“I am adamant about not being a part of erotic films as well as web series”

Actress-Writer-Producer AVNI MODI tells JYOTHI VENKATESH in this exclusive and frank interview for Mayapuri and bollyy.com that she would rather love to be a small part of a big film than be a big part in a small film

Excerpts

Basically you are an actress who has worked in films in as many as 6 Hindi, Gujarati as well as Tamil languages till date. Which are those films?

I have acted in two films in Tamil called Naan Rajavaga Pogiren opposite Naku, Strawberries opposite Vijay, Calendar Girls in Hindi with Madhur Bhandarkar as the director and two films in Gujarati called Bapu Kya Chhe and Carry On Kesar. Besides these, I have also been a part of short films called Voice Mail and Gulabi

What made you decide to launch a film called Modiji Ki Beti?

The reason is that however talented you may be, the industry bigwigs do not at all bother to give you a break if you happen to be an outsider. You need a big actor in any film to begin with and no one is ready to make a small film on a small budget today.

For me, to produce this film Modiji Ki Beti was not a choice but a compulsion. Besides writing the film and acting in it, I did not want my vision to be diluted by asking someone else to produce it because he will have an entirely different vision which could be in tangent with that of mine.

Considering that your name is Avni Modi, is the film your biopic?

Believe it or not, it was actually a controversy of sorts that resulted in the making of this film. Neither is the film a biopic on me or our Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A journalist asked me if I considered myself the daughter of our Prime Minister Modi and I told him that I consider myself as Avni who is born to my father Modi

What is your role in the film? How challenging was the role for you as an actress?

I have written, produced and acted in the film in which I play a wannabe actor called Avni. It was not as challenging since I played myself and all the dialogues had already been imprinted in my mind. It was however challenging to ‘cut’ out the writer in me and improvise as an actor

Did you try to showcase your film to our P.M Modiji?

My director Eddie Sir and I thought that we should set out to complete our vision and only then try to show it to Modiji though we had e mailed our trailer to the P.M’s office way back in 2020 itself though it is not about Modiji

How did you rope in an ad filmmaker like Eddie Singh to direct the film, instead of directing it yourself since you have written it besides also producing it?

I call myself an accidental writer. It was Eddie Singh Sir with whom I had acted in a couple of ad films and he encouraged me to try my hand at writing the subject, as he felt it should be made as a feature film.

I used to share my creative ideas with him off and on. Eddie Sit was involved with the concept right from the initial stages. I do not think that I am capable of directing a film as I do not have the experience that he has.

You had acted under the direction of Madhur Bhandarkar. Didn’t it strike you that you should ask Madhur to direct your film?

Yes. Eddie Sir and I also felt that we should ask Madhur to direct the film but decided against the idea because for one, Madhur is known for his hard hitting subjects whereas our film is a light hearted satire.

Also Madhur is a big director and we would not have been able to afford his fees as a director because with the fees that he could have acted, we could have completed the entire film.

Who are your favourites among the actors in Bollywood today?

I wish I get an opportunity to act with Amitabh Bachchan. Besides Bachchansaab, I am also fond of Ranbir Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddique, the late Irrfan Khan and Kartik Aryan, Vidya Balan, Alia Bhatt and last but not the least Tabu

Who is in your wish list of directors?

I’d love to work with a director who wants to work with me. As far as nepotism is concerned, I am neither for or against it as I consider to each his or her own. I am fond of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor as well as Kangana Ranaut

To what extent are you game for skin show and glamor?

If only the character that I am asked to play is power packed, I do not mind if it has glamor, but am not game to shed my clothes as a performer if the content is bold as I am not ready for bold content as a performer.

I have played glamorous roles in films like Calendar Girls, Strawberries, ‘Carry on Kesar’ etc. I feel that glamor is a part of your performance, not your only performance

Can you elucidate?

I have been very picky and choosy as far as my roles are concerned till date because I have always been very adamant that I’d not be a part of erotic films or for that matter web series.

I have absolutely no problem at all with exposure but need a film with a proper story to justify exposure. I’d rather love to be a small part of a big film than do a big part in a small film.

Were you sceptical or scared about the syndrome of the casting couch in the film industry?

When I got a break with Calendar Girl, I knew what the film industry is and its pros and cons. You see, jitni zaroorat ek actor ko hai ek break ke liye utni hi zaroorat ek director ko bhi hain, because the success of a film depends on your performance and if you slip, you will be in for manipulation, especially if you show that you are desperate and vulnerable.