Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; December 17, 2018)

If her decade-old film career and choice of roles have to be summed up in one word of her choice, it has to be 'fantastic'. English actress Felicity Jones, who won an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Jane Hawking, wife of the late physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything (2014), spoke to BT over the phone from Paris. During the chat, the actress revealed her ‘intimate’ Indian connect, why her upcoming film is extremely relevant, and how the #MeToo movement has created a stir. Excerpts...

We hear that you’ve been wanting to come to India for quite some time now...
I am hoping to come to India next year. Yes, I have been wanting to come there for a long time. I am very passionate about India. I am hoping to go to Jodhpur and Kerala, as these are the two places that people talk about with much fondness. So, I am interested in exploring these places.

You also share a unique bond with Indian food...
I grew up in Birmingham which is the home of the Balti (Birmingham’s favourite dish — Balti curry). It is inspired by the curry and it was a huge part of my cultural heritage while growing up. My family and I have enjoyed Indian food from our early days. There is a fantastic Indian vegetarian restaurant close to where I live and I spend my life there (laughs!). You will always find me in that restaurant. These are the intimate details of my life (laughs!).

You worked with Irrfan in Inferno (2016). He had mentioned that you are a great co-star. Tell us about it ...
Just the other day, I was talking about Irrfan to my husband, and telling him how he is such a brilliant actor. I hope to work with him again in the future.

You portray the iconic Ruth Ginsburg in your upcoming film, On The Basis Of Sex. She is passionate, driven, and relentless. What was it like to bring such a strong character to screen?
I was looking for a script like this. The moment I read it, I knew that it was something that I really believed in. I was very patient in order to find a role like this. It is unusual to get such a brilliant female character. Ruth symbolises female ambition and how women have brought about a change in our society.

Did the film help you decipher what feminism truly stands for, as there have been various interpretations of the word?
We are fighting for equal rights and both genders need to be respected. Be it equal pay or a fair workplace environment, people shouldn’t feel discriminated on the basis of their gender. There needs to be equal opportunities. For years, women have been discriminated against and it has been a long fight. Ruth gives us hope and inspiration to keep fighting so that women’s rights are defended.

As an actress in Hollywood, do you face any sort of discrimination?
Yes, definitely. In the sense, there’s still no 50-50 male-female ratio on the set. It has always been a male-dominated workplace in all aspects, on and behind the camera. We are hoping to see that shift. There is a slight modernising of the industry now, which has led to movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp. These movements are actually making the industry how it should be — establishing 50-50 parity in the world of men and women.

Can you elaborate? Is there any personal experience that you would like to share?
It is difficult for actresses as a lot of roles that I read, make me feel that this isn’t how women behave! Even when I first saw the auditioning process — girl 1, girl 2, girl 3... questions were less about their abilities and that needs to change. When it comes to writing roles for women, there’s a certain laziness to it. I hope to see a better representation of women on screen and especially, older actresses. Older women need to be represented on screen as much as the younger women.

Do you think the society is still way too judgemental towards women?
Yes, I think so. As you have seen with someone like Hillary Clinton and the uproar against her for just being a woman trying to be in a position of power. It is still very difficult. It will be fantastic if that changes. More women need to be encouraged to come into positions of power. Girl child’s education needs to be encouraged to make that shift. We need to work towards bringing in that balance.

How difficult is it for an actress to get quality roles in Hollywood?
It is much easier when you have done a film like Star Wars (the actress featured in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), which has a global reach. It helps because you are then in a position to get finances and get the films made. If there’s anything that I aim for, it’s this. I am thankful to Star Wars. It was embraced globally and that is hugely satisfying for an artiste, as so much work goes into making a film, and our biggest reward is to be loved and accepted in different countries.

Your choices have been unique and a mix of commercial and independent cinema. What draws you to a role?
I need to be fascinated by the story and also feel that it will be relevant to the world. Can it generate enough interest for people to get out of their homes and watch a movie? That is the deciding factor for me while choosing a script.

The #MeToo movement sparked a change in Hollywood. And now, it’s taken India by storm. Your thoughts?
I have seen great changes happening because of it. My work environment has improved a lot. I feel that there is a lot of abusive power in the film industry and other industries and that is slowly changing. There is more transparency now. People can’t get away with abusive and bullying behaviour anymore and that’s tremendous. We have a long way to go and the fight needs to continue.