Madhurima Nigam talks to Shrabasti Mallik about her new play Selfie, what it is like to work with director Paritosh Painter and why her husband, Sonu Nigam, and son are her pillars of strength
She has been instrumental in the success of her husband’s musical career, to an extent, if not much, but Madhurima Nigam (wife of Sonu Nigam) is a self made woman. She knows where to play her cards and how! She holds a profile of an actor and also a fashion designer. So much so that she has a label to her name.
But now she has delved again into the world of acting, albeit in a slightly different medium. With the play Selfie, she will return to the theatre stage. The play is the Hindi adaptation of the original Marathi playSelfie and traces the journey of five women — reflecting the relevant issues that they face in the society. It has its elements of emotions, humor, outbursts and above all lots of twists and turns.
Though nervous about the play, she feels glad that Paritosh Painter is directing the play because they have known each other for over a decade “on social grounds.” “I have watched most of his plays. When he approached me with this project I did not have any second thoughts as I knew I was in good hands. But what impressed me the most about Paritosh is the way he handles situations and especially the temperament of five women. He knows how to work his way out without damaging the situation and with a lot of calmness,” she praised Painter.
Apart from Nigam, few of the other women in the play include Urvashi Sharma Joshi and Rupali Ganguly, her friends. “When you are working with friends it is always fun. Urvashi is one of the purest and kindest souls I have met and is so hassle free and full of masti. Rupali is a wonderful seasoned actress and fun to be with. We also share a Bengali connection so we ended up chatting a lot in Bengali,” she pointed out.
Apparently, she is quite the multi tasker — juggling her time, attention and focus being an RJ, mother and also an actor. And she has no qualms either. On the contrary she is quite content. “Women are famous for being multitaskers. I have always loved multitasking, hence this juggling is nothing new to me,” she said with an air of ease.
But she did not forget to add that it is imperative that a woman receive heartfelt support from her family when she steps out of the house. “My husband has undergone a surgery yet has been extremely patient and encouraging. My son is my biggest inspiration. My parents and sister are like pillars for me,” she shared about her loved ones.
Her first brush with theatre was with a play called Three Women, with just a three woman cast. “It was a great experience,” she added. The play was an adaptation of Teen Konya, written by Rabindranath Tagore.