In one of her previous interviews with us, Sai Tamhankar had said that an actor needs to constantly reinvent themselves with every role. And going by the streak of successful projects and varied characters that she has done in the last few years, it’s safe to say that the actress is sticking to that mantra.

In a chat with us, Sai – fresh from her Filmfare award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) for her role in Mimi – speaks about her desire to explore “something out-of-the-box and irrespective of the platform or length of the role”, why awards matter and why she feels the magic of cinema will never fade. Excerpts:

In the last few projects of hers, Sai has played a Muslim woman from Rajasthan, a Maharashtrian woman from Pondicherry, a Tamil woman in Maharashtra and a girl from Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region. “I will soon be playing a Bihari girl in MX Player’s upcoming show Bindiya,” she laughs.

But the actress says that she doesn’t consciously choose these characters. “I’ve said this before, that I don’t plan anything. My effort is to do different things. I recently played a Varhadi character, and people weren’t confident that I would be able to pull it off. But I get more energy from people doubting me. I say to them, ‘You have doubts? Watch me perform!’ It’s not about proving anyone wrong but just about wanting to surprise people. Personally, I feel you should jump at any opportunity that gives you the chance to explore something out-of-the-box, irrespective of the platform or length of the role. This urge to do a variety of things is what drives me,” says Sai.

Globally, the showbiz industry has seen a rise in inclusivity, not just in terms of gender or sexuality, but ethnicity as well. Characters are being written as per the demand of the story, not to create or establish certain stereotypes. In the Indian context, when we speak of ‘breaking boundaries’ of regional cinema, is that the beginning of the journey towards this global approach, we ask Sai.

“Absolutely! Things are changing for the better. Today, the concept of an actor being restricted to a certain geographical area in terms of work is becoming redundant. The most important outcome of this shift for people like me is that we don’t fear dreaming big,” says Sai, adding, “Earlier, what used to be just a dream, seems approachable and achievable now. This feeling and possibility is amazing.”

The audience’s response to many post-lockdown theatrical releases has been lukewarm at best. This has reignited the discussion about whether people

are moving away from the big screen experience. However, Sai feels that there’s no point in jumping to conclusions. “The Coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives, and it has taken us two years to come to terms with this ‘new normal’. In these two years, our lives have changed, our approach towards things has changed, and the way we consume content has changed, too. So, I think we should give it time to recover. It won’t happen overnight. You can’t judge the fate of cinema based on the box-office response of a few films. Let’s give it time and not jump to conclusions,” says the actress.

She adds, “Cinema and cricket are in our blood, and that’s not going to change. Yes, the trend has changed due to OTT platforms. People think twice before spending money on a family outing at the cinema hall and will probably go there only if they are getting something grand to watch on screen. Also, we are now in the habit of watching global content, and the comparison happens at that level. All said and done, I believe in the magic of cinema, and I don’t think it will ever fade.”