I didn’t want to act in Firaaq: Nandita Das

She says she has no regrets about not playing any role in the movie because she relied totally on its cast.

Nandita Das, whose directorial debut ‘Firaaq’ is set for release next month, says she has no regrets about not playing any role in the film about post-riot Gujarat because she relied totally on its cast.

“It was my first film and just the way things were going I felt it’s a lot of work and a very big responsibility. In the middle of all that I didn’t want to worry about my continuity. I don’t regret it at all. In fact I got to do all the roles at some level,” the actress said.

The film’s star cast includes actors like Naseerudin Shah, Sanjay Suri, Shahana and Paresh Rawal.

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The actress who has given power packed appearances in critically acclaimed films like ‘Fire,”Earth,’ and ‘Ramchand Pakistani,’ says she doesn’t regret not acting in ‘Firaq’.

Das was in Dubai to attend her film’s screening at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) on Monday.

‘Firaaq’ set in the post-riot Gujarat deals with the wounds of the violence and its impact on human psyche.

The actress said if it was just about wanting to become a director and choosing a script, she would have never made ‘Firaaq’.

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“It happened because of my own experiences, conversations and acquaintances with people. You scratch the surface and you see so much of anger, prejudice, fear and divide,” she said.

Actor Sanjay Suri, who plays Sameer Sheikh, a liberal Muslim, in the film, said he understood the character’s pain.

“I come from Kashmir and I have been witness to the ethnic cleansing in the 1990s. So I could understand the pain of the man,” he said.

Shahana Goswami, who played Munira’s role in the film, called it a “soul searching experience at one level”. ‘Firaq’ will be released in India on January 23.