BollywoodFilmFame.com
From Engineering to Acting and Beyond
Saurabh Goyal
“Sikander Life is never conquered”
Kher
JAN-FEB 2022
Being a Part of Kaun Banegi Shikharwati
LARA DUTTA
Richa
Chadha PUSHING BUTTONS ALWAYS
Alright, I feel like every time I start this quick hello to our readers and followers, I'm always saying something about the weather, or the pandemic, or a bit of both, but honestly, I'm kind of over it. I'm tired. Along with the weather, I've found the constant barrage of negativity on the internet to be painful to read, with everyone cashing in on a celebrity's decision, for literally no reason. At the same time, I have also felt that we are coming some way in being aware, but recognizing the realities of the society we function in - and how we can navigate our own pathway. That's why I think the cover story for this issue, with Richa Chadha, is so apt. It's the right and big way to start off our 2022, because she gives us the hope that we can pave our own way, but also keeps it real enough for us to recognize the challenges along the way. Who better to follow up with than Lara Dutta, who has always forged her own way, be it through the dramatic roles she has done, or my favourite, her roles in comedy films. I get chatting with her about Kaun Banegi Shikharwati and she does not disappoint. Along with the wonderful Lara Dutta feature is our feature with some of the finest talents in our country today, who are new or rising, including Jatin Sarna of '83 and Sacred Games fame, Gayatri Bhardwaj of Dhindora fame, Sikander Kher of Aarya fame, and of course, Saurabh Goyal of Chhorii fame. Also check out our chat with award-winning director, Archana Phadke; and our very own Canadian, Keshav Uppal of Hiccups and Hookups. All of these wonderful people have paved their own way, whether waiting for several years before they could make their mark, or getting on that journey early on and waiting for their moment for people to start to recognize them. Each one inspires. So that's the light at the end of the tunnel for me - this pandemic and everyone else on social media, well, you guys should spend some time reading this one. Full of gold. Until Next Time,
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ON THE COVER Richa Chadha Photographer: Ashish Chawla @ashishchawlaphotography Stylist: Bikanta Soubam Meitei @bikanta Hair & Make up: Neha Singh @nehasingh_makeup_artist Assistant: Nishant Gautam @nishantt.01 Retouching: Arun Keswal @arunkeswal Outfit @boraamritraj Shoes @stevemadden Earrings @dior @chanelofficial
Richa
Chadha PUSHING BUTTONS ALWAYS
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LARA DUTTA
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SIKANDER KHER
JATIN SARNA
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SAURABH GOYAL
GAYATRI BHARDWAJ
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ARCHANA PHADKE
KESHAV UPPAL
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INTERVIEW
Pushing BUTTONS AWAYS
Richa Chadha Interview By Armin S. // Photography By Ashish Chawla
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Photographer: Ashish Chawla @ashishchawlaphotography Stylist: Bikanta Soubam Meitei @bikanta Hair & Make up: Neha Singh @nehasingh_makeup_artist Assistant: Nishant Gautam @nishantt.01 Retouching: Arun Keswal @arunkeswal Outfit @boraamritraj Shoes @stevemadden Earrings @dior @chanelofficial
INTERVIEW
T
here are very few conversations that leave me feeling like Iʼve learnt something. There are rare moments when I hear sheer honesty – not just about herself but opinions surrounding the realities of casting, representation, and cancel culture. A conversation over Zoom, as she spoke to me with a picturesque background that I honestly thought was a filter (but it wasnʼt), which lasted more than half an hour so, because I was completely engrossed. This time around, it wasnʼt so much about her journey as an actor but more so, what she brings to the table as an actor, and now as a producer through her company, Pushing Buttons. We talk about the first production, Girls will be Girls, and more. 17
INTERVIEW
I am much more self-assured and aware of what my calibre brings to a project.”
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INTERVIEW
RICHA – THEN AND NOW In 2008, when I started, I was fresh out of college. I was not sure if this was something I could possibly turn into a career. There was a lot of back and forth from my side – I would come to Bombay, work, go back to Delhi, do some plays, come back and do some TV commercials. Like any young person, I just wasn’t sure if I could do this full-time and if it could pay my bills. That’s why I think of Gangs as my start because I had shifted to Bombay. Even that was a good ten years ago. It was a huge learning experience. But I would think that I have come a long way. I used to be quite naïve, more so than other people. Bomby was not my city. It took a lot of getting used to for me. I am much more self-assured and aware of what my calibre brings to a project. I am also more cognizant of the fact that I want to tell certain kinds of stories, which was one of the key reasons why my partner and I decided to start this production company, Pushing Buttons. Being producers gives us much more agency as creators to be tell stories that we want to tell.
THE ACTORS IN ‘GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS’ The film is completely my friend, Shuchi Talati’s, baby. At least, for the first film we are doing, Ali nor I are acting in it. We would have to find a girl who is new. It is a mother-daughter relationship so we hope to find a girl who is new and for the mother, we hope to find an established actor, somebody incredible. We will hold auditions and see how that goes. Since we are new and we are learning, and our first film has not even gone on floors yet, but I think that because our intent is clean, and we want to go about it the right way, I think we’ll do well. Because Ali and I are already in the public eye as actors, I don’t think either one of us desires publicity through production. I see a lot of that happening. We are already getting a lot of attention so there is a purity to create good stories and narratives, and that is what is driving us.
BREAKING BOUNDARIES AS PRODUCERS – HIRING MORE FEMALES Now, I’m in a phase that I can help with the production. I’ll give you some insight into the things we are planning. We are trying to hire a full female crew for Girls will be Girls. The theme is such that we want it to be very effective – we want to erase the concept of gender on set and see what happens with that. We are trying to set up an Incubation program so that certain departments that have few or no women – the Grip or camera department. We are trying to see if we can train some applicants for these jobs. We are shooting in Uttarakand, and it’ll be nice to have local women employed, who perhaps are supporting their households. A lot of work is in the pipeline in that way. These are things that we are trying to put some legwork into – we believe we are doing things the right way. If a certain business model doesn’t exist, we have to create it. It requires me to be patient in a very different way. As an actor, people answer your calls urgently. But as a producer, when you are trying to pull favours, and make things work, things are different.
THE CRITERIA FOR PROJECTS FOR PUSHING BUTTONS I want to be clear that the narratives that we explore have something unique to say. They don’t have to be films with moral lessons in them necessarily or about activism or politics. But everything is political in a way. Having grown up in the business a little bit, it would be nice to have projects that push the envelope a bit, explore the hypocrisy within what we engage in, perhaps how we function based on things surrounding gender.
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INTERVIEW
The battles we fight are much larger than Twitter conversations.”
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INTERVIEW
‘MADAM CHIEF MINISTER’ That film was the reality of what is happening in our world today – the country still follows the caste system, some people still follow “untouchability” in certain ways. In that sense, we are very backwards – it doesn’t matter if you are holding the latest phone model in your hands when your head has gutter-level thinking. There are all of these imaginary divisions created by people. Earlier Muslims were demonized, now Sikhs, Christians – who knows who will be targeted next? It’s just about being human first and assessing everything with a calm head. I did Madam Chief Minister for almost no money. I did it with my full heart but I was criticized for it because of the casting because the actor was not from the Dalit background. That was not in my control.
REPRESENTATION In an ideal scenario, we should have Dalit actors represented in Bollywood. What the ground reality is – that escapes even the well-meaning critics. So when I do a film like Madam Chief Minister or Section 375, the latter was about a very dubious law in the constitution. In order to put these issues at play, sometimes you have to put forth a very subversive point of view and I stand by my choices. I’m of the opinion that even if people don’t understand it today, even when you look back from ten years ago, everything has a purpose. One is trying, even with the fun things along the way. I’m also not of the opinion that the person with the most lived experience is the best choice – or we would not have Al Pacino in Scent of the Woman or Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice. What is an actor – who has to act it out. I’m not saying that if you have an African-American role, you cast a Caucasian for that – what I’m saying should not be conflated with that. I respect that movement. I’m happy to be cancelled for this – I get cancelled all the time and it makes little difference to me. The battles we fight are much larger than Twitter conversations. When you go mainstream with these stories, you make it more accessible to people when the narrative is more mainstream-ized. There is an unfair amount of hate and scrutiny on women, particularly on women who are considered woke – like we have the responsibility of changing the world all the time. It achieves very little on the ground.
A COFFEE DATE WITH BHOLI PUNJABAN I think I would have to have a coffee date with Bholi Punjaban (Fukrey). She’s so colourful with her zebra print clothes and leopard print clothes and snakeskin shoes. She’s so confident. She has no concept of fear. She has never been told that she is a woman so she cannot do something. People do not give the creator of that character enough credit – there has never been a character like that before. She is the fleshiest, most juiciest character in the Fukrey franchise. I can’t wait for the third part.
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INTERVIEW
Being a Part of Kaun Banegi Shikharwati
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta is one of those rare actors who gets comic timing
right without looking like she is trying very hard. In this interview, I explore her character, comic timing, working in an ensemble cast, and whether she has to love her character in speaking to her about Kaun Banegi Shikharwati, a ZEE5 Global original starring Lara Dutta, Naseeruddin Shah, Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra and Anya Singh. 22
Interview By Armin S.
INTERVIEW
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF COMIC TIMING AND COMEDY IN A MULTI-STAR CAST PROJECT SUCH AS THIS?
“We are not just bringing in comic relief but we also had to get the sibling bond correct.”
It’s extremely challenging, to say the least. When you are doing comedy in a scene where there are only two or three characters in the frame, it’s easier, because you know where each character is. When there is a large ensemble of actors, it really boils down to timing. Each line must land with perfect timing because it is a very easy hit or miss and it can go flat really easily. That is a very challenging aspect of doing comedy especially with a large ensemble cast, which I have had my fair share of experience with, doing films like No Entry and Housefull. In those projects, you are doing scenes with some great actors, be it Anil Kapoor, or Fardeen – over here, apart from Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) sahib and Raghubir Yadav, who are really experienced veteran actors, you had four other women who had never worked with each other ever before. I was excited to work with Soha, Kritika, and Anya, but we hadn’t worked together before. That was an interesting dynamic. We are not just bringing in comic relief but we also had to get the sibling bond correct. We are also playing siblings who do not like each other so that makes it even trickier.
PORTRAYING SISTERLY “HATE” CAN BE TRICKY. SISTERS WHO GET ALONG – THOSE CAN BE EASIER TO DEPICT ON SCREEN. BUT SISTERS WHO DON’T…HOW DO YOU GET THAT RIGHT?
I think a lot of that boils down to prep work before we got down to the shoot. We sat down with our scripts, we had really well fleshed out characters, and our writer (Ananya Banerjee) has lived with these characters and their quirks in her head for a very long time. She has described them in such a way where you are reading these characters, you know them instantly. You know where they come from, what their back story is, and why they are behaving a certain way – what is that little niggling thing you can scratch and that will draw a response from that particular character. So our process started at our table reads – and we built those relationships as we played out those lines and scenes.
WHICH OTHER SISTER INTRIGUED YOU THE MOST, EITHER AS LARA, OR AS THE CHARACTER YOU PLAY, AND WHAT WOULD BE THE QUESTIONS YOU ASK HER?
Well, if I was coming from the space of Devyani (my character) asking any of my sisters, I think it would be Gayatri. Also, as children, they were closest in age, but they had obviously fallen apart as they were estranged. There is so much that has happened in their lives. In person as well, Soha and I are pretty close to each other in age. She is incredible in terms of a personality on her own – she is quirky, super fun, and super intelligent. We have had quite a few wine and coffee dates in real life. That friendship has spilled over to our real lives as well. We shot in a very stressful time, with a small bubble, with really no family there, in a way, we became each other’s confidantes and support system, so that really worked as well.
WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU LIKED AND THE ONE THING YOU HATED ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO LOVE YOUR CHARACTER AS AN ACTOR…OR DO YOU?
No, no you don’t. And I think as an actor, that’s the fun of it. You do not need to make your character likeable on screen. The audience also does not need to instantly love or like you. That’s the luxury of the OTT platform. The one thing I did not like was that she was extremely bossy. She is used to having her own way. She is a bit of a control freak. She goes off the handle when people do not tow the line. What I love about Devyani is that, for her, family has always been paramount. She comes from a space where she had to grow up overnight when her mother passes away. She stepped into a mother’s role far earlier in life and took care of her sisters when her father did not step up to the task. That’s what resonated with me the most.
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INTERVIEW
"Life is never conquered"
Sikander Kher Interview By Armin S.
Sikander Kher is an
actor who routinely convinces us, entirely, of the character he is playing. With all of the accolades he is receiving for Aarya, it is about time audiences recognize the power and charm of Sikander Kher as an actor. I have a conversation with him about Aarya, congratulating him on the success of both seasons, and delve into his take on his characters, figuring out the person he is playing, and more. 24
INTERVIEW
WHEN YOU ARE GIVEN A CHARACTER, HOW MUCH DO YOU RELY ON YOUR OWN INSTINCTS VERSUS WHAT THE SCRIPT OR THE DIRECTOR HAS GIVEN TO YOU?
Well, if you are talking about Daulat, there was preparations involved. We made a back story together for Daulat. You know who he is and that was exactly the way he was written in the script. He’s in the shadows, he is standing in the corners, he does not talk at all. It is only when it is very necessary. At the same time, if he is the kind of guy who is always quiet and they are capturing his silences, he can’t just be standing quietly. There is still something that is going on in his mind. So his back story becomes really important. His unflinching loyalty to Zorawar, where he actually went ahead and killed Aarya’s husband. But his moral compass is correct. You do see his guilt after he has done that but why was he so loyal? Making a back story for Daulat – Zorawar probably had him around when he was a child and looked after his mother, helped him out throughout. And he went and did something that was probably against him. You can see the guilt that he has throughout because the child, Adi, witnessed that murder. Perhaps, Daulat had a crush on Aarya when both of them were growing up in the same house. That probably developed into love at some point but he is where he is in terms of social status as a help, so he would never cross the line. These things really do play a big part regarding why he is always silent – but there is always a thought process. But you’re right. Every character is in the script, but you collaborate and you talk about the character. You question certain things as well and come up with certain things as well. I try to do that with every character I can’t.
HAS IT EVER HAPPENED THAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND A CHARACTER’S MOTIVATIONS INITIALLY BUT BY THE TIME YOU END SHOOTING FOR A SERIES, OR PARTWAY THROUGH IT, YOU UNDERSTAND? OR IS THAT A PRECONDITION TO START TO PLAY THE CHARACTER?
You know, for me, I have never figured out somebody completely, just by reading it. I feel like acting is getting up and being a part of that situation and just doing it. When I put on the costume the character is wearing, when I’m surrounded by the setting the character is in, and then there are the other characters the other actors are playing – most importantly. Then you start to figure out the dynamics between two people, three people, and their thoughts. I’ve never really found the character until I’m on set and I’m doing the scenes. I do need to know the person and who he is – before – but on set, you start to understand how your character will react to something. Then, you start finding it and everyone gets into a groove, and you feed off each other’s energies and others’ personalities.
IF YOU COULD HAVE COFFEE WITH ANY OF THE CHARACTERS YOU HAVE PLAYED IN THE RECENT PAST, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Wow, that’s…I would coffee with Daulat because he doesn’t talk and I talk a lot. Yeah, I think it has to be him.
WHAT WOULD THE THREE QUESTIONS BE THAT YOU WOULD ASK HIM?
I’d say, “hey, what’s up? Why are you like this? Why are you so quiet? Tell me something about your life. I want to know where you come from. What do you like about Aarya? Why are you in love with Aarya so much? What’s going on there? Are you a trained fighter or completely crazy (chuckles)?”
WHO IS A CHARACTER YOU HAVE PLAYED THAT HAS CHALLENGED YOUR THINKING THE MOST?
They all have different aspects to them. They are all so different. I have played a character in Tere Bin Laden – Dead or Alive, a very spoofy, crazy, comedy film. I play a brown guy playing a white guy who becomes a brown guy but there is no thought required in that because it is a crazy film. Daulat made me think a lot because I didn’t have the crutch of a dialogue so for me to find that person was hard – because I do feel like he was a good person from within. I needed to bring that out. I played a Pakistani ISI agent in Romeo Akbar Walter, and at the same time, at no point, making it seem like Pakistanis are villains. I’m just doing my job as an ISI agent. So every character, I question. I go through that process with every character. The beauty of it is that I get to play such a variety. It’s fun and interesting.
“Every character is in the script, but you collaborate and you talk about the character.” TELL ME WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE START OF YOUR JOURNEY UNTIL NOW, DO YOU FEEL AT THE CORE, SIKANDER KHER IS STILL THE SAME OR HOW HAS THE PLAYING THESE CHARACTERS IMPACTED WHO YOU ARE NOW?
Characters probably have not impacted me but we are always changing because that’s how life is. I can tell you I was probably a different person last month. I feel like with life, I am always questioning what’s going on. Life is never conquered. If you feel like something is conquered, life will throw you a curveball and you’ll be like “whoa”. All those curveballs, obstacles, those help a lot more for you to learn as you experience adversity. That process of how you respond to those situations helps you learn. But the more of that, the more it helps with the characters. There is more practice, learning a bit more about each character that comes about.
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INTERVIEW
FROM ENGINEERING TO
ACTING AND BEYOND
SAURABH GOYAL Interview By Armin S.
S
aurabh Goyal is the guy to watch for. He
recently starred as the male lead in ‘Chhorii’ which received rave reviews after its release on Amazon Prime. An alum of Whistling Woods, he started off with television commercials, projects such as ‘Jamun’ and ‘Ghar Pe Batao’, and has now added projects such as ‘The Test Case’ and ‘Chhorii’ to his credit. Here's me going on his acting journey with him.
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INTERVIEW
WHAT WAS THAT TURN OR TWIST THAT TOOK YOU FROM ENGINEERING TO ACTING?
“I TRY TO BE AS HUMBLE AND GROUNDED AS I CAN”
While I was pursuing my engineering, I think after the second year of my college, I had this thought – would I be able to do this or a 9 to 5 job for the rest of my life? I come from a family that had never done a job, in the sense that there was always a family busines. I have never seen anyone working like that. I was not sure if I would want to work like that. Working in an IT sector, your life is planned. I was just sitting once with my friend and he was my friend from school. He asked me what I like doing in life and I said, I don’t know…I enjoy a lot of things in life, but nothing I can think of as my career. He reminded me that I used to act in small skits in school. I responded by saying, “I used to like that…” He motivated me to think about it since I had another two years in college, so encouraged me to join theatre groups. That way, I would be able to see if I would enjoy it. The last two years of engineering in Delhi, I found some theatre groups. It’s a serious job, but I was only available in the evenings. I reached out to theatre groups that worked evenings and weekends. So I did that and after I received my degree, I told my parents that I was a capable child and got a job also – but I told them that I wanted to pursue acting. I think it was hard to persuade them but I did. That’s how it started and I moved in Mumbai.
WHEN DOES IT BECOME REALIZATION THAT THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE?
Just the appreciation, I think, that I was getting from all over. And I was enjoying it. A lot of things come with any form of Art. You meet different kinds of people. In Art, you meet people from all walks of life, different age groups, and you have exposure to new things. I also started doing workshops with an acting teacher, Barry John, who has taught Shah Rukh Khan. He did tell me not to quit my engineering in the middle but told me to keep exploring acting. So while I was doing theatre, I was getting a lot of appreciation from the live audience. I was liking everything about it.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING LESSON SO FAR?
To approach every character in a different way. When it comes to the craft, every character has a different base. It’s always the first step you take during the narration, to ensure that you clear your mind. With each director comes different aesthetics and understandings as well. You have to mold yourself to that director’s vision. That’s one learning I have been getting for all of my projects. Every one thinks differently so you have to listen to each one. Also, you can never take any project for granted. You always have to work your best on each project. Never consider a project too small. For example, SEAL, a short film on YouTube, has rave reviews and it started off as a project that would be considered small. Just give your best.
WHICH CHARACTER HAS CHALLENGED YOU THE MOST?
I think being a part of the series – The Test Case. When you think of someone from the Army, you have a certain thinking of how they may be. When you actually portray the character, you realize the difficulty of being a soldier on a daily, hourly basis. The workshop and training we had before the shoot, just after one day, we thought it was so intense. And these soldiers go through this for so many years. They are mentally and physically so challenged. It is not easy at all. They do it with such sincerity. That one project made me respect the people of our Army so much – while shooting that series.
SO WHO IS SAURABH GOYAL NOW?
Maybe I used to be judgmental about things but you cannot judge anything in life. The exposure that I have got, working in this industry, if I worked in any other industry, I would not have the same learnings. I learn something new from the people I meet every day. I am still an introvert, but I have more confidence. Some things inside you never change – I try to be as humble and grounded as I can – I hope I stay like that.
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INTERVIEW
Getting off the Hamster Wheel
GAYATRI BHARDWAJ Interview By Armin S.
FEMINA MISS INDIA 2018, FEMINA MISS INDIA UNITED CONTINENTS 2018, SOME MUSIC VIDEOS, AND HER ACTING DEBUT IN THE MUCH TALKED ABOUT, DHINDORA SERIES. A DENTIST BY PROFESSION, GAYATRI PLAYS A DOCTOR IN THE SERIES AND HAS GARNERED MUCH APPRECIATION FOR HER ACTING CHOPS.
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Photo CREDIT:@shreyansdungarwal
INTERVIEW
“I feel like I am one hundred times more grateful for everything now”
YOUR INSTAGRAM BIO IS - FUELED BY CAFFEINE, SARCASM, FASHION AND TRAVEL. LET’S DECONSTRUCT THAT AND TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE YOU’RE BASICALLY SPEAKING TO MY SOUL.
That basically defines me as a person. I love caffeine – before working out, or before an interview – I like being caffeinated! I am a sarcastic person, and I love sarcastic people. I feel like life is not meant to be taken seriously. And I love fashion, love following fashion trends. It just makes you experience different sides of your personality. Travel – my dad is a pilot so I have traveled around the globe around. I had my passport made when I was just a couple of months old…so that’s me in a nutshell.
ACTING AND THE PERFORMING ARTS IS SOMETHING SO MANY OF US ENGAGE IN THROUGH CHILDHOOD AND IT SEEMS TO BE A HOBBY, AND IS SEEN AS A HOBBY BY THE OLDER GENERATION. WHEN DOES THAT BECOME SOMETHING MORE THAN A HOBBY FOR YOU?
It was always considered a hobby in my household too. I come from a family that is academically oriented. My mom is a psychologist. My nani, my maternal grandmother, is the first woman in our family who did her PhD. She had already had babies but she was still driven to fulfil that dream so I look up to her. My grandfather also has a PhD. My massi, my maternal aunt, was also a PhD. I know I was smart, but my passion was in the performing arts. I have been performing on stage ever since I can remember. I remember walking the ramp when I was 7 for a something called the Superkid. I remember just walking and blowing kisses to the judges! I am also a trained classical singer and a Bharatnatyam dancer, so I also did that growing up…but when I was around 18, I told my dad I wanted to participate in Femina Miss India. I’d read a newspaper article with the winners holding their crowns. That was my first time that I wanted to do something like that – it got imprinted – that was 2011. I worked through that. My dad initially said, women in our family don’t do this, but slowly he realized that times were changing. I was the only girl child in a family full of boys. And he just said, to pursue my education too. So I did pursue dentistry, that too with a passion. In my final year, I saw Manushi Chhilar winning Ms. World because I had gotten lost into my world in college. Thank goodness, I was able to secure a Top 5 position internationally…and the rest is history.
SO WHAT WAS THE TRANSITION PERIOD?
I enjoyed the photoshoot, the ads – I had never experienced that joy. So I knew it in my bones.
CHASING YOUR DREAM IS ONE THING BUT ESPECIALLY PRE-PANDEMIC, MOST OF US WERE ON A HAMSTER WHEEL. WERE YOU LIKE THAT TOO – AND DID THAT CHANGE WITH THE LOCKDOWNS AND THE CURRENT WORLD SITUATION?
I was definitely on the hamster wheel, and it was not a sustainable lifestyle. I was not sleeping; I was partying, working. My friends, family, and work were ahead of me. When you stop looking after yourself, your body will only do so much to support you. I’m a social butterfly, which is why this work is for me. When COVID hit, there were rumours of a lockdown. And I immediately thought, that would not be my reality. I packed my bag for one week and went to Delhi because my parents were worried about the cases rising. I landed on the 23rd and the lockdown was announced on the 24th. I was in disbelief – for the next week, I was like that. I was forced to get off the hamster wheel and I had to take a break. I realized that so many of my toxic patterns changed. I didn’t take care of myself or my body. Taking care of myself took priority again. That period of that first lockdown was when I felt I was a different person than the person I am now. I feel like I am one hundred times more grateful for everything now – my family, everyone. That’s how Dhindora happened, when I was finally putting myself first – it happened after the first lockdown.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO TO KEEP SANE NOW?
I adopted a dog last year. He is the centre of my world. He was actually abandoned. We found out about his situation through social media. I’m a huge animal and dog love – when I saw the post, I reached out to the NGO, and I got him. He is my biggest stress buster. He’s my companion. He is a big part of recreation. Otherwise, I watch a lot of films on the digital platforms. I also keep myself really busy, Armin. I have dance or martial arts’ classes. I don’t have one thing to do. I don’t get bored like that. I have that variation in my life.
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INTERVIEW
A STORY OF PERSISTENCE
JATIN SARNA Interview By Armin S.
JATIN SARNA STARTED HIS JOURNEY IN 2008, AFTER HIS ACTING COURSE COMPLETED AT THE SHRI RAM CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. HE HAD BEEN AN EXTRA IN FILMS AND SLOWLY MADE HIS MARK IN PLAYS, AND THEN GARNERED ACCOLADES FOR HIS ACTING IN PROJECTS SUCH AS ‘MEERUTHIYA GANGSTERS’, ‘SACRED GAMES’, AND NOW ’83’, IN WHICH HE ESSAYS THE ROLE OF THE LATE YASHPAL SHARMA. 32
INTERVIEW
WHEN OR HOW DID THE ACTING BUG FIRST BITE YOU?
It started off with the idea that I do something which would make the people around me happy. Entertainment was the most important thing to me. I wanted the people around me to feel happy, and then if I can make money doing that, that’s even better. So that was the idea. That’s where the journey started.
YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER AS AN EXTRA, RIGHT?
“I STARTED OFF MY CAREER AS AN EXTRA”
Yes, I started off my career as an extra, part of the crowd. I was part of some films which were shot in Delhi because that’s where I was living. I did Milenge Milenge Shahid Kapoor, Ahista Ahista with Abhay Deol, then I had Rang De Basanti. Slowly and steadily, I was just trying to gain some knowledge of acting. I met a few people including the late Irrfan Khan at the National School of Drama, which only took graduates, so I talked to them about joining acting school. They told me to try for Shri Ram House at Mandi Centre – luckily, I got my chance even though I forgot so many lines during my auditions. I was so disheartened. But as I was walking away, I went up to the teacher and did a scene from Khakee with Amitabh Bachchan. I don’t know whether they liked it or not, but I became a part of that acting institution. From 2008 then, when I left, that’s when my journey started. I got my first television serial, Kyunki Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, and then my first movie. I realized I wanted to conquer Delhi first. I was then featured in films in small roles, thinking one day they will cast me in a big role. I got recognition for my role as Sanjay ‘Foreigner in Meeruthiya Gangsters. And one day, I got a call from a casting company that they want to audition me for the role of Bunty – did that, they loved it, and that’s how Sacred Games happened. My friends and family have just been so supportive throughout my journey. My audience has also made me believe in myself. There was a struggle, some good and bad days, but I’m here to stay.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT BEFORE ’83 OR SACRED GAMES, WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST LEARNING LESSON DURING THAT TIME?
My thought was always to look at the film or the project through the lens of my character, so it becomes my story to me. So if I’m not in that situation, the film cannot move. I also watched how the main characters were portraying themselves and what I could and could not do. That was the basic learning in all of those films. I also wanted to make sure I had to be different.
WHAT DID IT TAKE FOR ALL OF YOU TO BECOME A TEAM – BECAUSE ’83 IS SUCH AN EMOTION?
A large part of the credit goes to our trainer, our crew, but also the actors. We were all traveling together, hanging out together. It looked like we were the original team. That was the idea. It started off with training camp – we practiced together early in the morning, which helped us bond. The original team is so simply, so closely knitted together, they still have a group where they chat – so many years later. We had to start acting like that too. We were all fond of each other and we helped each other out.
WHAT WAS RANVEER SINGH LIKE?
Ranveer Singh was so supportive. He was like a brother. He would tell us that we were re-creating history so we knew we had to be on point. We had to understand the importance of the project.
WHAT’S THE MESSAGE TO YOUR FANS THEN?
A big thank you to each one of you, for loving me and appreciating me. You give me a lot of strength to stand and work hard and give the best of myself.
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INTERVIEW
Archana
PHADKE: THROUGH HER LENS
Interview By Armin S.
AN ALUMNA OF BERLINALE TALENT CAMPUS, ARCHANA RECENTLY RELEASED HER UNIQUE FEATURE DOCUMENTARY - ‘ABOUT LOVE’ WHICH IS CURRENTLY STREAMING ON MUBI. THE FILM IS A PERSONAL CAPTURING OF PHADKE’S OWN FAMILY IN AN OBSERVATIONAL PORTRAIT STYLE - CAPTURING THE STORIES OF THE THREE GENERATIONS OF HER FAMILY THAT LIVE TOGETHER IN MUMBAI. THE DOCUMENTARY, WHICH MARKS HER DEBUT AS A FEATURE DIRECTOR, PREMIERED AT THE SHEFFIELD DOC FEST, WHICH IS AN OSCAR QUALIFYING FESTIVAL. THE FILM WON THE NEW TALENT AWARD AT THE FESTIVAL AND ALSO WON THE BEST FILM ASIAN PERSPECTIVE AWARD AT DMZ DOCS FESTIVAL. SHE HAS PREVIOUSLY WON THE NATIONAL AWARD FOR ‘PLACEBO’, A DOCUMENTARY SHE PRODUCED. AND I TAKE A BREATH – BUT WHAT IS IT REALLY LIKE BEHIND ALL THE ACCOLADES? IT’S PERSISTENCE, A LITTLE BIT OF CRAZY, AND A WHOLE LOT OF CONVICTION TO SURVIVE AND POTENTIALLY THRIVE IN THE INDEPENDENT FILM WORLD. I GET CHATTING WITH HER ABOUT A TERRITORY THAT IS SEEMINGLY FAMILIAR TO ME. 34
INTERVIEW
ARCHANA, YOU DIDN’T ALWAYS WANT TO BE A FILMMAKER. WHEN DID THAT CHANGE FOR YOU – FROM BIOTECHNOLOGY TO FILMMAKING?
This actually happened quite a while back – about fourteen years ago. I graduated from BioTechnology but I had grown up watching films. I used to love watching films in theatres. I never thought I’d be a filmmaker. When I was studying BioTechnology, I did this internship in a pharmaceutical company which made me figure out that I don’t want to do that. My mom suggested I join a film school, for a year, and it was a short program. She told me to try it out. I went in and for the first time, I was exposed to world cinema. I was blown away by the magic of cinema. I remember the exact moment I fell in love with cinema – and that was when I was shown Amelie. That’s when I realized it was not a “break” year for me. I realized that if I can come close to making this kind of a genius film, I would be really happy with the purpose of my life – it would be fulfilled. Thankfully, my family was very supportive of my decision. I’m not sure if my brother wanted to make the same decision, if he would have been supported in that fashion. I think they supported me somehow, because, they weren’t even perhaps sure what filmmaking was. I then assisted on a few films and then made my documentary, which took four years to make, called Placebo. It won a National Award and that’s when my parents started taking me seriously as a filmmaker. Until then, it was just like a hobby. They thought I was passing time, basically.
WHAT IS THAT WAITING PERIOD LIKE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE THE PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN YOUR BABY, YOUR INDEPENDENT PROJECT, AS A CREATIVE IN INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER?
For my first film, I think this is the case for every filmmaker. No matter how long it takes, you want to perfect it and finish it. You’re taking up the roles of ten people. You are completely exhausted and not sleeping. That causes a major, major burnout. With Placebo, I edited the film as well. I had 1100 hours of footage. It took me two and a half years to edit that film. I forgot who I was – as an independent filmmaker, your film makes you completely forget your identity outside of being a filmmaker. You are the mother, the father, the cousin, of the film. Weirdly, I stepped into a new film right after that, I don’t know why. That was the same experience again. I then took a two year break I guess. These last two years, through what’s happened around the world, we all paused and the pause is maybe something I needed – it helped me understand who I am, what I needed, and what I wanted to do because what I was doing was not sustainable. It’s actually traumatic. In Hollywood, they started putting in a therapist into the budget and I think I’m going to start doing that for sure for my next film – because even when after you make a film, you wait for a festival to select it. And then you are wondering that you have made a film and nobody is going to watch it.
I was dying inside for the four months before the film was selected for a festival. I mean, you learn that a film will find its place but that learning comes with time. Tell me about how you keep going with the conviction that you have, when you know that the reality is that independent filmmaking is not only expensive, but really gut-wrenching and consuming. It’s madness. It’s total madness. It’s the only way. You have to be unrealistic, crazy, a dreamer, and completely delusional – that’s the only way you can make an independent film happen.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT DELUSION, THAT OBSESSION FOR ABOUT LOVE. IT’S AN INTERESTING CONCEPT – COVERING THREE GENERATIONS – THE GERM OF THE IDEA AND HOW IT CAME TO FRUITION.
Actually, at the time, I was travelling with my film, Placebo, and it was playing at Hot Docs in Toronto. I saw another film there – My Love Don’t Cross That River. It is a Korean documentary about a 99 year old man and a 90 year old woman and it is such a cute Hallmark-kind of documentary. When I saw the film, I thought of my own grandparents. I thought that that kind of love doesn’t exist in my family. I thought of my own grandparents. I was flying to New York next and I picked up a camera from a studio – which could be an anti-love story. It was a project that kind of started as an inquiry. The more I shot, the stronger my feeling got that, yes, I have something – there’s gold I’m sitting on – that keeps you going for four years and I’m going to keep going.
WHAT WAS THE RECEPTION OR REACTION LIKE OF YOUR FAMILY, THEN?
The first one year, I don’t think they took me seriously again, like my first film. But they have always seen me with the camera around. They knew I was shooting something but they did not imagine that it would become a ninety-minute film. I was shooting, lighting, sound, myself. They were like, something is up…but until the film finished, they did not know. Thankfully, my family gave me their blessing to put the film out there. When your characters are sharing their personal spaces with you, the least you can do is be dignified enough to get their permission to kind of expose them. I was really scared that it could go the other way, but it really worked out for me.
MOVING FORWARD, WHERE DOES THE MADNESS TAKE YOU NEXT?
The pandemic has been a strange time. My brother and his wife just had a baby about a year ago…but we did not step out during her pregnancy and we were just in the house. My place of escape was my dreams. The next one is going to be about a botanist and his plant and it keeps changing – and he cannot understand what species it is. I’m just developing it. It is a short… but I’m also developing a feature script in rural India so let’s see where that takes me.
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INTERVIEW
FROM CANADA TO BOLLYWOOD – THE ALWAYS DREAM
KESHAV UPPAL
Interview By Armin S.
KESHAV UPPAL SET OUT FOR HIS DREAMS WHEN HE LEFT CANADA TO PURSUE THE ULTIMATE DREAM – THE DREAM OF BEING IN BOLLYWOOD. HE HAS MADE HIS MARK WITH PROJECTS SUCH AS DEAR ZINDAGI, FU…OK AND THE RECENT LIONSGATE PLAY’S HICCUPS AND HOOKUPS WITH LARA DUTTA. I TALK TO HIM ABOUT MAKING THE MOVE, WHERE HIS DREAMS CAME FROM, AND WHERE THEY HAVE TAKEN HIM.
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Photo CREDIT:@shreyansdungarwal
INTERVIEW
THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN SOMEBODY SHIFTS FROM NORTH AMERICA TO MUMBAI – ALTHOUGH I IDENTIFY AS A SOUTH ASIAN THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT REQUIRE ADJUSTING – I CAN STILL EXPERIENCE A CULTURE SHOCK. WHAT LED YOU TO MOVE FROM HERE TO INDIA?
What brought me here was Shah Rukh Khan – like I grew up watching him act. Growing up, I remember doing school plays and one time, in Grade 10, a local reporter asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up and I said I waned to be an actor. Bollywood was always my main goal and that’s why I’m here.
“I JUST STARTED OBSERVING OTHER PEOPLE AROUND ME, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.”
ONCE YOU WERE THERE, WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU HAD TO ADJUST TO AND UNDERSTAND ONCE THERE?
The challenge was really the transition – basically, from UofT to Whistling Woods in India – was the hardest part for me. Coming from university there to here, it was just hard, but I had come to India before and lived in Chandigarh, so I had no problems with the language. Just the way people function over here is so different so just adjusting to that took some time. I was lucky I had some friends in film school, and they helped me. The first year was hard, but I got used to it. Now I enjoy it.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY TO ME, ACTING WAS A CHILDHOOD DREAM, IT SURPRISES ME BECAUSE AT 10 YEARS OLD, SO MANY PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR MINDS. WHEN DID IT BECOME SERIOUS BUSINESS FOR YOU?
I think it happened in high school. I was doing a lot of plays and people came up to me and told me I was good. I was getting positive reviews. In Math class, I did a small act, and my teacher told me to consider acting when I grew up. In university, I got caught up in a phase of partying and maybe getting a job – but I knew I was destined to be in Bollywood.
WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH THAT TRANSITION PROCESS OF AUDITIONING AND TRYING TO LAND A PROJECT, WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD?
Honestly, I feel good about it because every time I audition, I know I am doing something right. That’s why people are calling me back over and over again. I won’t say it’s hard and you think you are sick of auditioning but then you get a call for a big movie or a big show, and you think, you got this. If you enjoy the process, and meet new people, and network – like I like talking – so I enjoy it. I also don’t think about the audition process after. I just enjoy it and learn from it, I look at it for practice.
HOW DID HICCUPS & HOOKUPS COME ABOUT?
I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra’s casting company. They let me know it was Lionsgate Play’s first Indian show with Lara Dutta and Prateik Babbar. They let me know the character was gay but not a “stereotypical” gay character. I told them to send me the script and when I got to the audition, I was asked to play myself but change one gesture, either a smile or a wink. Three days later, we went ahead with it.
YOU PLAY A GAY CHARACTER IN HICCUPS & HOOKUPS, HOW DO YOU STEER CLEAR OF STEREOTYPES?
The director said you are a business man, an artist, who is gay, but that is not a “characteristic” of yours. So you are just a person. I just started observing other people around me, regardless of their sexual orientation. I just observed them for their gestures, how they walk, where they put their weight. I was looking at a painting, and I changed my footwork, I point my toe upwards – that’s a scene that I just did something different. Make sure you continue to follow Keshav’s journey – from one fellow Canadian to another.
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