a lot. I’m close to my family and no matter how tough or good or bad the day may have been I always share it with them. I involve them in most of my decisions. Whenever I get a good story, I sit down to narrate it to them too. They have different perspectives, which make it easy for me to make decisions etc. Mum sometimes even helps me with my characters. For instance, my character ‘Vidya’ in Jersey is married though I’m not in real life, so Mum helped me understand the nuances of the body language and behaviour of mothers so that I could act likewise on reel. In fact, in Jersey I’ve also used memories from a real incident from my childhood — when my mum had scolded us siblings for wasting pencils for the fun of sharpening them — in a scene with my son in the film.