I was exhausted a lot after playing the character of samaira in Samaira Movie

In this exclusive and intimate interview for Mayapuri and bollyy.com, KETAKI NARAYAN tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that being a woman is the most beautiful thing on the planet earth, but it doesn't end there. Most women have to face mental, physical, or verbal abuse while achieving their dreams or dealing with their daily life. All of them don't have the courage to speak about it or sometimes don't get the support from family or society to address the issues, this film 'Samaira' talks exactly about it.

How would you explain Samaira’s character in the film Samaira?

I’d say Samaira is a modern ambitious young girl, just like me, so I connected with my character immediately. Like Samaira, I also had ups and downs in my life but I am blessed with good parents with whom I can share anything I'm struggling with.

How did playing this character for a long time affected you?

I felt depressed for quite a long time after I completed the film, especially because the thought of childhood abuse was continuously running through my mind and that drained me completely. This mental exhaustion took a toll on me, it took me some time to get back to my daily routine. However, shooting at Vari was an enlightening experience and it certainly made me a better person.

How challenging was the role for you?

I realized during my audition itself that this is not an ordinary character. So, I found it really important as well as challenging to find the inner conflict of Samaira which will help me relate with her. Also one of the main themes of the film deals with childhood sexual abuse trauma and while preparing for that character I had to revisit the sad things that happened in my own life which was pretty disturbing.

When did you become aware of the typical problems faced by girls?

Education is the most important thing in every person's life and unfortunately not every girl gets the chance to pursue and complete it, someone else makes those choices for her.
I was fortunate enough to have parents who wanted me to be independent, responsible, and make choices of my own.

How was the experience of shooting for the film at Vari?

It was a very sublime experience. While shooting at Vari we were always surrounded by devotees but as my characters demanded a rational approach I had to control myself not to go with the flow and be immersed like the devotees. It was like you have to be connected to the surroundings as well as be a bit aloof to get into the skin of my character. I was enjoying understanding what was happening in my mind back then.

Was the experience in any way traumatic to you?

I wouldn't say it was traumatic, but it was indeed a very cathartic experience. Especially to get closer to the character I drifted away from my friends and even family. Frankly, it was a process to get into the skin of my character, and I really enjoyed being Samaira.

In how many films have you acted to date? Can you tell me your five best movies as an actor?

To date, in a span of around six years, I have been part of as many as 15 films including Youth which was my first film as an actress.

My five best films as an actress are Hawk’s Muffin (Malayalam) directed by Krishnendu Kalesh, then Samaira, Bodhi (Marathi), a short film called Burning in which I played the role of a widow in Varanasi, and last but not the least my upcoming Malayalam movie called Vichitram. Moreover, every new film is like the first film for me and is close to my heart. By the way, Vichitram is all set to be released soon.

Would you say that your potential as an actress is yet to be utilized completely?

(Laughs) I shouldn't say that my talent is not utilized but I think it is not yet explored even by me. It is actually sad that people are still very biased toward fair skin, and I have to work against this bias. But I want to concentrate on upgrading my skills, I want to do Kalari consistently to get a hold of my body and mind. Unfortunately, there are a lot of perceptions in the world and in our industry that hardworking actors have to maneuver through.

I imagined that the industry works as a team but soon realized that there is a lot of politics here. Some people feel that I am an outsider from Akola, and not from Pune or Mumbai but those who trusted me and gave me opportunities by seeing the performances have become a close family now. I am still hopeful that a lot of girls coming from different parts of India will also keep moving and doing good work irrespective of failures and judgments.

Have you been subjected to the syndrome of the casting couch?

I know that the syndrome of the casting couch does exist in the industry but luckily I have not experienced it till now. I think things have been changing since the "me too" movement. I am old enough now to speak up for myself if I am not comfortable with things around me but people also have to be trained to respect 'No'.

How open are you as an actress to display your skin without inhibitions on the screen?

If only the script is sensible. I always like to read scripts and brainstorm them before making a decision. A romance shown by Mani Rratman Sir will hardly be seen in any other films. Whereas someone like Gasper Noe's films is filled with sex, drugs, and nudity but we cannot disregard his brilliance. But it all boils down to the script and the taste of the writer and the director. So these questions become irrelevant when the intent and the taste of the makers are right.

What plans do you have as a writer and director?

I used to write blogs on WordPress then I wrote a monologue in a Marathi play called Mannequin where I was playing a cancer patient. Recently during covid times I wrote and directed 2 short films 'Budgie' & 'Chembarathy'. Budgie is already released on youtube and I am working on post-production of Chembarathy.
Currently, I am focused on working on my first feature film as a writer and director. I have registered the script and can't wait to start the work on it.

What next for you as an actress, besides Vichitram?

Besides Vichitram which is ready for release are 2 Hindi web series, and one Marathi web series. I also have 2 Marathi films 'Bodhi' and ' Deid'.