When Chhaya Kadam attended Cannes this year, she debuted with a double punch: All We Imagine As Light in the main competition and Sister Midnight in the Directors’ Fortnight. While Payal Kapadia’s debut became the first Indian film to be awarded a Grand Prix, the films at Cannes are not the only ones that have captured Kadam’s versatility so far. With small roles in hits like Jawan, Andhadhun and Sairat, Kadam often leaves audiences scratching their heads, trying to recognize her from one film to the next.

She recalled an incident where, upon exiting one of her screenings, she was asked, “How was the film?” because the questioner didn’t recognize her.

However, her recent role as Manju Mai in Laapataa Ladies and her dialogues became so viral that now she’s even stopped at grocery stores by fans eager to recite her lines from the film. In a chat at the MIFF closing ceremony, Chhaya spoke to us about her Cannes debut, Laapataa Ladies, and how she picks her roles.

The cast of All We Imagine As Light didn't just attend the screening - they broke into a celebratory dance on the red carpet. Later, at the award ceremony, Payal Kapadia brought her three leading actors on stage to accept the historic award.

Recalling her Cannes visit, Chhhaya says, "As an actor, after attending Cannes, I feel that everybody who is working in films must attend Cannes. Film ho toh bohot hi badi baat hai, film na bhi ho toh bhi jana chahiye. Jo filmon se pyaar karne wale log wahan ikattha hote hain na toh woh filmon ka shehar ban jata hai. When the film was selected then itself it was decided for us that we will go to Cannes. It was our producers who took us there, otherwise not all producers take their actors to Cannes. Ye log hi kamaal thay. Even stage pe agar Payal humein nahi leke jati..."

After the Grand Prix was announced, Chhaya said at the press conference that she knew they would win. She had even booked her tickets for after the ceremony and decided on clothes for the award ceremony. How did she have that confidence?

Chhaya says, "I don't know where I got that confidence from. But I had that confidence in our film. Ab main jab apne aap ko dekhti hoon, toh Cannes jane ke pehle itna (dar) tha - Main pehli baar out of India itni door gayi. Toh mujhe ye bahut doubt tha ki yaar mujhe samajh aayega na? Language problem bhi. Par doston ne kaha - kuch nahi, tu ja. Then I had to look for a house there, so I went a little early. Ab to mera confidence itna badh gaya hai."

Talking about her role, she says, "All We Imagine As Light is a story of three women. Usually, in films, women are shown at loggerheads, but in this film, it is about three different women and their friendship. The film is about Mumbai. Mumbai ek aisa shehar hai jahan kahan-kahan se log aate hain aur bas jate hain Mumbai mein. Ye film unki kahani hai. I played the role of Parvati in the film, who is from Konkan and is staying in Mumbai. When I heard about Parvati's role, I realized that I had Parvati in me. When I heard about that role, I felt that it was written for me. Ye sirf main hi karungi. We filmed in Mumbai and Ratnagiri."

Her recent role as Manju Mai in Laapata Ladies and her dialogues became so viral that now she's even stopped at grocery stores by fans.

Talking about the film, she says, "Kiran ji had done a lot of work on that film. We had a dialect trainer, Sonu Anand, who worked really hard with us on getting the dialect right. I would call him at midnight so that he could check whether I was getting the dialect right. Mujhe khud alag-alag language aur har language mein ek lehja hota hai - woh karne mein bahut maza aata hai. Lekin Laapataa Ladies ke waqt mujhe thoda darr tha. Tab tak maine jo Hindi filmein ki thi - film Hindi thi lekin mera character usmein Maharashtrian hota tha. Bolti thi Hindi lekin thi woh Marathi aurat. But this character was from UP, so I was like I don't want to get caught. My friend Romil Modi, who was the casting director of the film - I used to keep saying to him, 'Romil, nahi hoga. Ye log audition lenge aur kisi Hindi wale ko lenge, Marathi actress ko kyu lenge?' But I'm grateful to Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan that they thought I could do this character of Manju Mai."

"For me, the most important thing is my character; the director or production house comes later. I want to do different characters, and I want to get a chance to learn with every film. Otherwise, it will be like picking the same character and pasting it in every film. Kiran Rao kamaal ki director hai aur kamaal ki insaan hai. She did Dhobi Ghat; even at that time, I was offered a small role, but I couldn't do it because of my operation."

Recalling an encounter, she said, "If I'm asked, I will not remember the dialogues of Manju Mai instantly, but I keep meeting people who know the dialogue by heart. A few days back, I went to a shop and met a family from Gujarat. Aur woh log sab mujhe mere dialogue suna rahe hain. One of them told me that she tells her daughter, 'Boorbak hona sharm ki baat nahi hai, boorbak hone pe garv karna sharam ki baat hai.' (laughs)."

Kadam played roles of strong women such as Naani in Fandry, Suman Akka in Sairat, and Chandrakka in Nude. Talking about how she chooses scripts, she says, "Jab kuch alag karne ko milta hai toh main karti hoon. Lekin hamesha aise nahi hota. Sometimes, there is a good script, sometimes there are good people, and sometimes it’s about the bank balance - that also happens. Sometimes, I also feel like - why did I do this film? But one thing I want to say is that at present, people are talking about my good films. But what the audience thinks are my good films, I was able to do these good films because I also did some other films. Un filmon ne mujhe uss waqt ek support diya financially. Un filmon ki badaulat hi aaj main achhi film kar rahi hoon. I'll also not say - maine kya bakwas film ki thi. Nahi. Uss waqt mere liye woh bahut important thi. Uss waqt uss kaam ke liye bhi maine utni hi koshish ki thi."

Her acting career started when she took part in former NSD director Waman Kendre's workshop. Recalling how it all started, she said, "Mere bade bhai aur pitaji dono chhor ke chale gaye, main dono se bahut connected thi. Jab woh chale gaye toh mujhe aisa laga jaise life mein ab kuch nahi hai. Kuch karna nahi hai, aisa lagta tha sab khatm hai. Bas aisa hi hua tha mere saath. I never used to leave home and I was the youngest one. I felt like I have to get out of this, and then one day I saw Prof. Waman Kendre's acting workshop ad in the newspaper and I thought I will get out of my home and will get to meet people who will have no idea what's happening in my life. Kisi cheez mein khud ko dhaalna tha, khud ko bhool jana tha. That's what I had in my mind and that's how I ended up doing the workshop. I really enjoyed doing the workshop and he also showed me what I had and what I was lacking."

"Just yesterday, when I did an interview for Doordarshan, I remembered that someone had told me that an actor was needed in Doordarshan, and I went there and the director told me that the casting was over, but he needed an assistant. Mujhe aisa laga - yaar, main actress lag hi nahi rahi hoon kya? (laughs).

Later, she joined as an assistant and acted in the short film when the lead actress didn't turn up. She has done several films that have not been released yet. Doesn't it hurt to work in films that were not even released?

She says, "Dukh to bahut hota hai. Par woh dukh mera akele ka nahi hota. When we start discussing a project, from that time we start discussing that character. Whether the film is released or not, the preparation that one does for playing characters, it somewhere adds."

Chhaya Kadam has turned producer with her upcoming film Bardovi. She says, "It was a good subject with such good people associated with the film that I felt my name should be associated with it. Bardovi means the place between death and rebirth. It was quite challenging for me to play that role. When working with people who love their work, even if they are few in number—let's say just 50—their energy feels like that of 100. That's how I worked on that film."