Renuka Shahane: Total Recall
From Marathi films to television and then Bollywood, the actor who recently made her directorial debut with the Netflix film Tribhanga–Tedhi Medhi Crazy, recalls her journey in the industry
Renuka Shahane started her career with the Marathi film Hach Sun
baicha Bhau. She then worked as one of the two anchors of the vastly popular Hindi language TV show produced and co-anchored by Siddharth Kak, Surabhi, a series, which made her a household name in India. Her charming smile won over people’s hearts and made Renuka one of the most popular Indian television personalities ever. At the peak of her popularity she acted in the movie Hum Aapke Hain Koun. The film was a huge hit and it is considered to be the highest grosser of Hindi Cinema.
Today, Renuka is an actor, writer and director. Tribhanga – Tedhi Medhi Crazy is her first Hindi directorial debut starring Kajol, Tanvi
Azmi, Mithila Palkar among others. Known to be an artist who invests herself deeply in her work, she has offered a story that busts the clutter and positions itself as a genre of its own. Excerpts from an interview:
What was it like working with powerful actors like Kajol, Tanvi and Mithila — as a powerful actor yourself, where were the lines drawn by you personally?
I was really happy to have such a fantastic group of actors for Tribhanga. Kajol is a spontaneous, intense, instinctive actor who gives her all once she decides to play a part. She also has a wicked sense of humour and we’ve had a blast working together. Both Tanvi and Mithila, I’ve been fond of for a long time. So we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I think my actors have a relationship of trust with me since I’ve been an actor myself. There are also certain tweaks or tricks I could suggest to enhance their already wonderful performances.
From the Marathi film HachSunbaichaBhau to
Surabhi, and then Circus... how did this part of your journey unfold?
Acting in front of the camera happened for me as an extension of my being part of the
Marathi/Hindi amateur theatre scene in Mumbai. At that time television was at a nascent stage. Hach Sunbaicha Bhau was my first Marathi film directed by Purushottam Berde who I knew from theatre. But before that I had already faced the camera for TV in 1987 for a breakfast show called PC Aur Mausi starring Farida Jalalji, Pankaj Berry and I. After that I got the opportunity to assist Dr Vijaya Mehta in the TV serial Lifeline, in which I acted as well. During this time I was studying for my BA degree in Psychology from St Xavier’s College, followed by my MA in Clinical Psychology from Kalina University. At the end of my MA I decided to take a gap of a year before going on to do my PhD. But I got cast in Circus and Aziz uncle (Mirza) insisted that I should continue acting professionally instead of going back to my PhD. I took his advice and the next assignment to come my way was Surabhi.
The popularity that I got with Surabhi sealed the deal and I never went back to my PhD. At that time I got the offer for a Gujarati film called Hun Hunshi Hunshilal, directed by Sanjeev Shah and produced by Sanjeev Shah and NFDC, where I played a mysterious, romantic lead to Dilip Joshi’s Hunshi. I then received an offer for the Telugu feature film called Money, which was directed by Siva Nageshwar Rao under Ram Gopal Varma’s banner. Hach Sun
baicha Bhau came after both these films. Immediately after that I got the epic offer of the blockbuster Hum Aapke Hain Koun and both
Surabhi and Hum Aapke Hain Koun have been my most remembered and loved works.
Tell us about your directorial debut with the film
Rita, which was an adaptation of your mother Shanta Gokhle’s novel. How did you balance the subjectivity and objectivity?
Maintaining the objectivity was very easy. My mother who is such a good critic of the performing arts has taught me to look at my own work in a brutally honest way. As a child I was always encouraged to analyse books, films or plays, which I had read or watched with an objective eye. I learnt to experience everything subjectively but to discuss them objectively. I apply this to my own acting, writing and directing as well. I am terribly honest and critical of my own flaws vis-à-vis my work.
So, when it came to the film Rita, I chose to explore that angle in the novel, which was most important to me subjectively but then I wrote it in an objective manner. This is important to do because subjectivity clouds reason and balance. Adapting a novel into a screenplay is a difficult task because there are many parts of it one has to leave out. The screenplay has a different structure than a novel.
How has your marriage to another actor (Ashutosh Rana) influenced you personally and creatively?
Marriage to Ranaji has been very gratifying. The fact that we are extremely great friends makes marriage very comforting. Personally it has been life changing. Both of us are very surprised and thankful at how our lives have complimented and enhanced each other’s personalities. Both of us had never imagined that marriage would suit us so much. Professionally it is a huge advantage to have your partner know the rigors and stresses of our line of work. My mother and he are the first ones I brainstorm with — I discuss ideas, read out first drafts. In terms of acting, I discuss whatever acting assignments I am offered, with him. There are times when things don’t go as planned and he always brings in his drive and passion about acting to help me with my doubts. Both of us are very creative people and we also respect each other’s need to have space to think.
How do you juggle your work and your personal life while bringing up your two beautiful sons?
To tell you frankly, I have not been able to balance my work life and personal life. My being a mother is my full time occupation and work life has often taken a back seat when it comes to my family life. It is very challenging being a mother today because one has to face the onslaught of what children are constantly bombarded with on the net, on TV, on OTT platforms. I have to think of their security and at the same time teach them to be fearless, trusting, sensitive individuals.
There are so many isms that have to be introduced to them, many that were unheard of in my growing years. I have to be their buddy and yet try to discipline them. It is a tightrope walk. They have taught me so much about myself, patience being one of the best virtues I have learnt out of the experience of being a mother. It has widened my vision and that reflects in all the work I do, all the stories I want to tell.
Lastly — where to from here? What is it that you dream of doing and why?
I am writing a book. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish it by the end of this year. I’ll also continue to work as an actor in interesting projects, write screenplays and make them into films. Nothing concrete that I can discuss right now.