‘I’D LOVE TO ACT IN AN INDIAN MOVIE’

Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh talks to us about her fascination for Indian cinema and culture
Mugdha Kapoor (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 20, 2024)

Actor Michelle Yeoh says that Indian cinema has fascinated her for long. About the possibility of working in an Indian film, Yeoh, who won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), says, “I would love that. I love India. I’ve been to India quite a few times. I love the culture and the whole extravaganza of Indian movies because I think Indians truly love movies. They love the whole culture of movies. So, I would immediately respond with a resounding, ‘Please call me’.”

While she says that she has “quite a list” of people she would love to collaborate with, she playfully refrains from naming anyone. “I know some of them quite well, and I would love to be able to work with them, especially someone behind the camera. But I’m not going to tell any names. I’m going to get myself in trouble,” says Yeoh, who is known for her roles in films like Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021), and A Haunting In Venice (2023).

Yeoh will be seen as Madame Morrible – Shiz University’s regal headmistress and Dean of Sorcery Studies – in the musical, Wicked that is set to release on November 22. Ask the 62-year-old Malaysian actor if she drew any parallels between Wicked and the Indian films she’s seen, and she says, “It’s very similar — the whole concept of song and dance, big sets. It’s very Indian, if you look at it and compare it that way,” adding, “I feel that our Indian friends and fans out there would really take your heart with Wicked.”

When asked about what drew her to the musical, Yeoh reveals that it was director Jon M Chu. She shares: “I used to be such a huge fan of musicals. And I think for some years, partly because of Covid, partly because I had been so busy with work, I stopped going. And then, Jon brought me back to the theatre and rekindled my love for musicals.”

Michelle Yeoh feels that Wicked was irresistible: “I’ve never done a musical or sung for a movie before. So, I was very grateful for the opportunity. That was the key that drew me to this role.”

However, during the course of the interaction, Yeoh also admitted to being “terrified” at the prospect of singing in the film. “But then, Jon (M Chu; director) knows that I’m always up for a challenge. So, he threw that challenge right at me and said, ‘We are going to make a little singer out of you’,” the 62-year-old shared, adding how the prospect of working alongside co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo made the decision even more appealing.

Yeoh also emphasizes how the diverse cast and crew make the story feel especially relevant today: “If it had been done 10 or 15 years ago, I definitely would not have been chosen to play Madam Morrible. Jon Chu wouldn’t have been there, and it wouldn’t have been Ariana.”

Talking about “female friendship” and her experience of working with Grande and Erivo, Yeoh adds, “I strongly believe in female friendship. I say that from personal experience. You are very blessed when you cultivate a bond like that with someone. And this story is about two women, but I think friendship is about people. I think it reflects also very heavily on our society, where we all should look at it and go like, ‘We need each other. And together, we will all be stronger’.”