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NOW CINEMA STORIES, ABOUT NOT JUST NUMBERS: SANJANA
Sanjana Sanghi feels this is the best time to bea young leading actor in the industry
Sanjana Sanghi isn’t disappointed that her Bollywood debut as the lead actor in Dil Bechara (2020) ditched the theatrical outing for the digital route because of the pandemic. The 25-yearold explains, “Dil Bechara was always meant to release on the big screen. But things are so unpredictable. Now, all of us, be it an actor or director, have realised that the most important thing is working. Focusing on writing your scripts in the best possible way and performing them well [is what matters]. Whether it is for an OTT platform or theatrical, what is important is that the projects are being watched.”
She is glad that the pandemic has ushered Indian cinema into a phase “where it is about the stories”. “For so long, it had become all about the numbers and the box office. In that sense, now (when stories are prioritised) is the best time to be a young leading actor in the industry,” says Sanghi, who is confident the trend will continue.
Speaking about the theatrical release of her next film, Om, co-starring actor Aditya Roy Kapur, she adds, “My next is a visual spectacle and only meant for theatres, if God willing, there is no next wave (of Covid-19) and theatre business gets normal.”
The actor also elaborates on the role of an evolving audience in the kind of content created today. “Now, the audience has shifted and grown, they dictate everything. I don’t think they will accept mediocrity,” shares Sanghi.
With the onset of OTT, I feel liberated. I am busy doing some amazing characters and roles today.
After dabbling in the Hindi and the south film industries as well as TV, actor Madhoo Shah is set to mark her foray into the web space with an anthology film and a web series, for which she has already signed three seasons.
Happy to be able to play the parts that she couldn’t during her prime days in the film industry, the actor says, “With the onset of OTT today, I feel liberated. I took a hiatus of 15 years and returned to the industry. Everything changes so quickly here. I’m busy doing some amazing characters and roles today.”
The restrictions and stereotypes pertaining to a woman’s marital status and age, which have plagued the industry for years, are waning with time. And this excites Shah. She shares, “You can be of any age or shape, but if you are a good actor, you have a place here. Web shows have allowed me that space. You don’t have to be single or in your 20s to be a part of them. You have the freedom to just be an actor.”
Quiz her if she wished that the digital invasion had happened back in the ‘90s, when she had started her career, and the Thalaivi (2021) actor says, “There’s nothing about the ‘90s that I want to change or do differently. It was the golden period. I’m happy that the influx of OTT has happened today, because this is the right time for me to jump into it.”
MADHOO SHAH,