Showing posts with label Amruta Khanvilkar interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amruta Khanvilkar interview. Show all posts
A unit hand came running to warn me to lock the door, or I could risk getting kidnapped-Amruta Khanvilkar
8:20 AM
Amruta Khanvilkar on shooting for Hansal and Jai Mehta’s series, Lootere, during pandemic in crime-infested South Africa
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; March 19, 2024)
Amruta Khanvilkar considers it a stroke of luck that she chanced upon Hansal and Jai Mehta’s series Lootere while they were scouting for actors. The pirate thriller not only gave her the opportunity to work with South African actors, but also offered her a strong female character in the male-dominated show. In conversation with mid-day, the actor—who is primarily seen in Marathi projects—talks about the challenges of working in South Africa during the Coronavirus pandemic, and the long wait for the show’s release. Edited excerpts from the interview.
What was the brief given to you?
I was auditioning for a role at the casting director’s office in Andheri, when I learnt that Hansal Mehta is making a series that is being shot internationally with foreign actors. I begged for the audition script. When I read the script, I found it powerful. Later, I met Jai [Mehta, director], who is a young and enthusiastic chap. Lootere is a male-dominated show and he wanted Avika to be someone who wouldn’t spare anyone. She gets married to Vikrant [Vivek Gomber], and hopes that he will help her escape from Somalia. Avika was mentally and physically trapped; that was to reflect in my body language, clothes, even in my eyes.
What was the first day on the set like?
On my first day [of shoot] in South Africa, I was in a vanity van and the door was left open [to combat] the heat. A unit hand came running to warn me to lock the door, or I could risk getting kidnapped. Sometimes, we’d be ready to head to the location, but something would disrupt the shoot. The language was difficult to comprehend, plus this was amid the pandemic. For almost two-and-a-half months, I’d leave my hotel, go for the shoot and come right back to the hotel. I’d go out only when the entire cast and crew did.
Did you manage to do sightseeing?
I remember going out with my DoP [Jall Coswasji] and trying paragliding. By the end of the shoot, we had all become a little homesick. The unit was shooting for over seven months, which is long. It felt longer because we were far, in between COVID waves, and it was trying our patience.
Was it tough to portray a character who feels suffocated?
It gets to you because you are already in a [restricted atmosphere]. We all felt trapped during COVID. Plus, in South Africa, if I had to go somewhere, someone had to be sent with me. So, I took inspiration from that and my surroundings, especially from my first day when I was told I could be kidnapped.
Does the long wait between shoot and release bother you?
The waiting period is the most testing time. I shot about three to four web series two years ago. I shot for a Vishal Furia crime thriller series after I returned from South Africa. [For this interview], I had to call up Jai to give me a recap about it because it has been a while since we shot for this. There is anxiety around a show’s final outcome. As actors, I feel we are paid for the patience we have, not only in terms of money, but also future offers.
Had you heard about the pirate world before doing this series?
We’ve seen this world in international shows; this is the first time it’s being tackled in an Indian series. It was a daring move to shoot such a subject and bring two cultures together. Half the time, they shot on a ship where it’d often get extremely cold, so much so that one couldn’t even touch the metal railings. The people shooting aboard had seen dolphins and whales; they sustained injuries. It wasn’t an easy shoot. I’m glad the boys pulled it off.
How was it interacting with actors from a different culture?
There is a South African officer in the series. He is about six feet in height with a heavy build, but he was gentle and soft-spoken. He is the sweetest person I’ve met. Jai also enjoyed talking to South African actors. Their school of acting is so different; it was a learning opportunity.
The way I’ve cried in Pondicherry, I only cry like that in real life in my house-Amruta Khanvilkar
8:02 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 15, 2022)
She has been seen in films such as Raazi (2018) and Malang (2020). But, actor Amruta Khanvilkar’s appearance in the Hindi space has been sporadic. Point this out to her, and she says, “I’d want to question the makers. I try my best. Be it auditioning or meeting people, actors have to go through a lot. And I have been doing that. I want to be seen more often. I want people to see me working. But that will happen when it’s supposed to happen. I’ve stopped beating myself up for it, as I used to do that earlier.”
Having said that, Khanvilkar is not bitter about going through the mill. “Sometimes, you don’t fit a character and mauka miss ho jaata hai. I realised that it’s okay; it has nothing to do with your acting, it is to do with the character. You need to fit the character at the right age and time. I do get offers. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to go to the end process like look tests, but fitfully things don’t work out. You have to take it with a pinch of salt,” she explains.
She was last seen on screen with her Marathi film Pondicherry, which turned out to be a “surprise” for the actor. “We thought it would be an OTT release,” she mentions.
Interestingly, director Sachin Kundalkar saw her work in Raazi and offered her the role. “He stripped us off our looks and vanity. The way I’ve cried in the film, I only cry like that in real life in my house, at my comfort. I’ve never cried like that on screen. I forgot my best profile (laughs),” she shares, and adds that she’s inspired by the work of actors Shefali Shah and Konkona Sen Sharma. “I want my craft to be like that. I want to be so good that people forget what I have done in the past,” she signs off.
I realised how childish I was when I unfollowed Himanshu on social media-Amruta Khanvilkar
8:12 AM
The actress says that she unfollowed her actor husband in the heat of the moment
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; April 6, 2020)
With the country going through a lockdown, actress Amruta Khanvilkar celebrated her husband, actor Himanshu Malhotra’s birthday in a simple manner, a few days ago. Later, the two took to social media with lovey-dovey posts for each other. While the couple is using this forced break to spend quality time with each other, interestingly, Amruta was in the news a few months ago, when she unfollowed Himanshu on social media. The ‘social media distancing’ had even given rise to speculations about trouble in their paradise.Looking back, the actress, who is currently seen on Khatron Ke Khiladi, calls her act, ‘childish’. She tells BT, “Himanshu was shooting out of town for many months and I was missing him. One night, I wanted to have a long conversation with him, but he kept reminding me that he had to sleep early for a 5 am shoot. As a person, I am not very expressive and so, I could not tell him that I missed him. Eventually, we ended up fighting and he hung up on me. I was so upset, I blocked his number in the heat of the moment and unfollowed him on social media.”
She adds, “I realised how childish I was, when I unblocked his number the next morning. Himanshu said that he kept calling me the entire night, but could not get through. It was a spur-of-the-moment act and I didn’t realise that it would lead to speculations about trouble in our marriage.”
Amruta says that Himanshu is the “saner ” one among them. “I have been married for five years and all the credit for keeping our marriage intact goes to my husband. He is the one who adds balance to our crazy lives. Not just personal life, he takes a keen interest in my career, too,” she signs off.
John Abraham is a superstar for the right reasons-Amruta Khanvilkar
8:04 AM
Amruta Khanvilkar on working with the actor and her screen husband, Manoj Bajpayee, and how she lent some much-needed sunshine to their film
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 25, 2018)
After playing Alia Bhatt’s sister-in-law in Junglee Pictures’ Raazi, Amruta Khanvilkar will next be seen in Nikkhil Advani and Bhushan Kumar’s upcoming production Satyameva Jayate, which is fronted by John Abraham. The actress, who plays Manoj Bajpayee’s wife in the film, informs that her character, Sarita, is quite similar to her real self.
“She is so bubbly, Milap (Zaveri, director) says that she brings sunshine on the screen. Her chemistry with Manoj sir’s character is positive and friendly as she keeps pulling his leg. Our scenes together bring a light, family element to the film which talks about corruption and patriotism,” the actress says, admitting that she was nervous about working with Manoj.
“Thanks to the kind of roles he has done so far, I figured he’d be a serious person but the first time we met, which was for a photoshoot, we got along like a house on fire. My husband Himmanshoo A Malhotra had co-produced a film called Gali Guleiyan featuring Manoj sir, so the first thing he said when he saw me was, ‘co-producer ki wife aa gayi’ (laughs). It was a sweet surprise for me as he was helpful during scenes but is also mischievous and talks a lot,” she reveals.
Does she have any scenes with John? She’d rather not say. “My interaction with him off screen has been really good. He’s a superstar for the right reasons. The way he transforms for the screen is amazing. He knows his craft, and is a warm, humble person,” she raves.
She is also happy about being seen in a new light after her turn as Munira in Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi. “When you become a part of a Dharma or a Meghna Gulzar film, the secondary cast is appreciated as much as the lead. Even reporters are asking different questions and I am totally enjoying this phase,” she signs off.
I didn’t have work for two years. I started wondering what I was doing wrong-Amruta Khanvilkar
7:57 AM
Dhaval Roy (DNA; July 23, 2018)
After playing a demure and sweet Munira in Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi, Amruta Khanvilkar can now be seen as a serial killer, Lovina, in the web series Damaged. However, she sheepishly admits that being versatile wasn’t a planned move. “I shot for the series over a year ago. The next thing I knew, the OTT platform was launching their originals with it,” the actress laughs, “Many times, things don’t work out. But this year, a lot of them have,” she says, alluding to these two projects and her upcoming film, Satyameva Jayate.
TAPPING INTO HER DARK SIDE
Amruta found her sinister character in Damaged unrealistic. Her husband and actor Himmanshoo A Malhotra (Love Marriage Ya Arranged Marriage), though, loved her portrayal as a seductress and murderer. “It wasn’t too much of a problem because I refused to do graphic or kissing scenes since this was my debut web series and it was the first time I was working with the team. I had to be sure that the bold scenes were relevant and well-defined,” she says. Amruta tapped into her evil side to make the character look convincing and for that, she recalled the period of struggle in her career. “Thinking about the phase brought out all the dark emotions in me,” she states.
THE TURNING POINT
Amruta says that Raazi has changed the way she is perceived as a performer. “We had a success party after the release of the film and when Karan Johar took my name on the stage, my heart just stopped,” she smiles. “I don’t know if it will lead to meatier roles, but the film has opened up my mind as an actor,” the anchor of Dance India Dance Season 6 adds. Her next big-screen outing is Satyameva Jayate. “I play Manoj Bajpayee’s wife, who’s bubbly and always pulling his leg. She also guides him whenever needed,” she informs. Post that, Amruta has a few more projects to look forward to. “I should be able to talk about them in two months,” she says.
WAITING FOR GOOD WORK
The Katyar Kaljat Ghusli actress says that she has no qualms about waiting for projects that will be worth her while. “I would never take up an offer just because I don’t have anything,” Amruta tells us adding that though being without work gets frustrating, she’d rather bide her time. “After Katyar, I didn’t have work for two years even though I got a good response for my role. I started wondering what I was doing wrong,” she recalls, “I even called up film-makers and went for auditions again.” But the thought of giving up didn’t occur to her. “Acting is the only thing I know to do,” Amruta says.
WORK EVERYWHERE
If good work doesn’t come her way in Bollywood, she says that she has the Marathi film industry to fall back on. “I’ve been busy for the last one-and-a-half years, so I couldn’t do films in my mother tongue,” she says. “Also, many filmmakers think since I now work in Bollywood, I wouldn’t do their movies. But I want to work everywhere I can,” Amruta signs off.
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