Sharman Joshi is not someone who takes success or failure of his films seriously. He tells Shrabasti Mallik that working with brilliant actors and directors is his biggest reward
He looked like a boy next door in a pair of denims, crisp white shirt and a light jacket. Sharman Joshi was in a pretty chatty mood when we caught with him recently. He was here to promote his forthcoming film Super Nani. Giving him company and making most of ‘recently achieved’ fame was his co-star Shweta Kumar, looking every inch a stunner in pink cropped top and jeans. “I have always wanted to be an actress and have always prepared myself for that,” she said while posing for the shutterbugs.
The duo spoke about their movie which narrates the story of a grandmother. Sharing screen space with Rekha had left a visibly lasting impression and for both of them it was no less than an honour to act alongside her. “This is a movie about a grandmother, played by Rekha ji, who is not given due respect in her own family. The story has a universal appeal and it shares a message that women should stand up for what is rightfully theirs and should demand their rights and dignity they deserve,” shared Sharman. He went on to explain that there are certain traditions in the Indian culture which we are conveniently forgetting, like respecting our elders and giving them the love and attention that they deserve.
He believes that we tend to take for granted the people whom we love most. Sharman feels that one should realise that appreciation is something that everyone deserves, specially women in every family. “The movie is a gentle reminder that women are the central force in any family. Jo parivaar ko jod ke rakhti hai aur unko humey samhal ke rakhna chahiye (Women keep the family together and we should take special care of them),” he said. The actor shared that the stand that naani takes in the movie is very unique. It makes the family realise what difficulties they put her through, emotionally. And she does it beautifully — without any melodrama and without any tantrums, in a very dignified way.
Shweta added, “Women should be given equal rights. They should be offered chances to become leaders because they are in a way, individual leaders of their own families. It is a woman’s personal choice on how she wants to take care of her own self, get treated by her family or people surrounding her.”
The actress said that it was her dream to be directed by her father, Indra Kumar. But she says that while on sets she did not receive any special treatment. “My father was a thorough professional on sets,” she added. Shweta said that the most difficult part for her was to learn the dance steps for the song sequence Radha. “Saroj Khan is a tough task-master. I learnt a lot from her and it was a great experience,” she said.
Sharman, whose last two movies — Gang of Ghosts and War Chhodo Na Yaar — did not fair well at the box office, seemed unfazed by the results.
He said, “I do film in my own way. I always focus on the concept of the story. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. My last two films unfortunately did not work out well.” For him filmmaking is a team work.
He added, “I don’t know if this film will work or not. But it is a great script, we have worked hard and I think it will look very good on screen. But the trump card here is Indra Kumar, a man with tremendous success rate and someone who does not follow any trend. He has travelled to both sides of the spectrum, from Grand Masti to Super Nani.”
What he found challenging in the movie was the accent of his character Mann.
“The character is very close to who I am in real life — I see myself in Mann. He had lived in a foreign land for almost 15 years, so he needed to have an English accent in the way he spoke Hindi. That part was tricky but it was a lot of fun, too,” he said.
The debutante said she considered herself lucky to start her career alongside legends like Rekha, Randhir Kapoor and Anupam Kher. She said, “I haven’t decided what kind of movies I would want to do. I want to explore everything. To be part of an ensemble star cast has only given a kick start to my career but how I take it forward completely rests on my hard work and struggle.”