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Rani, Mardaani‘s powerful trailer has obviously piqued everyone’s curiosity but before we begin on that one, I will go back a little in time to an earlier film Aiyyaa which was again a very intriguing, nuanced story with a very sincere and applause-worthy performance by you, so in hindsight, what would you say went wrong?
Each film, whether it works or not, teaches you something. It’s a journey. What is important is the experience. For me working with a Maharashtrian crew with Sachin (Kudalkar), the DOP, the assistant directors was unique experience— I saw a very different world (from Bollywood) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Aiyyaa was one of the three short stories that added up to Gandh, a film in Marathi. It was the quirkiest of them all and very different—of a girl falling in love with a smell! And Anurag Kashyap (co-producer), according to me was the only producer who could make a film as quirky as this so I thought the experience would be a very interesting one. But when you pick one short film/story out of its context as part of a bigger film and expand it into a feature then it’s probably not the same. I think the film lost its essence. But I really got attached to this girl, (Meenakshi) because girls in so many places are not really given a choice to choose their life partners. And this was one such girl. Even recently some people told me that they loved Aiyyaa but it must have been that probably only that many people went and watched it. But the fact that they connected with Meenakshi was good.
But since it did not do well, there must have been a reason. I can only think of the fact that being a short story, it did not make sense as a lengthier film.
Speaking of journeys, how has the one from being Ms Eligible Single to being Mrs Aditya Chopra been? What has changed?
I have shifted out of my home into Adi’s, so that’s a change. It’s a big thing for my parents. I was with them for so many years so the shift has made them miss me a little. Since I used to do practically everything, my parents feel ki ‘arrey she’s not there’. I am still keeping an eye on them and normally meet them twice a week because with the promotions etc. I am unable to go there as frequently as I would like to. My dad feels very happy when he sees me enter the house. He starts glowing! But yes, things have changed and of course there is more responsibility. Earlier I could leave home without worrying about what is being cooked or what needs to be cooked. I used to just ask mom to organise everything but now it’s the other way round. Living with Adi, now I have to take care of everything so ab grihasthi sambhaal rahi hoon main. (flashes a smile).
If one is to go by all that one has seen and heard about you, you have always been a bit of a homebody. I recall that at our last meeting, you had cooked some exotic fish! So are you enjoying this domestic stint?
I have always enjoyed being a home-maker, so I am enjoying it while doing my work at the same time. It’s not like an added burden or something. It makes me very happy. I have always been inspired by women who are married, are mothers and still working. I think every girl waits to have her own home where she can call the shots. Normally, when one stays with one’s parents, it’s your mother who is in-charge so I am happy that I finally have my own home to call the shots in! It’s good fun.
As the wife of the most prominent producer-director, is there a fair bit of entertaining at home with you playing hostess? And with a packed itinerary are you like, superbusy?
Yes, the socialising has increased. I used to host parties at my parent’s place also, but Adi too loves eating and calling people over, so it’s just got busier. I didn’t have time to settle down after the wedding because soon after the wedding my dad was hospitalised and I was with him. Then I got into the Mardaani promotions, so now till August 22nd, it will be so hectic I won’t get time to breathe!
Mardaani seems like an interesting watch –a woman cop investigating a girl trafficking racket. Could you tell us more about the film?
The team of Mardaani, whether its dada (director Pradeep Sarkar) or myself or the entire team, everybody has come together to say something against the atrocities against women. There are so many things that you keep hearing of in the newspapers, television etc. I think Mardaani was a small effort from our side to come up with a film that serves as a voice, to get across the point that we have had enough of this injustice. Of course since this is a film it couldn’t be preachy so we used the thriller format to make it entertaining. Whenever you make a film with such strong content retaining all the facts, you keep alive the entertainment element and the watchability quotient. We have tried to make the film as gripping as possible, blending well-researched facts with drama to make it an engaging. Plus it will send an empowering message to all the girls and women.
How does Mardaani compare with other cop dramas with women protagonists, say like Zakhmi Aurat?
Those were all revenge dramas, while this is very real and contemporary and another take on a crime branch officer. We did a lot of research on how they investigate and interrogate to make it very realistic. There have been so many such cases, so to keep it different we have just used an actual episode and put it in our film. The part about trafficking of women also puts a mirror to a very ugly aspect of our society.
What would your message to women be?
Today, I would expect and urge every mother to enroll their child in a martial art school to learn karate or some form of self-defense. When we were children there were piano, singing and painting classes but today martial arts is a must. The day women learn to protect themselves, no man will be able to take away their dignity.
There has been some debate on the title—why must women be compared to men?
There will be a lot of debate on why a woman should be called Mardaani if she is strong, but we have taken the word Mardaani because the idea we are trying to convey is not gender based, it’s the spirit. When you say ‘Khoob ladi mardaani woh toh Jhansi waali rani thi,‘ we are depicting the spirit of the warrior. We always say that ‘she’s my hero (and not heroine)… Because hero conveys a certain power which is not about gender. So when you say khoob ladi mardaani, you are not trying to put her down by saying that she is fighting like a man. You are saying that she fought like a warrior and that’s what the film is trying to show. This particular cop and the other girls (in the film) display the power of lady cops who are strong and determined and not bogged down by the fact that there are more men in the police force than women.
In fact, male cops have a lot of respect for the female cops. And nobody in the cop station thinks that woh ladki hai to woh kam strong hai. That’s what I kind of realized during our visits to cop stations, and probably through Mardaani, we will change the mindset of people who believe that a woman cop is not as strong as a man. This gender bias is so widely prevalent and this could be a step towards acknowledging the many brave women cops out there who are not even known to us.
Which real life cop would you like to be?
There are so many like Meera Borwankar and Kiran Bedi, but I don’t really want to take names because being part of the crime branch, they have to keep their identity under wraps. But I have met so many of them during research and they are all worthy of a salute. What is remarkable about these women is that they face the same danger like getting threats as the male cops. And despite the dangers, they go for night duty leaving their family and kids at home. Hats off to them for being in this profession and being so good at it.
Recently there was an interview of PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi which sparked off a debate that in India, women’s professional achievements are not taken as seriously, suggesting that things haven’t really changed too much—would you agree?
Certainly. For example, when you see a male and a female pilot walk into the aircraft, you automatically think that flying with a male pilot is safer. The bias is deeply embedded in our psyche! It’s the same with cops. But how do you judge the strength of a female cop and whether she is as strong as her male counterpart unless you have been slapped by her?
There’s always a been a bit of the feminist in most roles you have played so far…
I have always got attached to roles which show a woman getting empowered. I started with that (as a rape victim in Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat. Consciously or subconsciously I get drawn towards strong female characters and I have always tried to portray that effectively on screen. I come from a dynasty where Shakti (strength) is worshipped so I think the feminist ideology is inherent in me.
Mardaani is a culmination of all the shakti roops (facets of strength) I have portrayed in all my films, this being the strongest. I have enjoyed it thoroughly because playing a cop who is no-nonsense gave me a professional high. When I was researching and visiting crime branch offices located in the most unexpected neighbourhoods like heavily crowded markets, I found the process of acquainting myself with this world which we are oblivious of, fascinating. All we are aware of is our home and lives. We have a cup of coffee with friends and go home, thinking that nothing is going to happen because we don’t know any better. But the reality is quite different. These guys know exactly what is going on. They know where the murderers reside, where the smugglers and terrorists are. Or for that matter, exactly where crime is taking place and more. And when you talk to them it sets you thinking about the fact that you reside in a city where there is so much crime. I was amazed to find that they deal with all this and yet continue with their normal lives without a second thought to their personal safety.
You mentioned you picked up a lot of stuff observing these valiant women cops. As an actress how important is developing an ability to observe and learn?
For me the learning process in the industry is very important. Actually, it never stops. In our profession, along with the creative side there is a technical side that runs almost parallel to it. At present, cinema is going through a technological boom–from simple and major lensing to different formats, changing sound and picture quality. Everyday, there is something new. If you stop learning, how will you cope with the new generation coming in? Not learning is possible only if you have retired. Otherwise it is crucial to know what is happening around you, to learn and understand why a certain kind of cinema is being made and accepted by the audience among other things. It is also important to be aware of the kind of performance your contemporaries and newer actors are coming up with.
Besides in film-making you are working with different people all the time so I always try to absorb their experience and their acting ability. If I am not watchful, how am I going to learn how to perform a particular scene in a style/ technique that is prevalent today? How will I be different in each film?
Like today during Mardaani promotions I am going to see what are the things that could help me in the near future or for the next film. Even when you are successful you can’t be laid-back because people are going to expect more out of you in your next one. It is a never ending process.
priyanka.sinha@expressindia.com
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