‘WE ALWAYS JOKE AND BULLY EACH OTHER’
But during the shooting of Mom, Sridevi says she stopped talking to her husband, Boney Kapoor
Mom is Sridevi’s 300th film, but she still comes across as enthusiastic as a debutante. She admits that she “feels like a newcomer” even now. HT Café catches up with her for a chat about her career, husband, producer Boney Kapoor, kids, and more.
With a new film’s release, do you still get butterflies in your stomach?
I won’t say there’re butterflies in the stomach, but there is a kind of excitement and curiosity about how people are going to react. It’s difficult to express that feeling. And it happens with every film. I have also felt it from day one [of my career] to now.
After Mom, what’s next? Any plans about the future.
I am just going with the flow. I don’t have any plans in my head. If I find something new and interesting, which touches my heart, and makes me feel for the character and the film, I will do it.
Is it easier to work with your husband?
It’s nothing to do with my personal equation with him because Boneyji is a great producer. He goes all out to do things for his actors and technicians. He makes sure that everybody is comfortable [on his sets], and that’s always the case. The quality of his working style never goes away, so it’s not like he is there just because we are family.
You have worked with him earlier too in films such as Mr. India (1987), Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993) and Judaai (1997)…
As a producer, I have a lot of respect for him because he has been in this industry for so many years. He knows everything. Plus, he manages everything — including all the problems —very well, so I am very happy.
Is it true that you stopped talking to Boney during Mom’s shoot?
We always joke and bully each other, but that didn’t happen during the shooting (smiles).
Did you find Mom challenging despite having worked in so many films?
In a way, it has been. Sometimes, what the character is going through is very unnerving and emotional. We have tried to make a genuine emotional family drama, with a thriller element. So, there are many scenes where I really got affected. I, in fact, became a little aloof during the film’s shoot. Otherwise, I am always joking and laughing. But my film’s character didn’t permit me to do that while shooting.