New Look

Madholal Keep Walking ,which also marks the directorial debut of Mumbai-based Jai Tank,tells the story of a private security guard named Madholal,played by Subrat Dutta,whose life is torn apart by a bomb blast in the city. The film focuses on the aftermath of the blast and shows how Madholal and his family struggle to cope with the tragedy. Bhaskar plays Madholal’s daughter,a young college girl. “The film offers a poignant look at a city which is considered to be the financial capital of the country,as well as salutes the undying spirit of the people of Mumbai,” adds Bhaskar,who studied at Delhi’s Miranda House and graduated in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The film is replete with typical Mumbai imagery,from chawls to packed local trains. In keeping with the spirit of the film,Bhaskar began to take reading lessons from a maid in order to get the diction right. “But I was asked by my director not to do so. Since the message of the film is more about the human spirit,there is no amplification of my dialogue and we have given the film a natural treatment,” explains Bhaskar,who shot for 25 days at locations such as Kandivali chawl and suburban train stations in July and August 2008.

The actor’s experience on stage — she was part of Delhi’s theatre circuit for two years before moving to Mumbai — came in handy in Madholal Keep Walking.

This is not the first time that Bhaskar has faced the camera. In 2007,she acted in Pravesh Bhardwaj’s Niyati,about groom capturing in Bihar in the 1980s. She also co-starred with Kangana Ranaut in Tanu Weds Manu. Both are yet to be released. At present,she is waiting to be offered a role where she is “running around trees”.