“Age is not a barrier any longer, especially as there are various kinds of roles to essay in today’s environment, unlike before”

Jyothi Venkatesh

In this freewheeling exclusive telephonic interview, for bollyy.com and Mayapuri, SADHNA SINGH tells JYOTHI VENKATESH, who she knows right from the time she had made her debut with Nadiya Ke Paar over three decades ago that though her first innings was a bit of a bumpy ride, she feels that her second innings is very exciting. She plays the role of a cop for the first time in her career in the film Regards & Peace which is getting dropped on the OTT ShemarooME Box Office next Friday

Is this the first time you have essayed a cop’s role?

Yes, I’m usually offered those typical tear-jerking characters and this is the first time that I stepped out of my comfort zone to do something “out of the box”.

How did you stumble upon this opportunity?

I’d worked with Sanjay Amar, the director of Regards & Peace on an earlier project as well, an interesting and light hearted little film called “Goggles of Rajesh Khanna”. It’ll hit theatres once the country begins to unlock. It has a nice feel good vibe with a great bunch of actors.

What was your role in that film?

I play wife to a man who owns goggles which were once worn by none other than Rajesh Khanna.

What do you think prompted Sanjay Amar to think of you for this tough cop’s role?

I remember asking Sanjay about the same thing. I asked him, “Are you sure?” and he confidently replied, “Yes”!  People had stopped offering me new type of characters and I was genuinely surprised at having bagged this a-typical role.

How difficult was it for you to go against the tide and work in a role different from your established image?

An actor can be moulded into any role and it is just that the director should be open enough to experiment. I didn’t find any difficulty in getting into the skin of the character of the cop. I had to just keep in mind that the body language of my character is different. My character is calm and relaxed but always alert. I focused on this aspect, and made sure I behave as close to a real cops as possible, in terms of how they walk, their demeanour etc.

How relevant do you think the title “Regards and Peace” is?

There were lot of discussions about this title, but in the end I remember Sanjay mentioning that he someone he used to know would use this phrase to sign off his letters, and since then these two words have been etched in the back of his head. They fascinated him to such an extent that “Regards and Peace” is used in the film too, after every murder. Ultimately the film belongs to the director so despite a few initial hiccups and apprehensions, we went ahead with this title seeing his conviction.

Were there any workshops for you to prep for this film?

There were no workshops, but I must mention that the director placed his complete faith in me and gave me full freedom.

Your film is releasing on an OTT platform like ShemaroioME Box office for the first time, how does the change in medium of release affect the actor?

It doesn’t affect the performer because in the end, one is just performing no matter what the medium of exhibition is. But I am glad that we are collaborating with ShemarooMe Box Office to stream our film, as they have been releasing some really terrific movies during lockdown. Shemaroo Entertainment is a name I’ve been familiar with right from my early days, and it is great to see them evolve into such a growing digital platform.

How was Sanjay Amar as a director?

Since I had worked with him earlier, I had complete confidence in him this time round. During our first film I didn’t know much about his craft, but when I saw the final product on the screen, I was truly amazed by his vision. Sanjay edits films in his mind before hand but there were times during our previous project when Archana Puran Singh and I used to be very confused on set, but seeing the end result I knew this man knows his job very well.

You star alongside your daughter Sheena in this film, how was that experience? On a lighter note, were you two signed on as a “package deal”?

(Chuckles) On the contrary I had requested the director to think twice before taking Sheena since she is generally apprehensive of working with me at this stage of her career. She is eager to work but it shouldn’t seem like she is only working with family. But Sanjay assured me that he thought of her since the role required her type of face. It was purely the filmmaker’s choice. On hearing the story, Sheena too was readily sold about the film and her role.

The film deals with psychological issues and how some people get on the edge due to trauma. Do you think we have such people amongst us in society?

I’m sure they are present, but the ratio of such complicated individuals must be very less. In the end, art reflects the society so there may be many such dark and tortured souls in the world.

How many films have you worked on since your debut?

I don’t keep count but I haven’t worked in a barrage of films and my number is limited. It’s also a wonderful thing that despite not working on each and every project coming my way, I’ve survived so long in this industry without any compromise of doing blink and miss roles. I’ve dabbled in films as well as the television industry. Although TV never gave me much satisfaction, it helped in keeping me busy and not having to accept just any film that came my way.

What are your five most memorable TV projects?

Ghar Jamaai, Pyaar Zindagi Hai, Daayre, Maan and Trikaal are five serials that are close to my heart.

Which are the five films of yours which you cherish?

Nadiya Ke Paar, Sur Sangam and Tulsi, which fetched me an award and Sasural. There are also some films that aren’t worth remembering. My second round with projects like Jugni, Mukkabaaz and Goggles of Rajesh Khanna has also been very rewarding. And of course, how can I forget Regards and Peace?

Did working alongside a major star like Hrithik Roshan in Super 30 leave any impact in your career?

I don’t know what it did work-wise since quite a big chunk of my part was edited out of the film, but wherever I went people started recognising me because of it. So working in commercial films does give one visibility.

You had not taken the OTT path till recently. Why?

To be honest I wasn’t even aware of this massive giant called OTT earlier, but Regards and Peace introduced me to this fascinating system and to my surprise a player as big and global as Shemaroo was already making big waves in the market with ShemarooMe Box Office. I’m now getting accustomed to this digital zone and discovering newer things as I go.

How do you balance between a promising career and home?

My husband Rajkumar Shahabadi  is very supportive and encouraging and made me believe I can do it. He also helped me get rid of my fears for shooting in Bhaderwah for Regards and Peace. We were initially supposed to shoot at Uttarakhand but then zeroed in on Bhaderwah just days before the shoot. There was a blast in Jammu a mere two days before the actual date of the shoot. It was my husband who emboldened me to not worry about all this and just act my heart out.

How many days did you shoot for the film?

Sanjay is a precise technician and I completed my work in just 8 days. Even in Goggles of Rajesh Khanna, I finished my work in just four days. As I said, he edits everything in his mind, so there is no overshooting or for that matter wastage of dates. This shoot was extremely well planned even with multiple locations. There wasn’t a single moment when we were vexed by too much workload.

Do you think idealistic cops like the one you essay in Regards and Peace still exist, with this Sushant Singh Rajput case under the scanner?

Of course there are honest cops. There are corrupt ones too, just like in any other field where there are good and bad people.

Are you happy with the way your career has progressed over the years?

As you know, I was never very ambitious when my career began, but my second homecoming has been very refreshing. My first innings was a bit of a bumpy ride hence I concentrated on home duties, but my second innings is very exciting.

Do you think women above 40 get good roles in the industry?

Age is not a barrier any longer, especially as there are various kinds of roles to essay in today’s environment, unlike before.

What next??

There are some films like Goggles of Rajesh Khanna, a web series directed by my Jugni filmmaker Shefali Bhushan, a fantastic director who brought me back on track in the movies. Coincidentally, she had come to meet my daughter and ended up seeing me then. She was initially hesitant to approach me for Jugni, but through a common friend she sent across the message and that’s how Jugni happened.

What advice would you give to your daughter Sheena Shahabadi?

I never wanted her to get into the industry but she is a good actor although she is a bit frustrated since there is paucity of work currently. Actually, to tell the truth, I didn’t want her to start so young, she went ahead with her plans and even though her first film didn’t do well due to theatres getting unexpectedly shut for four days, she has strived hard.