For once Prachi Desai would love to play a character closer to her age. In a chat with Shrabasti Mallik, she talks about getting to know Azharuddin’s first wife Naureen, wanting to do any of Julia Robert’s films and why present television content disappoints her
What is your perception of NaureenIJ
Honestly, I think I had a completely clear mind about Naureen as I knew nothing about her. Which is why I think it was impossible to have any kind of a perception about her. For me she was like a beautiful mystery. Through this film I got to know so many things about her and her relationship with Azhar which I don’t think not many know about., a revelation for me. Through this film there will be so many things that will unfold for all. Along with me, the nation will also get to discover Naureen through this film, for me it was impossible to form any perception even after getting limited information on her. She has been such a private person that there is nothing much that anyone knows. But I would say today, apart from how conventionally we think of Naureen, after meeting her things have changed. My perception about her today has changed to that of a strong, dignified person and I think she is beautiful inside and out. She’s very sublime that is how I would put it.
Of late a lot of biopics are being made on sportsperson Azhar, MS Dhoni, one on Sachin and also on Pele. Do you not think that it is an overdoseIJ
Trend is a pattern with everything be it fashion, in terms of clothes or cinema. Trend is something that is very exciting for everybody and everyone sort of wants to dabble in that untill it reaches a saturation point. I am extremely happy about this trend about real life stories and biopics. I will still clarify again that Azhar is not essentially a biopic it is a dramatised version of all the real life events of Azharuddin’s life. But yes, it does stay true to everything that did happen. You cannot call this a biopic as such. I think human stories are always interesting. Each life, regardless of the profession that they come from, has a story. Each human has a different story. Every life varies in so many various ways. There is no life that can be similar to the other. There are son many things about a human story about a real life person that you can relate to at so many different levels and I think that is the beauty of it. Because I think what you take back from a cinema hall, would be different from what I take back. The trend of biopics should go on for a longer time, so that people can do more interesting roles. It is so much more meaningful in terms of cinema because you are staying true to cinema as an art and as well as you are putting in entertainment. What more can you ask forIJ
As long as we are talking of movies being made on real life incidents, there are certain audience who watch films to escape reality. Is it, then, not disappointing for themIJ
Absolutely not, because I don’t think reality based films are dry films. I think they are very dramatised and cinematically, they are great experience films. For example, there will be certain audience like our parent’s generation where there will be different expectations as they have followed Azhar’s work since long. It will stay true to them but for our generation who haven’t really grown up being around there at the time when he experienced his amazing cricketing years, we only knew about him after we grew up because he has been such a huge personality. So for us it is going to be a great film and, yes you can escape from reality. But at the same time, you can connect to this on real level as well. So it will kind of balance itself.
Most of the movies that you have been part of, you have been portrayed as a calm and mature person. Why is that soIJ
Ask my directors why they give me such roles. I honestly have no idea how I contain myself and step into these characters because I am someone who is completely the opposite of all the roles that I play. And I believe that my roles have been far more subtle, mature and beyond my own age and years. I do not know why they put me into such roles.
On one hand I should be happy that inspite of not being of certain age and not having that experienced a life I can bring a certain kind of maturity into my roles but at the same time I should also be having a lot more fun as well. I should be offered roles that are closer to my age like more youth centric films. They should pair me up with younger actors who do more youth-based films because that will bring out the real me.
What kind of role would you like to do to break the clutterIJ
I would like to do any role Julia Roberts has ever done because I think they are brilliant, amazing and so distinct on their own. But at the same time there is so much of performance and acting involved as well as a lot of fun and I do not think that you can beat that competition. It will be so fulfilling as an actor and it will be just fabulous to pick out a few of her films and be able to do them.
Is there any specific director that you are looking forward to working withIJ
Off late I have loved Anand l Rai’s films. I think they are brilliant. Moreover, he is fantastic. Shakun Batra, too. I have seen Kapoor & Sons and it was fabulous. We go long back. He was the first assistant director on Rock On! and now he has gone and made such an amazing film himself, which is amazing. He is another director I would put on the list.
Since Kasam Se to the kind of serials that we are having right how has changed a lot. Would you agreeIJ Are you happy with the changeIJ
Television right now makes me really sad. It is a huge sign of worry. looking at where the country is going and the things that are happening around us, we should open our eyes and be able to give better content to the people. I am not saying this is a social service but TV impacts so many people on so many different levels and that, too, in a huge way. TV caters to the largest audience. We definitely need way better content and not content which is regressive and shocking at every level. I really think we need to improve television so much. I personally believe that years ago we used to have way more advanced shows in terms of outlook and the message that they were giving out to people or even in terms of relatability. I think that kind of content needs to come back.
photo Pankaj Kumar