Your new film, The Hungry, garnered tremendous response at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it was recently screened at the Mumbai Film Festival, where again it did well. Tell us about the film, and your role in it.
A. It is a completely different genre. I don’t think India has made a film like The Hungry before. It’s really out there in terms of its macabre kind of content. And it is very edgy, very modern. Even for the West it is modern. The film is based on Shakespeare’s play, Titus Andronicus. And I play a character called Tulsi: a lovely character, most challenging. I have got to do things in the movie that I haven’t had the chance of doing before. Also, it has a great cast, fabulous director and I had an exceptional time shooting it. Naseer [Naseeruddin Shah], who was my teacher as well, is also in the film. Then there is Neeraj Kabi, Sayani [Gupta], and there is a bunch of very talented actors from the West: there is Antonio Aakeel and Arjun [Gupta], and Bornila [Chatterjee], the director, is so good. Cinematographer Nick Cooke is also brilliant.
Q. Your 2016 short film Chutney, which won two Filmfare awards, marked your debut as a producer. Your work as an actress in this film also won a lot of critical acclaim. So what was your thought process when you decided to go ahead with something as offbeat as Chutney?
A. I used to perform this as a monologue 15-16 years ago at the Prithvi Theatre, and this was when I wasn’t even allowed inside Prithvi Theatre. I used to perform on the platform at Prithvi and was hoping to get a break. And then, for many years this story grew in my head, developed and grew roots and leaves and branches, and became this story. And I think it was a story that was dying to come out of me.
Q. Did you feel an added sense of responsibility towards Chutney, since you were both producing and acting in the film?
A. I put in my very best even when I am an actor. But what happens when you are producing is that you become conscious of something more. There is a sense of responsibility about everyone involved, because at the end of the day it boils down to you, and you’d better take care of everyone. So you are conscious of that. There is no sense of ownership in that because everyone owns a project equally, but you are responsible for people coming and giving their best. We need to provide the right kind of facilities to them, whether it is in terms of post-production, or in terms of facilities that help them give their best, or to get the right kind of place for them. It was very hot when we were shooting Chutney, so we had to make sure that everyone had enough to eat and drink. That there were enough of fruits and basic things. So one had to look into the nitty-gritty of that.
Q. Your de-glam look in the same short film got a lot of attention and was much appreciated. Since most actors are quite conscious about their on-screen looks, was your decision to tone down your appearance for the film also a conscious choice?
A. No, I don’t think I had any such ideas. I normally don’t go for these kinds of ideas. This way of thinking is not what I relate to. I don’t think like that. My idea of this de-glam look was this was the kind of person she [the character] was. She had no advantages in life. She couldn’t speak well, she was not nice looking, she didn’t have a son or a daughter. Bacche ki maa ho, to vo izzat milti hai society mai [when you are a mother, you get that respect from society], and she didn’t have that. She wasn’t probably even a wealthy person. So she had a unique way of thinking.
Q. Going all out with promotions and marketing strategies is the latest trend in the film industry. Don’t you think most short films tend to miss out on a lot in this regard, despite having good content?
A. Yes, to a certain extent. But if the work is very good, it shouldn’t matter. And you shouldn’t make a short film unless you have good content, and unless you are very sure of that story and very committed to that story, because making a short film takes a lot more effort than a feature film because we don’t have those kinds of budget and infrastructure. You don’t have publicity and advertising budget, you don’t have a release partner, you don’t have a dedicated theatre that is going to pick it up. People can come and see it, but they may as well not see it. So that’s something you have to deal with. You have to make sure that you do media-related activity, but you have to make sure that the work is really good.
Q. Hindi cinema is increasingly orienting itself as a content-driven industry. However, there are many good films that don’t see commercial success. What explains that?
A. I think we don‘t spend enough time on stories, and that we are busy copying. Every second film is a copy of a Korean film or a Chinese film or something or the other. We have millions of stories in India, beautiful stories of amazing bravery, courage, ingenuity, humour, madness, families and all sorts of things. But we don’t bother to get into these. We have such a unique culture. We are such a thickly populated country. And only when people interact with each other will we get to the bottom of these stories, which is so important.
Q. We have heard that you’ve been planning to produce a feature film. Also that you want Shah Rukh Khan to play the lead in that. Are you in talks with him?
A. Yes, I will be making a feature film but first we have another short film, titled Choori, lined up. And about Shah Rukh, we are not yet in talks with him but I hope he will at least give us a hearing.
Q. What about the female lead?
A. She is sitting in front of you.
Q. What are your views on censorship? Do you think it can be demotivating for filmmakers and producers?
A. I don’t know if it is demotivating, but I think it is absolutely ridiculous. We don’t need censorship, we need certification. We don’t need to be told, “Don’t do this!”. And then, you can put out whatever you want these days. How are you going to stop people on the Internet? How absurd is this! And of course all this affects the revenue part.
Q. You have now worked on the big screen, on television shows, and on the stage, as an actor, as a producer. Which medium excites you more, and which role do you prefer?
A. What excites me is writing. It is very torturous because you write something then you rip the paper and throw it away and think that you have wasted a lot of time and you have got nothing out of it. And you go back to the drawing board to again start with nothing. At least with acting you have a script to start with. Producing is also fun in a way. Getting the right people to help you produce a film is important. Lots of elements need to go into it—getting the right people, getting them into the right frame of mind, getting them to cooperate willingly, handling people’s egos and all of that. That’s more of a producer’s job and coordination is a big part. But it’s also fun.
Q. You have been an outspoken and opinionated Twitter user, which is great to see. But other celebs haven’t been as lucky as you in this regard as they are often subjected to trolls. Do you think celebrities are easy targets on social media?
A. Yes. It is your 15 minutes’ worth of fame. You attack somebody who is famous and then suddenly you get famous for that short bit of time because everyone is either replying to you or talking about you. So I don’t take it very seriously. It is a good medium, though, for putting your thoughts out and letting people get to know you.
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