Marriage has not changed my choice of roles- Anushka Sharma

By Jyothi Venkatesh

What is Sui Dhaaga –Made in India all about?

Sui Dhaaga-Made in India is a film about finding love and respect through self-reliance and is a heart-warming story that celebrates the spirit of self-reliance. The  plot is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and takes a leaf out of the hugely acclaimed Make In India campaign. While I play the role of an embroiderer in the film, Varun plays the role of a young tailor.

What is the USP of the film?

Not only has director Sharat Kataria and producer Maneesh Sharma teamed up again for Yash Raj Films’ entertainer Sui Dhaaga - Made in India, but also for the first time ever, the logo of a Bollywood film has been made by artisans! The marketing team of the film wanted to celebrate the rich and diverse culture of making Indian handicraft and hence reached out to local artisans and craftsmen from across the length and breadth of the country to create the logo of the film in their unique stitching styles.

Go on!

The Sui Dhaaga logo has been done in a striking, globally popular Indian hand needle work forms of Kashida and Sozni from Kashmir, colourful Phulkari from Punjab, the intricate thread work forms Rabari and Mochi Bharat from Gujarat, Phool Patti from Uttar Pradesh and Zardozi work from Lucknow. It has also be created in Rajasthan's prominent crafts like Aari, Banjara and Gota Patti, Tamil Nadu's popular Toda style and Karnataka's Kasuti design. Traveling towards the east, which constitutes of over 50 percent of the India's handloom exports, the film's logo has been made in Pipli style from Odisha, handloom work from Assam, Kantha stitch work from West Bengal.

Why has the logo been created in as many as 15 different needle art forms of India?

By creating a logo in as many as 15 different needle art forms from India, Sui Dhaaga hopes to create awareness of India’s culture amongst today’s youth and the impact that it leaves on modern design, fabrics and fashion at large. Interestingly, YRF also chose to release to the logo on National Handloom Day that celebrates the magnificence of Indian handloom the world over.

What is your role in Sui Dhaaga Made in India?

I play the role of Mamta in Sui Dhaaga Made in India in which I have been teamed opposite Varun Dhawan for the first time in my career.

What message does the film drive home?

It’s a very emotional yet funny film and along with that director Sharad Kataria has driven home a strong message. Every viewer will connect with this film because we all have experienced struggle in our lives. People will also relate with each character of the film, a full on family entertainer, be it parents, husband or wife.

What home work did you do to prepare to get into the skin of your character in Sai Dhaaga?

I made it a point to observe the women in the village in Chanderi when I landed three days before the shooting started for the film. I observed how the women laughed after covering their mouth with their hands whenever they heard a joke and incorporated that in my film. Luckily no one in the village followed me or made my life difficult when I stayed there

In what way do you think you have grown with every film of yours from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi till Sui Dhaaga-Made in India?

Every film that you set out to do challenges you as an actor. You should be able to grow with every film because the audiences in today’s times want to see you in different films in different genres. My aim has always been to play different roles in different films and not let myself be stereo typed as an actress.

Of late you have been producing predominantly woman oriented films like Pari, Philauti, NH 10 etc. Is Sui Dhaaga –Made in India also a woman oriented film?

Sui and Dhaaga are incomplete without one another. It is a fallacy to presume that only the male can be an ideal bread winner in a family or for that matter a female can run the entire family all alone or that the decision should be taken by only the female of the house because you need two cogs of the wheel and ideally roles should be divided 50:50 between the males and the females.

What is your approach towards every role that you do?

I try to see to it that my performance is not only effortless but also believable. To ensure that, I try to cut off myself from my character , each time I do a film and I see to it that  I act with not my own thought but those of the character that I set out to play.

You have produced three different films till date- NH 55, Phillauri and Pari. How do you demarcate between your role as an actor and producer?

It is only when I set out to produce a film that I involve myself with the decision making connected with then film but when I just act in a film, I do not bother about the nitty gritties of filmmaking.

Though a Yashraj discovery, you have acted in just five films made by the production house. Why?

It is true that in a span of almost a decade, I have been a part of just three films made by YRF. They are Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Baand Baaja Baraat, Ricky V/s Ladies Tailor, Sultan and now Sui Dhaaga. I do a film only if the role fits in my comfort zone and am really glad that Aditya Chopra had offered me all these five films. YRF is managing my films and endorsements and I have absolutely no complaints at all.

What next?

After Sui Dhaaga , my next release will be Anand L. Rai’s Zero in which I have been teamed opposite Shah Rukh Khan for the fourth time in my career after Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Jab Tak Hai Jaan and When Harry Met Sejal.

How do you handle success and failure in your career?

In life, I am very tranquil and handle everything very moderately. You will not find me jumping with joy deliriously and shooting from the roof tops if films of mine like say Sultan turns out to be a phenomenal success or if a film flops.

Has your marriage to cricketer Virat Kohli changed your choice of films in any manner?

Look here. I feel that marriage is a very personal issue. It has not changed me at all in any way and for this I’d give the entire credit to the audiences because they have always encouraged me to do good films. I want my audiences to like every film that I set out to do. As an actor, I have always wanted to push the boundaries and challenge myself to my limits. I continue to act in films in roles which I like to do and which are in my own comfort zone.

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