For the masses

“The film is a folk tale,the sort passed from one generation to another,telling the story of victory of good over greed,” says Chhabria. The film is set in Sonapur,a quaint little town that has its share of oddballs and eccentrics. Her father,Daya Shastri (Dilip Prabahvalkar) insists on finding her a suitable groom from Dubai and load her with gold at her wedding,a move that will help him climb up the social ladder. “I play Suvarnalata,a coy,demure village belle who loves gold and paired opposite me is Shankar (Manoj Bajpayee),the local goldsmith.” In order to look her part,Chhabria fed on a rice and fish diet and put on a couple of pounds. “Village girls are not toned with flat abs. So,I decided to gain a little weight,” she says.

Ajoy,unlike other filmmakers,bothered with the nitty gritties,going beyond scene composition and dialogues. “With Ajoy,it was a different experience and I’m quite addicted to this kind of working now,” says Chhabria,looking forward to more such offbeat roles. “I believe we get what we attract,and I have been doing the kind of cinema I’ve always wanted to.”

For Chhabria,films that have a forced dramatic element never work. “I love stories that are simply told,without any complexities. Films can’t be for a niche audience,they have to have a mass impact,” she signs off.