Richa Chadda spoke to Kritika Dua about her unusual villain character and new-found love for comedy
How often does a woman get to shine in a comedy dominated by an ensemble castIJ However, Richa Chadda managed to pull that off with quiet ease through Fukrey, a tale about four slackers from Delhi who embark on some ludicrous schemes to get admissions on the sly to a college. She played the brazen, tough talking Punjabi don, Bholi Punjaban, who gave those men a run for their money when they try to mess with her and pull her into their ill-conceived schemes. The story ends with her being in jail.
In the sequel, she is back to doing what she does best, conning people. “Bholi Punjaban is a tough talking woman but she is also an ardent criminal. Not many characters with this kind of range have been explored in our industry. Villainy among women has been depicted mainly through vamps. In Hindi films, the vamps have been either cabaret dancers or the ‘other woman,’ slightly promiscuous or coquettish. Also, the angry mother-in-law is one traditional character with a grey shade. But Bholi is none of them. She is unique — an accomplished, self-made woman. She runs her crime syndicate like a true blue business woman. Having been in the game since her teenage, she’s aware about the grammar. I haven’t seen a character like her especially in this genre. She’s a glammed up version of Gabbar Singh according to me.”
The entertaining sequel, Fukrey Returns, will unfold with Chadda’s revenge saga. “Bholi Punjaban is now out from jail and her first revenge is to catch the boys, try and take out the money she lost while in jail, reclaim all her businesses that have shut down. She wants to recover that money from the boys. And will do her best to torture them and make sure that they are petrified. Her sole intention is to get her money back.”
This time, her character will have varied shades and Chadda promises us that the audience will get to witness her rage. “There are definitely new layers to my character — a larger threat is looming large on her that she is also afraid of. There is somebody in the script who is threatening her as well which will only be revealed once people go to the theatre to watch the film. While the viewer will see her vulnerable, compromised side, proportionately, there is also a more violent side.”
With this film, Chadda has religiously followed the script. “I didn’t draw any inspiration for this character as it’s too over the top and outlandish for it to be real. I have tried to portray this larger than life character with as much realism as possible. But, it’s still a character that is developed purely on the basis of the material that was given to me.”
She opened up about her three-city stand-up comedy tour featuring Bholi Punjaban, which will be on the lines of a roast. “I hope that I get the time to put my thoughts into action as soon as the film is released. I hope to follow it up and see what I can do with my new-found love for comedy.”
Having done a series of arthouse films, including the critically acclaimed Masaan, she has realised that comedy is her calling. “I really love comedy as I am able to enjoy my work much more than when I do serious films. I hope the audience also enjoys this new avatar. It will open new doors of opportunities and I will get to explore this genre further.”
Asked about her experience of working with an ensemble cast, she asserted that the most crucial aspect of it was teamwork, a quality she hopes to imbibe. “I have always been a team player and this film has just made me enjoy the process of working with an accomplished team even more.” She would love to experiment with a horror genre, an engaging thriller or a power packed action film. “I would love to do a dark comedy, I should pen down a dark comedy with one of my writer friends, see how it goes and maybe produce it.”
She looks for strength of the script, its screenplay, the director and the cast. “Off late, I have started to look at the producer also. They should have the bandwidth to do justice to the film— to be able to promote and release it well. So, that the actors don’t feel shortchanged and their work doesn’t go to waste.” Is Chadda more of a spontaneous actor or a believer in method actingIJ Said she, “I do a lot of my preparation work beforehand. While reading the script, I make notes, do a background study for the character, try to find motivation and humour in a straight scene. That’s usually my prep work. Once I am on set, then it’s all spontaneity and don’t do method acting as I think that it can take a toll on one’s personal life. So, I prefer doing all my work before I land up on the set and that works quiet well for me.”
