Meghna’s mantra: Never start shooting before script is frozen, and don’t make any changes

Rishabh Suri

Meghna Gulzar has always pushed her actors out of their comfort zones — be it Alia Bhatt, who had done a slew of glamorous roles before Raazi (2018), or Deepika Padukone, who had played larger-than-life roles in films such as Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018) before

Chhapaak came along. And now, she has Vicky Kaushal stepping into the shoes of sir Sam Manekshaw for a biopic on his life.

As a director, is there a special piece of advice she gives her actors, so that they know what’s coming their way? “There is prep at their end, and a bound script. I normally will never go on floor till the script is frozen. There’s very little deviation, except at the edit table, after the shoot. The core is already with the actor. That gives them time. On my part, I give them a broad framework, isse bahar sur kharab ho jaayega, iss daayre mein (rahein). But, you also have to give actors their space. This is so important, we forget this and are so proprietorial. You don’t realise that a film is a constant interpretation by everyone who comes onboard,” explains the 46-yearold, who believes that the preparation is very crucial for her actors’ roles.

Deepika played an acid attack survivor in Chhapaak. And since it was the first time that the actor was playing a role rooted in reality, Meghna says she guided her throughout. “With Deepika, there were small cues. If she was uncomfortable with a word and asked to change it, we would, if it was okay. If it wasn’t, then I would say, ‘This girl won’t speak this language, this won’t be a part of her vocabulary’. After that, you have to give your actor their time,” says Meghna.

Alia’s role, too, was based on a real-life character. Meghna says, “With Alia’s role in Raazi, there was less referencing because we could not meet the lady [on whose life the film was based]. Also, we were talking about a time in the near past. It was a place we couldn’t go to (Pakistan). I gave her Pakistani plays, films of my father (Gulzar) to see the way they spoke — slowly with more gravitas. Today, we speak quickly,” she says.