‘ I MISSED SRK
>> Continued from Page 21
Congratulations Mastani, you were outstanding in the film. What has been your takeaway from the film? First of all, that would be the chance to work with Sanjay ( Leela Bhansali) sir for the second time. Every time you work with him, you discover new things about yourself, as a person and as an artist. You face challenges that drain you both physically and mentally. And then you come out rejuvenated and refreshed because creatively it is such a satisfying experience. I think that has been my biggest takeaway from this film.
How did you go about transforming yourself from the goofy Meenamma to a complex lover in Tamasha and now this intense historical character, Mastani? It’s tough on a physical and an emotional level, because you are juggling three completely different films with completely differently characters. The interpretation of each character is different and so are the directors and their temperaments. So yes, in some ways it’s not the most ideal work scenario for me. If I had my way, I would have liked to do one film at a time. But having said that, I was not going to give up on any of the film experiences. I was not going to give up on a Bajirao to do Tamasha and Piku and nor give
Piku to do Tamasha and Bajirao. I am greedy like that and I wanted to be a part of all of them. Those are times you realise that physically you will be going through a lot, simply by moving from one set to the other.
Emotionally too, you are switching moods. As it is, as an actor you are required to manipulate your moods and feelings every day, in keeping with the character you play. It’s not easy at all. And then, the promotions suck the life out of you — that’s in fact more difficult than the film itself. Films are still fun and we are creative people; we enjoy being on a If you had the chance, how would you want to change the way the leading lady is portrayed in mainstream Bollywood? I don’t think we need to — that process has already happened. In films like Piku, Tamasha, Bajirao — sorry, I am drawing instances of my own films, because I prefer talking for the work that I have done — I can see it happening. As a creative person and as an actor, this is the most exciting time to be in the film industry, simply because of the kind of films that are being written for women.
You have worked with the cream of the crop. Who else features on your wish list? A lot of people actually. I have loved Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap’s work. I want to work with my own directors again Ayan ( Mukherjee), Homi ( Adjania), Imtiaz ( Ali), Sanjay sir and Shoojit ( Sircar). There are so many fine directors today — Raju Hirani, R. Balki, Sujoy Ghosh, Gauri Shinde — it’s a long list.
Speaking of the directors you’ve worked with this year, tell us a little about what have you learnt from each of them? Shoojit ( Sircar) is a very spiritual person and a lot of that you see in the character Piku. He has a different take on life, on people and on the universe in general. I don’t know if ‘ spiritual’ is the right word… maybe it is, yes. As for Imtiaz, he’s my jaan — he knows me better than I know myself, and he’s first my friend and then my director. When he tells me something or gives me some advice about my work, it means a lot to me. Working with Sanjay sir has been creatively my most satisfying experience. He’s someone, like Ranveer said recently, who gives you wings to fly — he’s so creatively collaborative. He makes you feel like you are the greatest actor in the world and then gives