Pratibha Ranta on landing on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi set after doing Aamir Khan’s Laapataa Ladies: ‘It was a magical experience’

“There was a very slow pace, so I thought that’s it. This is the debut film, and nothing happened. For people like us who are newcomers, we don’t get opportunities like this again and again. I was a little sad, and I called my manager and said, ‘What’s going on,’” Ranta said in a Zoom interview with indianexpress.com.

“I did not understand and then it comes on Netflix. Oh my God, after that only magic happened and then Heeramandi came. The timing of both things was perfect and it was not planned. It just happened and I am thanking the universe,” she added.

 

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While it takes months or even years for newcomers to bag a lead role, Pratibha Ranta was locked in for the role in Laapataa Ladies within a month after she impressed Aamir Khan during a live audition. “I had a performance in front of Aamir sir. I had performed a little audition scene in front of him. And everyone liked it, and then I got locked for the role. I think within a month, everything was locked. And I was like, ‘Okay, what has just happened? Okay, please tell me.’ It was very quick. For me, it was a very quick process. Then after that, our dialogue training workshop took place. That took a month. After that, we went on floors. Then we shot for like 45 days. Yeah, we shot for 45-50 days. That’s how it happened,” the actor said.

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Laapataa Ladies is bankrolled by Aamir Khan Productions. Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao, who announced their divorce in 2022, promoted the film together. During the promotions, the former couple, time and again, proved that they share a strong friendship and professional camaraderie. Speaking about how involved Khan was in the film, Ranta said, “Now when I am able to spend time with myself, I am looking back and I am realising that when we were shooting, the atmosphere on our set was magical. Like, I have best of friends from that shoot. Kiran ma’am, Aamir sir, the bond with them is so strong. Kiran ma’am had controlled the set so well.”

“Aamir sir didn’t come on set much. He came on set only once. But he always had a hand in any approval. We met him more off-set,” she said.

Pratibha Ranta, who was shooting for Laapataa Ladies and Heeramandi simultaneously, also shared her “magical” experience of two different worlds of cinema. Recalling how she juggled two big projects, Ranta said, “It was a very magical experience. When I went to shoot for Heeramandi, I was able to experience a different world. There was a big set in Heeramandi, and the approach of both characters was so different for me.”

 

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“Jaya is a little reserved. She thinks a lot before taking action. But she is watching. She has four eyes because she is doing something like this. So all that I used to keep in mind when I was preparing for Jaya’s character. But somewhere, in both, the bottom line, it was the same emotion to get that freedom that I have to do what I have to do,” she added.

Working with directors of two different genres is like crossing an ocean. With Aamir Khan Productions’ ability to weave narrative around social issues and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s aesthetics in period dramas, Ranta now wants to work more with the latter as she wants her audience to see her dancing. “I really have to work more with Sanjay sir. Next time, I have to work on a big scale with Sanjay sir. I have seen Alia and Deepika. Oh my god, I like Ram Leela so much. I also have to dance. I want to dance with my heart open,” she shared.

Also Read | Heeramandi: Enough with celebrating ‘tawaifs’ and ‘kothas’, there’s nothing to applaud in non-consensual sex

Despite their talent and popularity on the small screen, several TV actors in the past have shared the challenges they faced breaking into Bollywood. Asked if she had a similar experience, Ranta, who began her acting career in 2020 with Zee TV’s daily soap Qurbaan Hua, asserted talented actors make their way into the industry. “I think people do a lot of work in television. Times are changing. We have such a big example, Vikrant Massey right now. I am so glad that people are appreciating work. They are looking for talent. I can feel that change. I have been seeing it for the last 1-2 years. Since OTT has come, so much work is being done. So many brilliant actors are coming,” she said.

Nepotism in Bollywood has been a topic of debate over the last few years. While actors including Taapsee Pannu, Rajkummar Rao, Kriti Sanon and others have spoken about nepotism, Ranta believes work speaks for itself. “You’re talented, you’ll get work. You don’t have talent, you’ll find someone the other way. Everything boils down to how talented you are. That’s it. That’s what matters. I believe this and I want to believe this,” she said.

Ranta, who hails from Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla, credits Preity Zinta, Kangana Ranaut, Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor for inspiring her during her younger “rebellious” days when she would lie to her parents while attending a dance class. She aspires to work with Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor.