Tannishtha Chatterjee feels that immersing oneself in a character is strenuous yet enjoyable. By Kritika Dua
An interactive trailer. Yes, that’s what set the market buzzing for Monsoon Shootout. Though, the concept has been explored in the west through video games, this trailer is a path breaker in terms of experimentation with filmmaking. Tannishtha Chatterjee, the lead actress in the movie exclaimed, “The response that we got for the trailer is overwhelming, people are warming up to the unique idea— the audience can choose which story they want to watch. We are giving all the possibilities. It’s a wise way of promoting the film. In the film, the viewers will witness all the choices that the protagonist actually goes through. So, the trailer encapsulates the essence of the film — it talks about choices.”
The film which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival four years back, is a noir thriller extensively shot in Mumbai’s downpour. “The film was shot in horrible locations, throughout the film it was raining like cats and dogs. We were drenched throughout the shoot — dirty locations with rain and major portions of the film was shot in winter, so it was chilly also,” said .
On opting for a dark thriller, Chatterjee asserted, “There are different reasons for which I do each film. Amit Kumar (director) is a good friend, he was assistant director in a German film (Schatten der Zeit) that I was doing at that time. So, he narrated me the script and I immensely liked it. I knew that this film revolves around the characters of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vijay Varma and my role is a small one. But, I couldn’t say no to it as I felt that this film should be made.”
Chatterjee plays Rani, a strong-minded lady.“I play Nawaz’s wife Rani in Monsoon Shootout. I make my appearence in that part where his family life is shown. Even though the role is small, she has a strong voice and that’s the reason I decided to play this part.” She feels that immersing oneself in a character is strenuous yet enjoyable. “I find it fulfilling to get into the skin of the character.
Chatterjee had a wonderful time travelling with the film. “It was a wonderful journey after the film was made as it travelled to various film festivals including Cannes. It got a standing ovation and extremely positive reviews there. I am really excited that its finally releasing.”
She agreed that the film was supposed to release earlier (2014), they faced certain problems which is common especially in case of arthouse cinema. She said that this film is a little ahead of its time but thankfully things have changed for the better in the industry since the last two years as alternate films are getting their due. So in a way, the delay was a blessing in disguise as this is the right time for its release.
The actress has essayed a range of characters — city-centric Nargis Nasreen in Angry Indian Goddesses, the protagonist in Brick lane which revolved around a Bangaldeshi girl in london. Chatterjee has also done an Australiam rom-com UNindian. “Sometimes I do a film as I haven’t played that particular part before. In lion, I was an antagonist even though it was not an out and out Hindi film villain and was thus interesting. It was a layered grey character, something that was not offered to me before and allowed me to explore that territory.”
Added she, “I have specifically done some diverse roles in my career. Be it a big Hollywood film like Anna Karenina to a small one like Monsoon Shootout. As an actor, I enjoy diversity be it the roles I portray on screen (rural or urban) or the films I opt for. I like breaking stereotypes.” The actress is fondly remembered as the vulnerable yet strong Rani of Parched, which broke stereotypes around village women.
Chatterjee now wants to explore light-hearted movies. “I think I haven’t done an out and out comedy, a really hillarious one. Those are the kind of scripts which come quiet rarely, comedy is the most difficult genre to write. I would want someone to send me the script of a good comedy.” She has finished shooting Rough Book in which she plays a physics teacher. Her next release is Dr Ratna Bai, a biopic on the first practicing lady doctor in India.