Actress Swara Bhaskar tries to make sense of the so-called feminine wave in Bollywood. By Unnati Joshi
Swara Bhaskar has made her presence felt in the industry and can now comfortably push boundaries, her latest completely turning the image of the legendary songstress Anarkali on her head. As Anaarkali of Aarah, Swara plays a full-bodied, ribald and rustic singer, who croons double meaning songs at folk soirees.
“Anaarkali is an exciting character for any actor. I am lucky to have got it. I have always played positive and relatable characters. This for me is a multi-layered part.
“So what happened was, I met Avinash (Avinash Das, director) socially at an event and we discussed about the film. I immediately wanted to do this role. I could already see Swara Bhaskar in and as Anaarkali. Avinash even asked me to read it. little did I know that he was just seeking my opinion. He had another actress in mind. I was very disappointed. Much later he casually came up to me and said, ‘since you have read the script so many times, why don’t you just do itIJ’ And I instantly said yes,” she laughed.
Swara travelled to Aarah to meet the local singers of the region and went through various diction workshops. “I was very nervous about this role as it was a totally unknown world for me. I started off by going to Aarah and roaming the town. Getting a feel of the flavour, pace and culture of the town also the language and the dialect. I really had to do a lot of research for Anaarkali. I met Munni ji from Munni Orchestra Party, recorded her songs, interviewed her. I also went to Kosi Kalan and saw a lot of shows there. I have worked very hard for this film.
“I was very excited about the look of the film because I thought it’s a good chance to do something interesting. And because I had met these girls and saw their shows also, I used it as a reference. So we created three different looks for Anaarkali. And for that, I worked closely with costume designer Rupa Chourasia, who is also from Bihar and has done an amazing job. And I even shopped the costumes from Aarah.
Swara is playing a protagonist in the film. Asked about helming the film on her shoulders, she quipped, “I don’t think any film, either Vidhya Balan’s or Meryl Streep’s can work with just one actor. There are a lot of people working really hard behind the camera. It’s unfortunately the side-effect of glamour that the actors get the entire credit. I feel actors work the least on the sets. Having said that, I feel blessed to have played two diverse characters (Nil Battey Sannata and Anaarkali of Aarah) in one year. Portraying Anaarkali was a humbling experience for me.”
About the film she said, “It has an appeal similar to Gangs of Wasseypur. It is raw and original, it has an exotic value. And it is, of course, a very real story. There is nothing filmy; whatever seems filmy is because that world is filmy and dramatic. In terms of screenplay, we are very real. It is not a niche film. I mean for God’s sake, there is a girl dancing on stage in a lehnga and choli... what can be massier than thatIJ The story inherently has a very dramatic quality and is engaging.”
Swara told us that she was terrified to work with Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi, who for her are the finest actors in India. “I was absolutely terrified working with Sanjay ji. He is one brilliant actor. Pankaj ji is one of the finest actors in India. I have worked with him in Nil Battey Sannata and I think he makes my performance better whenever we share screen and he is that kind of an actor. I was very scared to work with such actors but I hope I was able to stand my grounds.”
What were the challengesIJ “There weren’t many challenges. My only concern was to make the film look original and raw and not tacky and sleazy. I have learnt a lot from the film and this character is closest to me and my personality. I am an artist and so is she, I am also stubborn and so is she, She abuses and so do I now. (laughs) And the anger with persecution is there in both of us,” she said.
Swara doesn’t consider herself a supporting actor or believe in any categorisation as an artist. “Honestly, I never saw myself as a supporting or a leading actor. And I don’t think any actor sees himself as that. An actor is an actor; it depends on the kind of roles they are getting. My first film didn’t release and I was playing the protagonist there. Then I did a lot of films. Then in 2013, when I did Raanjhanaa and Aurangzeb, in the same year I also did listen... Amaya with Farooq Sheikh and Deepti Naval where I played the title part but that film didn’t get the same eyeballs but I have done lead roles before also. So yes, in Nil Battey Sannata and Anaarkali of Aarah the audience is waking up to it. And it feels very nice and I hope they keep waking up to my work.”
Who is that one actress that she admiresIJ Swara laughed and quickly said, “I want to be Shah Rukh Khan. I have always been his fan. I remember travelling to college in a Mudrika and getting bored on the long haul. We didn’t even have mobile phones then. I would play games with myself, like trying to figure out who’s that one person every Indian knows. Not everyone knows the Prime Minister and the President but everyone knows Shah Rukh Khan. If not him, I am happy being Swara Bhaskar.”
She also advised budding actors to break their inhibitions. “The first requirement of being an artiste is to drop all shame, honour and all these unnecessary things that are taught to the Indian girls. Drop all of it. It’s time you come out in the open and be shameless. You will have to do this to be an artiste. If you have to think about society then it’s better you stay at home. I don’t think you can do anything with this attitude and definitely can’t be an actor. You have to break your inhibitions.
“Yes, I have played Anaarkali who sings erotic songs. I don’t think talking about sex is a big deal now. I mean with a population of 125 crore, you shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about sex. India is the country of Kamasutra. I think we should all talk about sex. Only when you are under 18 and indulging in sex or if it’s forced sex, then it’s wrong and is a crime. But if you are an adult, what’s wrongIJ For me what’s worst is haranguing, being involved in riots, killing people which I think is the bio-data of our so-called netas.”
Photo: Pankaj Kumar