“Each And Every Artiste Has His Or Her Own Unique Journey”- Bidita Bag

Sultry and petite actress Bidita Bag made her debut opposite that power house performer Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the film Babumoshai Bandookbaazwith a big bang and stole the show. Bidita who was later also seen in films like Once More and the short film Bouma and the web series Bhaukal, will now be seen in not only films like T For Taj Mahal and Teen Do Paanch opposite Shreyas Talpade but also in Aditya Sarpotdar’s film The Sholay Girl which is a biopic on India’s first ever stunt woman Reshma Pathan. The Sholay Girl will have its world premiere on March 8 on Zee5. In this e mail interview, Bidita Bag reveals how tough was it to get into the skin of the first ever stunt woman of India and also tells JYOTHI VENKATESH about her future projects as an actress.

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz was not your debut film at all!

Yes. Babumoshai Bandookbaaz was not my first film though I became known after the release of the film. My first film was Ichche in Bengali, directed by Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nanidita Roy which was released way back in 2011, followed by Bidyut Kotaki’s As The River Flows which was my debut film in Hindi, opposite Sanjay Suri, though From Sydney With Love was released first.

You are a model who has shifted towards films!

Yes. Till 2011, I was a model. Though I did not learn acting from any acting academy, I kept myself surrounded by graduates from the National School of Drama and the Film & Television Institute, Pune.

How did you bag the role of the stunt woman Reshma Pathan in The Sholay Girl?

I believe that the people at Zee5 really loved Babumoshai Bandookbaaz. That is precisely the main reason why they decided to choose me and I am thankful for this.

Aditya Sarpotdar has directed the film The Sholay Girl. Tell me about the way the director of the film extracted work from you as an actress?

As a director, Aditya Sarpotdar is brilliant. He has given couple of hit Marathi Films. Among them, Faster Fene and Mauli are my favorites. I’d say that Aditya is a very hardworking and creative guy.

How many times did you watch Sholay to get inspired to do the stunts better?

Every citizen in India must have seen Sholay multiple times. But I had to see Basanti's Taanga scene from Reshmaji's point of view, which is entirely different. This film is the biopic of Reshma Pathan. She has been a stunt woman to many other female stars to, besides Hema Maliniji for many big films.

Pic Credit: Milind Shirke

Did you get to meet Reshma Pathan who was India's first stunt woman?

 Yes. We are very fond of each other. We have spent the entire shooting schedule together.

Was there any workshop to enable you to get into the skin of the character?

I did not get much preparation time before I could begin acting in the film. But during shooting I have spent most of my time with Reshmaji. I was lucky enough to see the entire 70s, 80s decade right in front of my eyes. If talk about the physical aspect, yoga and jogging have been my daily routines.

How tough was the role for you as an actress?

It’s a biopic and not a fiction. I had to relive the life of a real person in flesh and blood. It’s also a stunt film. The film tests the physical stamina and courage of an actor.

How was Chandan Roy Sanyal who plays your guru in the film The Sholay Girl?

Chandan Roy Sanyal is my friend. I have known Chandan for almost a decade. He is from a theatre back ground and has acted till date in many good Hindi and Bengali films. Chandan has the reputation to be a very fine actor.

How are you feeling after the recent success of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz? How was the experience of working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui?

It has been a couple of years since I started, and finally my work was recognized by the wider audience with the movie. Nawaz is a very talented artiste and in some ways I relate to him and his struggle to make it into Bollywood. Of course, for me the entry came much sooner as compared to him. He is a very nice human being and is very grounded and humble which I think is the reason for his success.

You were also a part of Rahat Kazmi’s film Rabbi. What prompted you to choose the project?

From the moment I heard the story of Rabbi, I was in love with it. I believe the movie answered some important questions that are left unanswered in our day to day lives. Is Music forbidden in Islam was something that appealed to me. In our society people are made to be God-fearing, whereas actually we should be God-loving. I feel it was important to communicate this message.

Director Rahat Kazmi is known for being unconventional in his ways. How was your experience working with him?

Rahat is trying to encourage the film industry in his hometown Jammu and Kashmir. He ensures that there is local involvement in his films which brings more flavour to his works. He has a knack of recognizing a sensible script and satire is his forte. And when Rahat makes a film his entire family is involved in it from start to end. They see to it that the work setting is extremely friendly and comfortable. You almost feel that you are on a trip to enjoy and the shooting just happens in between! It was definitely a very excellent experience working with him (Smiles).

After Babumoshai Bandookbaaz in which you were teamed opposite the volcano of a performer like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Once Again, in which you were pitted with the likes of Shefali Shah and Neeraj Kabi, you have been seen in very few films. Is it because you are very choosy as an actress? What is your approach towards acting?

 Of course I am choosey. (Laughs) But yes I have also done a few good projects which are under post production. I am choosing what I feel is the best among whatever projects that I have been offered, as an actress.

How happy are you with the way your career has progressed in the last eight years from Ichche till Rabbi?

I do not do too many films. I am happy with all the films that I have done because I choose films and do not accept each and every film that is offered to me. I did only one mistake by choosing a wrong film but luckily for me that film is yet to see the light of the day. I will not divulge the name of that film. (Laughs)

Do you feel that you have got what you deserve as an actor?

I do not at all feel that I have got even a fraction of what I feel that I deserve as an actor but then every actor including Amitabh Bachchan also feels the same.

Pic Credit: Milind Shirke

How do you manage to strike the right balance between working in commercial films and hard core art films?

If you remember, even Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil used to strike the right balance between art films and commercial films at one time. Like them I want to do a balancing act between both the genres of films

Many youngsters are trying to follow similar footsteps as yours, to do more meaningful and mature cinema, what is your message to them?

Every artist has a unique journey. Along with hard work, even luck plays a part in one’s fate. I would say this industry is uncertain from a career perspective. If you are to make a career in this industry, you need to be extremely patient and constantly work on improving your skills. You should give yourself enough time and failures should not stop you.

What next after The Sholay Girl?

After The Sholay Girl, on the anvil are Kireet Khurana’s T For Taj Mahal as well as Teen Do Paanch directed by Amitabh Verma, with Shreyas Talpade as my co actor. Besides these films, I also have in my kitty Bhaukaal, a web series starring Mohit Raina and Abhimanyu Singh. Bouma, a short film, available on Voot has also succeeded in getting very good response.

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