You’ve become very selective about doing films. What made you say yes to Chalk n DusterIJ
I liked the script a lot. I’ve a habit of giving up reading after some time but when I started reading Chalk n Duster, I could not put it down. It is a meaningful and heartwarming family entertainment. Everybody would be able to identify with it.
What kind of research work you have done for your roleIJ
Jyoti is like any other common person. I had to make sure that I didn’t glamourise her. Writer Ranjeev Verma’s wife is a teacher and I wanted to base my character on her but couldn’t. So I would stand outside my children's’ school and observe the teachers; how they dressed, their behaviour, etc.
Is the story based on a real life incidentIJ
The movie is based on many real life incidents. The story talks about the drama that unfolds due to commercialisation of education and politics among teachers. Second half of the film is my favourite and has a beautiful climax.
Why is it that very few films are made on educationIJ
As an audience I’ll only go to watch a film if it is entertaining. To make a message-driven film, it has to be in an interesting way where the message is slipped in subtly; very few people can script that properly. It happens only once in a while.
Your experience working with Shabana Azmi.
I was amazed to see the way she goes into the detailing about little things and uses her props. She knows how to bring a character alive. She is playing a Maharashtrian teacher and the way they wear their sari and tie their hair, tuck their little hankey in the strap of their watch, all that she has kept in mind. She told me that it doesn’t matter whether people see it or not but that is how she wanted to do it.
What about Divya DuttaIJ
I’ve worked with Divya before and we share a great camaraderie. She is one of those artists I admire a lot.
What kind of bond did you share with your teachers when you were in schoolIJ
Iwas in a convent school and I was shy. I may have liked and admired them but was scared of them. We used to look up to our teachers.
Did you ever think of being a teacher yourselfIJ
Not earlier, but now when I sit and study with my children, I just wish I could be a teacher because I would make learning interesting and fun. It’s important for children to understand and then memorise. As a teacher, you are shaping young minds and participating in that child’s mental development.
Why is it that we get to see you so little in Bollywood filmsIJ
I do films that suit me. I can play a mother but I feel a little uncomfortable playing a heroine. Also the story should make sense to me and I should feel enthusiastic about it. I’m very greatful that I can still be out and working in the industry.
What else is keeping you busy these daysIJ
We’ve an ancestral gurukul in Porbander. We are the third generation who are looking after over 2,000 girls. I have been made the trustee of the school and keep visiting to oversee the work.