‘ACTORS ARE PERCEIVED BY REEL IMAGE IN REAL LIFE’

Chitrangda Singh might have tried her best to portray different kind of roles on-screen but she feels that actors get stereotyped by the film fraternity and audience alike based on their on-screen image, and this is “scary”.

Ever since she began acting in 2003 with Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Chitrangda has mostly been offered films where she portray a strong and intelligent woman.

“I think actresses are perceived by their on-screen image in real life. I remember how after my debut film, people tend to think that I live my life wearing cotton saris like my character in the film. If we do something conveniently on-screen, whether it’s the film fraternity or the audience — they start thinking about us like that,” says the actor.

“I am sure actresses who do bold scenes, they might be perceived in the same manner in real life, which is scary,” she adds.

While Chitrangda’s performance was lauded in most of her films, some never made it big at the box office. Asked why is that, she explains, “When it comes to a film like Mirch Masala, Hazaaron..., Mandi and Masoom, more than looking at the commercial success of the film, these are important stories to be told. A commercially successful film that holds a strong entertainment value, may not be an important story but that does not mean that the story is not worth telling.”

Does projecting reality in a serious manner keep the audience away from watching such films on the big screen? Chitrangda states, “Maybe... That’s true. Maybe that’s too much reality to digest on a Friday night! Some films do not earn a lot of money because they are ahead of its time, they are bending the formula of a commercial film. But with time, those films become cult.”