Dekh Indian Circus has just won the actress the coveted honour. She chatted with Karan Bhardwaj about Gulab Gang in which she plays Madhuri Dixit’s second-in-command
At a time when independent filmmakers are trying to get a ‘solid platform’ to screen their films, Tannishtha Chatterjee, who just won a national award for Dekh Indian Circus, comes with a advice.
The actor said that indie filmmakers can offer challenging and thought-provoking cinema, but must keep audiences’ choices in mind. “No one wants to watch an over-engaging film which doesn’t excite. I think makers of indie cinema must realise that audiences today want fresh stories to which they relate.”
Chatterjee has mainly been associated with low-key, yet award-winning movies including Barah Aana, Road, Movie, Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid, Jal. Her Dekh Indian Circus bagged four awards during the 60th National Films Awards with Best Child artist (Virendra Singh), Jury Special Award (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), Best Children Film (director Mangesh Hadwale) and Jury Special Mention (Tannishtha Chatterjee). She shared, “In the last three or four years, due to the audiences’ hyped interest in such films, filmmakers are taking risks. Stars are doing projects where content rules. I was shocked to know that a film like Kahaani had to wait for three years to materialise. Everyone thought a woman-oriented film with no item numbers, would not work. But it got Vidya Balan accolades.”
Chatterjee plays a Rajasthani woman in Dekh Indian Circus. The film is a metaphor for rural India’s struggle to access the supposed economic miracle of the country. She commented, “I play the mother of two kids. My husband (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) cannot speak, so I have to say everything. Mangesh Hadawale (director) made me run like anything. I used to get up at 5 am for rehearsals. I also attended worskshop to get Rajasthani diction. Nawazuddin has an understanding of the realism required for such characters. I definitely worked harder than him.”
Is it a passion for cinema that drives her to do small films like Dekh Indian Circus, made on a Rs5 crore budgetIJ “I am emotionally attached to films I do. I charge nominal fee for these films, but get handsome amounts for bigger projects.” Chatterjee’s filmography includes Hollywood projects like Anna Karenina and Brick lane. Her next is the Madhuri Dixit starrer, Gulab Gang. “Soumik Sen knew my work. He offered the script. I liked it. I am in Madhuri’s gang. It has three parts. I am second-in-command. Something happens and I take over. Then, it’s the journey of the character,” she signed off.