MODERN RELEVANCE
TANYA feels that the British audience will be able to relate to the characters in A Suitable Boy, because “what parents want is happiness for their children, which was true both back then and now”.
“I think people all over the world will find it fascinating, especially people who are not privy to the lives of Indians and how it was in that time period for them to discover the sights and sounds,” echoes Ishaan.
Meanwhile, Tabu reflects on how, as human beings, “we all go through similar experiences and we have our journeys”.
“We have societies that define us and that we are a product of,” she continues. “We have love and we have separation – so it feels like A Suitable Boy could have been a story of today.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
WHEN it comes to memories from filming, Ishaan reveals they shot on very few sets. Instead, they used real locations and real houses which have been maintained over the decades.
“I think that adds a lot of value, certainly to an actor – you feed off the location a lot,” he says.
They also shot in a lot of rural areas in northern India, which could take up to three hours to travel to.
A lot of these villages will have never been shown on screen before, and Ishaan describes it as an “incredible” experience to film in such remote places.
“It was really refreshing, you would see people who would just be doing their work, they don’t have cell phones in their hands.
“They were very supportive. In the villages, there were times when we would even ask civilians and regular people to become a part of the scene. They would do it without any hesitation, and they were lovely.”
Another memorable part of making A Suitable Boy for the stars was working with Mira Nair, who is known for films such as the Bafta-winning Monsoon Wedding.
The director and executive producer would get the cast doing yoga before shoots, reminisces Maniktala.
“Our schedule was very hectic and very rigorous, we had to be on our feet for 16 hours a day, and all of it was very strenuous,” she follows. “So, Mira knew she had to prepare her cast for what was coming.
“The yoga sessions were great.”
■