Showing posts with label Amruta Subhash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amruta Subhash. Show all posts
Nawazuddin Siddiqui told me, ‘Tere Marathi mein kitna accha kaam ho raha hai, mujhe Marathi seekhni chahiye’-Amruta Subhash
4:16 PM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; September 2, 2025)
Amruta Subhash believes in miracles. Why wouldn’t she, when the journey of her latest Marathi film, Jarann, is proof of one? The psychological horror thriller struggled to get screens when it opened in cinemas three months ago. However, strong word-of-mouth propelled it to box-office success. With its recent ZEE5 première, the acclaim continues to grow. For Subhash, it’s the best kind of validation for her work.
“It’s not less than a miracle! When the film came into theatres, there was no platform attached to it. [Since] it was my producer, Amol Bhagat’s first film, he faced difficulties in making and releasing it. I didn’t take my market price for the film as I thought that such content should reach the screen. When it came on OTT, people were saying, ‘Oh God!, Why didn’t we see it in the theatre?’ I was always proud of the choices I’ve made, but when they get backing from the market, it is a double dhamaka,” she laughs.
Jarann is special for the actor as it marked her return to Marathi cinema after five years. Her last Marathi outing was filmmaker Sumitra Bhave’s Dithee (2019). Subhash cites her packed schedule in the Hindi film industry for the gap. Her recent Hindi filmography boasts several popular films and series, including Gully Boy (2019), Ghost Stories (2020), Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt Ltd (2022), and Lust Stories (2023).
Subhash believes she has been lucky to be in the right place at the right time in both Marathi and Hindi cinema. “When I was working in Marathi, I was doing films like Killa [2015] and Valu [2008]. Times were fortunate for me that wherever I was working, in whichever language, it did well. I remember Nawazuddin [Siddiqui] telling me when I started working with him in Raman Raghav 2.0, ‘Yaar, tere Marathi mein kitna accha kaam ho raha hai, mujhe Marathi seekhni chahiye.’ So when I was working in Marathi films, the industry was going through its best phase. When I started working on OTT, some of the best work was happening there.”
Besides luck, the actor credits her success to her clarity on the kind of work she wants to be associated with. That clarity has led to long waiting periods, but she reminds herself that diversity is the only way to keep the actor in her alive
“After Gully Boy, I said no to a lot of work. [I wanted to] explore something else. But I waited a lot before I got Sacred Games S02. The only tension was that I had bills to pay but [I was] not earning money. So, I’ve kept my expenses in control.”
But she admits it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find fresh, unique work on OTT. Many artistes have complained that shows are becoming formulaic and offbeat content isn’t being encouraged.
“When I started working, most of the roles that I did were first written as men, be it Sacred Games 2 or Dhamaka (2021). So something was beginning to happen, where women were getting parts that they earlier wouldn’t. Women [were not] just playing a mother on screen. But I am curious how content creators are going to place us now. It’s too early to say that there’s saturation in imagining women in unconventional roles. Creating good content is very challenging. I am ready to wait and be hopeful. And my hope has paid me well.”
Amruta Subhash turns dialect coach for Vinay Pathak on the sets of Chidiya
10:16 AM
(Clockwise) Svar Kamble, Vinay Pathak and Ayush Pathak in the film. Pics/Instagram
Vinay Pathak, who plays a Marathi character in Chidiya, reveals co-actor Amruta Subhash turned dialect coach and helped him perfect the twang for the role
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 13, 2025)
When director Mehran Amrohi narrated the story of Chidiya, which revolves around two brothers deciding to turn a forgotten junkyard in Dharavi into a badminton court for themselves, Vinay Pathak knew he had to be part of the heart-warming story. But he was equally aware of another aspect — as his character Bali was part of a Marathi family, the actor would have to bring a Marathi twang to his Hindi dialogues. That’s where his co-star Amruta Subhash stepped in.
Subhash plays the mother to the two kids, Shanu and Bua, who are at the centre of Chidiya. But Pathak says off-camera, she was a dialect coach to him.
“Amruta is one of the finest actors we have. She helped me understand the rhythm and softness of the Marathi dialect. There is a way certain words bend, or how emotions sound in that space,” shares the actor.
As the film went on floors in Pune, Pathak says Subhash and he worked closely on his dialect and intonation. He believes her coaching helped him in being true to his character’s roots.
“It was about understanding how Bali might speak if he was raised where he was, hearing what he did. I think we got that authenticity spot-on. Language is an important tool for becoming a character, and I couldn’t have done it with Amruta who would rehearse with me several times over, and give me homework.”
People told me after Gully Boy I only would get mother roles, but that did not happen-Amruta Subhash
8:34 AM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; December 7, 2023)
Actress Amruta Subhash is extremely “excited” with the kind of love she is getting for her stint in the anthology Lust Stories. The actress is winning awards for her character Seema, however, for her what is more rewarding is the love she is getting from people. “Renuka (Shahane, actor) Ji gifted me a saree after watching the movie and I was just honoured with the love she showered at me,” Amruta divulges.
The actress became an overnight find after playing actor Ranveer Singh’s mother in Zoya Akhtar’s directorial Gully Boy. Amruta, however, started doing back to back work in the Hindi films which were highly acclaimed.
“I am very lucky, makers are not slotting me in any particular character. I am not stereotyped and that is a blessing. People told me after Gully Boy I only would get mother roles, but that did not happen. I did such different characters after Gully Boy. I played a bar dancer and an urban boss lady in my next. Now, I am doing a psychological thriller which is again in an urban space,” Amruta reveals.
The Dhamaka actress will soon be seein in director Rushikesh Gupte’s next. With the yet to be titled Amruta is returning to Marathi space after almost 3 years. “I am working in Marathi movies after many years. I am very excited to have a good script. I get triggered only by scripts,” she adds.
Furthermore, she also reveals being in conversation with an international project. “I am in conversation with a project that is from out of India. It is an international project, which would be my first. So, fingers crossed,” she ends.
OTT has given me the opportunity to have a big car and a big house-Amruta Subhash
8:08 AM
Amruta Subhash credits the digital medium for giving her the space to reinvent and experiment like never before
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 24, 2023)
Amruta Subhash’s career graph shot up after Gully Boy (2018). But, it came with the risk of being typecast as a mother. This is why the actor waited patiently for the right kind of work to come her way — and that paid off. What followed were web shows Sacred Games 2, Bombay Begums, Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt. Ltd., Dhamaka (2022) and now, the upcoming Lust Stories 2, all of which gave her the chance to showcase her range as an artiste, within a span of five years.
“Earlier, I used to say no to roles I wasn’t satisfied with and sit at home, not earning,” Subhash tells us. But now, with the abundance of opportunities that the web offers, things have changed for the 44-year-old, who says, “I don’t know about other actresses, but as far as I am concerned, I am paid very well here. I shifted into my big, wonderful house just two-three months back. OTT has given me the opportunity to have a big car and a big house.”
‘OTT made me the protagonist’
It was only in a web project that Subhash got the chance to lead a show. “The [film] industry tries to put you in slots and I have always tried to break [out of] them. But this thing (perception) was still there, ‘Yeh actor toh sirf supporting cast mein rahegi’,” recalls the National Award winner, adding, “It was in Saas Bahu... that I was presented as a protagonist. [For that,] I am really grateful to the makers.”
‘Films offer less variety’
The content landscape has changed drastically with the advent of OTT, and Subhash can vouch for it with her body of work on the platform: “After Gully Boy, everybody told me not to get slotted as a mother. Then Sacred Games 2 came my way. I am grateful to Anurag Kashyap (filmmaker), who kept visualizing me in different ways, whether it was Choked, Sacred Games or Raman Raghav 2.0... I am glad OTT happened to India. When Bombay Begums came to me, for instance, I could never have imagined I’d get to play a seductress at my age!”
But, Subhash is well aware that things haven’t always been this way. “Some years ago, I was interviewing actor Deepti Naval for her book and she told me that after a certain point of time, she left acting because she didn’t want to get slotted in similar kinds of roles. There was no OTT during her time,” she recalls.
This is precisely why Subhash feels the industry has come a long way: “My favourite line is that earlier, content was king. But now, content is queen too, with women being offered so many amazing characters on OTT.”
Thanks to my mother, and Naseeruddin Shah’s prodding, I keep going back to theatre-Amruta Subhash
8:30 AM
As she readies to return to theatre with Firse Honeymoon, Amruta Subhash credits actress mother Jyoti for lessons on performance, life and everything in between
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; August 7, 2022)
“I once came home from school and mom was mumbling under her breath, reading a script. I asked her, what she was doing, and she said ‘one needs to spend some me time with the character. When one does that, the character opens up and speaks to you’,” says actor Amruta Subhash, while recalling a memory from her childhood. It has now become her go-to mantra when prepping for a role. We are sitting with the Bombay Begum actress and her theatre veteran mother Jyoti, who you will remember as the grandmother in Gully Boy, at their Kala Nagar home. Subhash’s Filmfare trophies and press cuttings adorn the study table.
The mother-daughter are in sync. Subhash recently put up a video on social media, celebrating her mother’s 75th birthday, expressing awe at her “waterfall” energy. “My mother was at NSD [National School of Drama], and one of her batchmates was Naseeruddin Shah, who was also my teacher. Later, I was course mates with Heeba [Shah’s daughter]. We would always share notes about how our parents were so accomplished, and what would we need to do to match up. Even now, when Naseer sir meets me he says, ‘Ya, I know you got an award for that show, but then are you doing theatre?’.”
That question perhaps did the trick. Subash, now along with working on two OTT shows, is returning to theatre with Firse Honeymoon. The play, written and directed by her husband Sandesh Kulkarni, who played Ganesh Gaitonde’s father in Sacred Games, is a relationship story. “It’s every couple’s story... What happens when the spark burns out? It’s about a couple revisiting the scene of their honeymoon 12 years later.”
Growing up, theatre was all around her. Thanks to her mum, she was surrounded by theatrewalas like Satyadev Dubey and Shriram Lagoo. Jyoti recalls, “At NSD, we did folk plays from all over the country, but we were also exposed to German, French and Russian plays. Artistes from those countries would come down and work with us. I remember acting with Naseer in Eugène Ionesco’s The Lesson.”
The septuagenarian has just finished shooting for a small part in Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki, which stars Shah Rukh Khan. “My memory doesn’t serve me well, so doing larger parts is harder for me,” she confesses. Amruta adds, “When mom met SRK, she told him that she had met his father, who used to run the canteen at NSD. He leaned, and lowered his forehead so that she could kiss him.”
The mother and daughter seem content with where they are in life, and it reflects in their energy and beaming faces. “At 75, I have realized that nothing is constant. But some things remain the same. As far as art is concerned, or human expression is concerned, or valuation of each expression is concerned, that stays the same. So is our idea of good and bad. One is always striving to be better, and that struggle happens with actors all the time.”
Amruta admits that there is lot to learn from her mother. She remembers attending the rehearsals of Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq, where Jyoti played the evil stepmother. “I used to think, ‘at home, mum is so sweet, making bakhri for us, and on stage she is screaming’. What happens to her? I knew then that I wanted to learn everything about this process of being able to transform oneself.”
But the most important lesson that Amruta says she has learnt from her mother is to remember that the core of an artiste is about performing. “It’s not about seeking validation from how many people are watching the show. My mum comes from the tradition of Rashtriya Seva Dal [a grassroots-front organisation of the Indian National Congress]. They inculcated some values in my mum, which she inculcated in me. Everything is not about money, everything is not about being famous—the core is what you are getting out of it, and finding out what makes you happy. Thanks to my mother, and Naseer sir’s prodding, I keep going back to theatre, which gives me that happiness.”
Check out Amruta Subhash's first look in Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt Ltd
8:18 AM
Amruta gives new spin to saas-bahu dynamics with Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt Ltd, which celebrates women’s entrepreneurial spirit
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; March 8, 2022)
For the better part of the aughts, Indian television churned out saas-bahu dramas where the domineering mother-in-law was the arch villain of the holier-than-thou bahu. But as the years have passed, the role of women has changed. It isn’t surprising then that Amruta Subhash is offering a new take on the saas-bahu dynamics with the series, Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt Ltd. She plays the middle-aged Suman who, compelled by circumstances, has to become the breadwinner of the family, and discovers her innate entrepreneurial spirit when she begins her pickle business. Cheering her on is her mother-in-law, essayed by Yamini Das.
The ZEE5 offering comes from a deeply personal space for creator Arunabh Kumar. He says the show — which celebrates women’s resilient and independent spirit — is influenced by the hardships faced by his mother. “I have closely seen the struggles of my mother, who ran a high school in a village in Bihar, and worked with self-employed women from Tier-II and III towns. This became my personal motivation to tell this story,” he says.
The TVF (The Viral Fever) team began developing the material a year ago, before taking the Annup Sonii and Anjana Sukhani-starrer on floors in Delhi late last year. Director Apoorv Singh Karki, who struck gold with Aspirants (2021), has taken the responsibility of showcasing an unlikely hero. “It’s a story of how everyday women like Suman are rising professionally, and holding their own in the world of business,” he says.
Nimisha Pandey, chief content officer, Hindi originals, ZEE5, adds that she greenlit the series as it offered a refreshing take on age-old relationships and “embraced flawed women characters.”
"They provide narrative edge, grab eyeballs": Why regional stars are in demand on Hindi OTT
8:23 AM
As makers and content crossed cultural barriers to open up to talent beyond Bollywood, the past year saw stars from regional films take over the Hindi web space
BOMBAY TIMES (January 4, 2022)
RIGHT PERSON, WITH OTT WE HAVE AN OPEN FIELD TO CHOOSE TERRIFIC ACTORS WHO FIT THE ROLE: MAKERS
Hansal Mehta, who directed Pratik Gandhi in Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, says, “We (filmmakers) have always wanted to cast the right person for our shows/films, and because of OTT we now have an open field. Pratik was cast because he’s a terrific actor who also happened to be a Gujarati (like the character he played). Even The Family Man 2 used so many actors from the South film industries, which gave the narrative an edge. Sacred Games also used so many Marathi industry actors. It’s a great trend.”
Filmmakers believe that casting regional actors in OTT series basis their talent has been possible as there’s no pressure to cater to the box-office. Says Raj Nidimoru (of Raj & DK, creators of The Family Man), “Our series gave us the freedom to go beyond language. Priyamani, Samantha and Neeraj Madhav have been reintroduced to Indian audiences thanks to Hindi OTT. Films have certain restrictions in terms of box-office that OTT doesn’t, no one has to speak Hindi for the sake of it. Almost 50% of The Family Man 2 was in Tamil, but that didn’t hamper the series. Actors can express themselves the best when they get to be themselves and this will lead to people opening up to more talent from across India in the Hindi OTT space. ”
HINDI WEB SHOWS OFFER SCOPETO EXPERIMENT: REGIONAL STARS
Actors from regional industries may enjoy demi-god like stature that their theatrical releases bring them, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking the Hindi OTT route. Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who debuted in the Hindi web space this year, says, “As an actress, I want to push boundaries. Raji (her character in The Family Man) allowed me to explore a new dimension and I wanted to take this risk for my growth. This decision paid off and helped me get closer to a much wider audience and opened up new avenues.”
Venturing into Hindi OTT space has earned them a new fanbase, who are watching the actor’s regional content as well. Says Parambrata Chatterjee, “Many people have told me that after having watched my Hindi web shows, they are now watching my Bengali films with subtitles. This synergy allows actors from language industries to explore the Hindi content space.”
For regional actors, the medium doesn’t matter since the work culture is almost similar. Roshan Mathew adds, “It’s heartening that casting agents are now looking at actors from various regional industries for Hindi web shows. Now that Malayalam cinema has pan-India acceptance, actors from our industry are taken seriously. Having lived in Mumbai for several years, I am comfortable with Hindi and familiar with the shooting process. When I did Anurag (Kashyap) sir’s Choked, it did not feel any different than working in a Malayalam film.”
Most regional actors believe that since the core audience has shifted loyalty to OTT, the platform has become more important. Paoli Dam (below) says, “OTT is proving to be a gamechanger for regional actors — look how things turned out for Pratik Gandhi after Scam 1992. Audiences now want content-rich work and OTT is providing that, and us actors the scope to experiment with our craft.”
Amruta Subhash feels the amalgamation of industries “has made us do some out of the box work. Collaborations are leading to challenging creative opportunities.”
STREAMING SOON
The year 2022 will continue to have more regional heavyweights in the OTT space. Frontlining this trend will be Rana Daggubati set to star in a web original titled Rana Naidu alongside uncle and veteran actor Daggubati Venkatesh; Vijay Sethupathi in Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK’s next, tentatively titled show, Fake with Regina Cassandra (who also has Project Hawk and Rocket Boys in the kitty), Prithviraj Sukumaran is doing a Hindi web show directed by him, Trisha will appear in a Telugu show Brinda, to be dubbed in Hindi and Shrenu Parikh will star in Damaged 3.
Says Rana, “I was always interested in doing a web show, but didn’t know how to go about it or what story to tell. When I was offered the adaptation of Ray Donovan, I jumped at the chance. From the time I became an actor, I knew that there will be some story that Venky and I will tell together, something that’s not cliched but cool. This is going to be special.”
Regina Cassandra, who is set to mark her debut in Hindi OTT in 2022 with a slew of web shows, says, “With Hindi OTT shows, the makers have to reach out to a wider audience, so regional actors are courted by showrunners. It’s business at the end of the day. Thanks to OTT, there is no north-south divide anymore.”
— Inputs by Suhas Yellapantula, Rachana Dubey, Renuka Vyavahare, Anna Mathews, Shruti Jambhekar, Shreyanka Mazumdar and M Suganth
REGIONAL STARS IN HINDI OTT
- Samantha Ruth Prabhu (Tamil/Telugu): The Family Man2
- Neeraj Madhav (Malayalam): Feels like Ishq
- Roshan Mathew (Malayalam; below): Choked
- Parambrata Chatterjee (Bengali): Bulbbul, Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi, Black Widows and Aranyak
- Jisshu Sengupta (Bengali): Typewriter, Skyfire, Criminal Justice2:Behind Closed Doors
- Swastika Mukherjee (Bengali): Paatal Lok, Medically Yours and Black Widows
- Pratik Gandhi (Gujarati): Scam 1992- The Harshad Mehta Story
- Paoli Dam (Bengali): Bulbbul,Raat Baaki Hai
- Wamiqa Gabbi (Punjabi): Grahan
- Rinku Rajguru (Marathi): 200 Halla Ho, Hundred
- Aaditi Pohankar (Marathi): She, Aashram
- Amey Wagh (Marathi): Asur, Cartel
- Amrutha Subhash (Marathi): Bombay Begums
Unlike my other roles, I had no idea where my Dhamaka character came from. I didn’t know her at all-Amruta Subhash
8:17 AM
Actor Amruta Subhash is happy to not be slotted; wants to play a villain
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 30, 2021)
Actor Amruta Subhash had an interesting 2021 with two releases. In the OTT show, Bombay Begums, she played a bar dancer, while the film Dhamaka, which released last month, saw her essaying the part of a no-nonsense news editor. “I am grateful. It has always been my dream to not be slotted into a particular kind of role. We keep saying that we want to do different kinds of roles but that depends on a lot of factors,” she says.
Dhamaka, particularly, was a tough act for Subhash, as it required her to tread into an unknown territory. She shares, “I credit my casting director Abhimanyu Ray for thinking out of the box and visualising me as Ankita (her character). I was excited because her mind, look and body language are completely different from mine. I was so tempted to play her. Unlike my other roles, I had no idea where this character came from. I didn’t know her at all.”
But the 42-year-old actor adds that she was “pleasantly surprised” during the look test after glamming up in the film for the first time. “I didn’t want to wear a saree, because I wore sarees in many films, but when I draped one, it added more weightage to my character,” she says, asserting that look tests are extremely important to her, as they help her “grasp the first note about a character” and that’s why she didn’t hesitate when asked to chop her hair short.
While many referred to her character in the film as a villain, Subhash reveals that she wishes to play an out-and-out antagonist someday. “Even when I’m playing a villain, I’ll keep her as human as possible. Every human being has reasons for the way they behave, but we tend to look at their actions and not journeys. Right and wrong is relative. I might not think like a character, but I won’t judge her by comparing her to my values,” she ends.
By the eighth day of the shoot, I started deeply connecting with my Dhamaka character-Mrunal Thakur
9:11 AM
Joining Kartik Aaryan in Dhamaka, Mrunal Thakur on identifying with her journalist character who juggles her personal and professional life
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; November 18, 2021)
Though Dhamaka is centred on Kartik Aaryan’s news anchor, it is Mrunal Thakur’s character that propels the story forward. Writers Ram Madhvani and Puneet Sharma have etched out her part as a headstrong television journalist who finds her personal and professional lives intertwined.
“No matter what profession [we are in], we all have to go through emotional turmoil [in our personal lives] while dealing with deadlines and the boss’ demands. It’s not an easy situation for Soumya [her character],” says Thakur. She describes the role as “dear” to her. “By the eighth day of the shoot, I started deeply connecting with her. But by then, it was time to say goodbye to her.”
For the actor, the journalist’s ability to put on a brave face when her personal life is in shambles struck a chord with her. “The best thing that has happened to me is when a critic or the audience [rave about] a particular scene featuring me. This, despite the scene being shot when I was having a bad day. At such times, I feel good knowing that I was true to my profession, no matter what I was going through in my personal life. That’s the beauty of Ram’s characters as well.”
Thakur is thrilled to add a Madhvani directorial venture to her resumé, but the bigger high was to collaborate with Amruta Subhash on the Netflix project. She turns into a fan girl as she recounts, “When I met Amruta, I asked for a picture because I am a big fan of her work. Shwas [2004] is one of my favourite films. However, we don’t have any scenes together.”
Kartik Aaryan’s personal journey to become a star is inspiring-Amruta Subhash
8:20 AM
Amruta Subhash discusses dubbing from home for Kartik Aaryan starrer Dhamaka, directed by Ram Madhvani
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; May 23, 2021)
With a penchant for not doing run-of-the-mill roles, Amruta Subhash has managed to make her mark with projects like Shwaas, Astu, Gully Boy, Sacred Games 2, among others. After playing Lily in Bombay Begums, the actor is now gearing up for Ram Madhvani’s Dhamaka, which will stream on Netflix. “I was promoting for Bombay Begums when the teaser of Dhamaka released,” says the actor, who strongly asserts that both her characters are poles apart.
While the shooting was wrapped up before the second lockdown, Subhash still had to complete her dubbing. “[Major portion of the] dubbing was wrapped up before the lockdown. However, I had to do certain [voice recordings] from home. I used an app to align the tone,” says the actor, adding that “the pandemic has taught everyone to be independent and learn new things”.
Subhash, who plays boss-lady to Kartik Aaryan’s character, says she has slipped into the power role with much ease. “I have always wanted to work with Ram since Neerja [2016]. His working style is completely in sync with theatre actors like me,” says Subhash, who is glad that “filmmakers are noticing my work and not slotting me in specific roles”.
On teaming up with Aaryan, who has had his own struggles before shining in the limelight, she says that the Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 actor is an “instinctive actor”. “Kartik’s personal journey to become a star is inspiring. It was great to know him [off camera].”
While she waits for Dhamaka, Subhash is excited about her film with late filmmaker Sumitra Bhave, Dithee, which recently dropped on Sony LIV. They had previously worked together on the National Award-winning film Astu. “Dithee is an intense film that talks about coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. It deals with the complicated experience of grief. Ironically, I never thought this would be my last film with Sumitra Bhave.”
We should have handled #MeToo movement with an open mind-Amruta Subhash
8:24 AM
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 2, 2021)
Amruta Subhash feels while the #MeToo movement started on a very strong note in India, it soon lost its course with time.
The movement took shape in the West when a wave of sexual harassment accusations swept Hollywood, making people take notice of sexism embedded deep in the entertainment industry. The conversation trickled down into Bollywood as well, bringing names such as Nana Patekar, Vikas Bahl, Alok Nath, Anu Malik and Sajid Khan under the scanner.
“In India the movement started very strong. I feel we could have handled it with more openness, jo zarori hai. You need to look at all the sides and aspects of the incident,” says Subhash, whose recent web series Bombay Begums puts spotlight on the grey areas that come with the #MeToo movement.
Picking up a reference from the show, the 41-year-old shares, “When the victim gathers the courage to share her ordeal, one person doesn’t believe her because she is accusing someone who has been her mentor and friend. But eventually she changes her stance to stand with the victim.”
After the release of the web series, the actor reveals she got a message from a woman, who herself was struggling to speak up against her boss, who was exploiting her. But one can’t be lopsided when it comes to making a judgement because “ladki bhi sahi ho sakti hai, aur kabhi kabhi ladka bhi”.
For the Gully Boy (2019) actor, it is important to embrace the trait of agreeing to disagree.“Aapko ek cheez lag rahi hai aur mujhe alag cheez lag rahi hai (accepting that is important),” she adds.
Ask her if the movement took some form of witch-hunting in India and she agrees. “We need to look at a case from all points of view. We need to understand that we are dealing with issues where many are vulnerable. We need to be sensitive,” concludes the actor.
Over the phone, you can't tell your actors how to emote-Gauri Shinde
8:11 AM
Having remotely shot ads for WhatsApp with 10-member crew, Gauri Shinde talks limitations
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 18, 2020)
Agreeing that artistes emerge so much the wiser after every project, Gauri Shinde says her latest ad shoot taught her a valuable lesson — to be articulate with instructions. "I couldn't make hand gestures to explain things. Also, I had to remember that my right, on camera, becomes their left," laughs the director who remotely shot a series of commercials for messaging service WhatsApp during the Coronavirus lockdown.To be able to pull off the shoot, Shinde realised it was imperative to have a competent director of photography (DoP) and the right actors. She struck gold with her casting — in her 60-second film, Sulabha Arya wonderfully depicts how the lockdown has left senior citizens lonelier than ever while Amruta Subhash shows how we are only a video call away from our loved ones.
"We were lucky with Sulabha Arya because her son is a DoP. He shot her portions at home," reveals Shinde, adding that Subhash self-shot her film as the 10-member crew — including the director, editor and sound recordist — doled out instructions. "We had created a storyboard before the ads were shot. We did tech as well as costume rehearsals for two days. During the shoot too, we filmed every [sequence] twice over so that we do not find anything missing when at the edit table. Our crew was on video call, and the footage was simultaneously recorded."
Exciting as it was to helm a project in such unusual circumstances, the director also battled her share of frustration. "Over the phone, you can't tell your actors how to emote. The intimate space that a director shares with her performers was missing. For instance, in the haircut ad, I wanted to tell Amruta exactly which strand to cut," she grins.
After a certain age, we are fit to only play mothers-Amruta Subhash
8:16 AM
As part of the run-up to the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards, leading ladies and nominees Dia Mirza, Rasika Dugal and Amruta Subhash discuss how the advent of OTT has changed gender dynamics on and off-screen
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 5, 2020)
On the surface, their three shows share little in common. Yet, Hitlist Web Awards nominees Dia Mirza, Rasika Dugal and Amruta Subhash find themselves bound by a common thread — the three redefined how women are perceived on screen. In the heartbreaking Kaafir, Mirza told the horrors that a Pakistani woman is subjected to when wrongfully accused of being a militant. Dugal reflected the struggles of a woman in uniform, her aspirations and ground realities, with her restrained act in Delhi Crime. Subhash, who went from the domesticated woman in Gully Boy trying to stand up to her husband to a woman who brings down Mumbai's biggest gangster Ganesh Gaitonde in Sacred Games 2, aced every nuance to perfection.
Seated on a couch in the mid-day office, the off-camera conversation among the actors flits from the dire political situation in the country to Subhash's temptation to devour the Japanese cheesecake sitting on the centre-table.
But once the camera starts rolling on the Sit With Hitlist Huddle — as part of the run-up to the maiden edition of mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards on March 19 — the actors don't shy away from hard talk.
To begin with, the ladies unanimously agree that the advent of web has brought stories sharply in focus. Or as Subhash sagely declares, "The universe conspires for good stories."
"Delhi Crime was the most sensitively written script. Often, things get lost in between the written word and the screen. I trusted Richie [Mehta, creator-director] completely, and I wouldn't have signed the show if it was anyone else [at the helm]," begins Dugal, who flew down from Delhi for the meet.
Coincidentally, Mirza binged on Delhi Crime before she left for the shoot of Kaafir. "Mohit [Raina], Sonam [Nair, director] and I had a long-drawn conversation about how finely crafted that show was. It was [commendable] that the lens of the storyteller was not judgmental," analyses the actor. She reasons that the similar empathetic gaze of Kaafir drew her to the story. "We never dehumanised any character. I was sold at Bhavani's [Iyer, writer] story. It took 13 years for this story to materialise, and 15 minutes for me to say yes."
The OTT boom may be in its nascent stage in India, but its ripple effect can already be felt. Where there are strong stories, there are well-rounded characters, thus giving female actors that long overdue opportunity to break out of stereotypical roles and inhabit powerful, author-backed parts.
"My character was written as a male part in the novel [Sacred Games], but Varun Grover [screenwriter] changed it to a female part in the show," marvels Subhash, aware how this seemingly minor tweak signals a significant change for women. "After a certain age, we are [deemed] fit to only play mothers. In Gully Boy, I played a mother to Ranveer [Singh], but look at the nuances of her character. This is the beginning of something vital for us."
While she shares the sentiment, Mirza — wisened by the 19 years in the film industry, and hardened by the gender inequality prevalent in Bollywood — asserts that the change has been much needed. "I have had directors tell me that I am too pretty to be in their movies. That's sexist in a way."
Even as digital offerings break formula, Dugal rues it's a long road ahead for depiction of women with sensitivity. "The good thing is that people are writing progressive things on paper. But unfortunately, the visuals are still sexualised in their prism."
But Mirza applauds the brave approach and stark treatment that many web shows employ — a feature not many Hindi movies can boast of. "I remember throwing up after the rape scene in Kaafir. I was bruised and battered by the end of it. It was the most real moment of the show."
Subhash, who comes from the background of theatre and regional films, views OTT as a convergence of cultures. "This heralds the beginning of true ensemble. Finally, good content is here, and so are the actors from all over," she says, adding, "Now, we discuss the arc at length, the graph of characters, the backstories. It's all brewed with care. The character I play was directed by both Anurag Kashyap and Neeraj Ghaywan. They both have different processes. So I approached my character, keeping the period in mind."
To which Dugal quips, "I have never been on a show where I have been told that I have time [to imbibe the character]."
Jokes aside, Subhash says Sacred Games 2 was one of the rare outings that offered her 'Brahma sharn' — that moment which is rewarding for the character. "[In the scene] where Saif's [Ali Khan] character asks, 'Mathur ka kya?' while my [on-screen] daughter is sitting there, I say, 'Bloody Mathur' aur main zindagi bhar ka rona ro deti hoon. It encapsulates my hatred for the man because he died too soon, leaving me alone."
Dugal says she found her moment in the mayhem on screen. "For me, [that moment is] when I fire the water cannon at the mob. My character wants to save the girl who is brutally raped, but then [as part of the Delhi police] she has to fight the mob that is fighting for the same cause. It breaks her."
Hitlist Web Awards Timeline
- Voting lines for public close on March 8.
- There are 14 categories you can vote in. Log on to www.hitlistwebawards.com to cast your vote.
- You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c/d as on the website) to 57575.
- The awards will be held on March 19, in Mumbai.
- Watch the full Sit With Hitlist huddle with actors on the website, www.hitlistwebawards.com
(From left) Mayank Shekhar, editor, Hitlist with Hitlist Web Awards nominees Rasika Dugal, Dia Mirza and Amruta Subhash
Gully Boy team thrilled and excited on film’s selection as Oscar entry
8:14 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (September 23, 2019)
As the news of Zoya Akhtar-directed Gully Boy being selected as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards came, the team of the film erupted in joy and said, Apna Time Aayega, which is also one of the catchiest songs in the movie. The film, starring Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt and Siddhant Chaturvedi, is a story of an up-and-coming rapper, who grows up in a Mumbai slum and makes a mark despite all odds.Ranveer, who played Muraad in the film, said, “Gully Boy echoed the voice of the streets, it will always be one of my most personal films. As always, I will keep striving towards making the flag of Hindi cinema fly high. I am very happy that the passionate hard work that our cast and crew put into creating Gully Boy is reaping rewards. It’s a proud moment for our entire team. I am especially proud of and happy for Zoya! Gully Boy is her (Tiger) baby, and I am blessed to have been a part of her maverick vision.”
He added, “With the love and support of our beloved audience, we are hoping to make a significant mark on the world stage.”
An elated Alia, who played the feisty Safeena, said, “Gully Boy as a film is really special to me. What’s even more special is that it has had such a long run. After releasing in February, it won at the Melbourne Film Festival, then it was also shown in Japan. Now, it’s been selected as India’s official entry for the Academy Awards. So, hereon, I just hope, pray and wish that we make it to the nomination and then win. This is a first and it’s a big deal for us. As a team, we are very excited.”
Siddhant, who garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of the character MC Sher in the film, declared “apna time aa gaya!” “It is a big moment for me… Gully Boy has been nominated as India’s official entry for the 92nd Academy Awards,” he said.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity given to me and a very special thanks to Zoya Akhtar, Ranveer Singh and the entire team of Gully Boy. Words cannot express my happiness, thank you everyone for the love and appreciation! Apna Time Aa Gaya!” Siddhant exclaimed.
Farhan Akhtar took to Twitter and thanked the Film Federation of India (FFI), which announced Gully Boy as India’s entry to Oscars. “Gully Boy has been selected as India’s official entry to the 92nd Oscar Awards. #apnatimeaayega. Thank you to the film federation and congratulations #Zoya @kagtireema @ritesh_sid @RanveerOfficial @aliaa08 @SiddhantChturvD @kalkikanmani and cast, crew and hip hop crew,” he wrote.The movie also features Vijay Raaz, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Varma and Amruta Subhash. Kalki expressed her excitement and tweeted, “Woweeeeeeeee! That is just the best.”
Amruta, who played Murad’s mother Razia, said she is overwhelmed. “My first film Shwaas was also India’s entry to the Oscar and now Gully Boy. I’m so overwhelmed. The film is close to my heart,” she said, adding, “I am thrilled, happy and excited. The subject, the making of the film is so universal. I am sure it will resonate and touch the hearts of everyone. It is great that this film will be representing us.”
Writer Reema Kagti said the team is “thrilled” with the selection. Vijay, whose portrayal of the enterprising Moeen in the film earned him critical acclaim, said getting selected as entry for the Academy Awards is a big deal. “This was unexpected. I am jumping in joy. We are happy that the whole nation has chosen our film and it is very exciting,” the actor said.
Like the chameleon, Yadav's eyes are always lowered so nobody knows what she is thinking-Amruta Subhash
8:57 AM
Actress Amruta Subhash, whom we now know as Yadavji from Sacred Games 2, talks of her unlikely inspiration for the role
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; August 25, 2019)
"I was shooting in Sri Lanka for a TV show, and I was on a boat and I saw a chameleon. He wasn't doing much but looked dangerous, and nobody wanted to be close to him. His eyes were half closed and that made him look more menacing than if he had his eyes wide ope, and was darting around. That chameleon is the inspiration for my preparation for the role of KDY," says Amruta Subhash of playing RAW agent K D Yadav in the second season of Sacred Games.It was the most anticipated India web release of the year, following the success of the first season. Yet, Sacred Games 2—which stars Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kalki Koechlin and Pankaj Tripathi and has been made by Vikramaditya Motwane and Neeraj Ghaywan—disappointed by its lack of pace and slacking of storytelling. Even so, Subhash's nuanced portrayal was tough to miss. She plays Yadav, a RAW agent who used gangster Ganesh Gaitonde (played by Siddiqui), and several other characters, all in the name of protecting her country. "My husband, Sandesh Kulkarni, who plays Gaitonde's first father in the show, told me: 'A RAW agent is so powerful that they don't need to show it'. So I have played it like that. She [Yadav] never gets bothered. Like the chameleon, her eyes are always lowered so nobody knows what she is thinking. I had to take the sparkle away from my eyes," says the actress, who is full of sparkle as she chats with us, her vivaciousness at complete odds with the character she has now become famous for. "Everywhere I go, people have been asking me 'bomb fata kya?'." It is a reference to the ending of the second season of the show based on Vikram Chandra's novel.
Subhash is no stranger to getting into the thick of a character. The National Award winner has won accolades for her roles as Aasawari in Sandeep Sawant's Shwaas (which was India's official selection for the Oscars in 2004), and is a coveted Marathi theatre and film actress. She made her Hindi debut with Nandita Das's Firaaq, and this year was also seen as Razia Sheikh, Ranveer Singh's mother in Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy. With such a large body of acclaimed work behind her, it's surprising, even humbling, to know that she auditioned for her role in Sacred Games. "I don't mind it at all. Filmmakers want to see how will you look in that particular role. I had just cut my hair, as I wanted a change, and then Nawaz called me for the premiere of Manto. I went there and met Vikramaditya, and two days later got a call from the casting director. The scene I had to act out was the first one in the show, where you first meet Yadav. I heard they auditioned many people, but eventually, Anurag said 'this is my KDY'."
As she says, ironically, the character of Yadav in the book is a male one. "I believe that the universe gives what you ask for. I wanted to do a different role, and I got a man to change into a woman, for me to play that good role!"
If she is bothered by the flak that the show has been getting, staying true to her role of the unflappable Yadav, she doesn't let on. "I think the creators didn't go with what the audiences wanted. They went with what the content needed, and that's not always easy to do. The first season was more on the surface, about Gaitonde's life. This is going inwards, and any inward journey is not pleasurable," says the 43-year-old.
For Subhash, it's been an exciting ride ever since as a child, she saw her mother, actress Jyoti Subhash (who plays her mother-in-law in Gully Boy), on stage. "She was so different at home, and I used to be awed at the transformation. I was a shy kid, and I realised the only place I wasn't shy was on stage. Theatre is my favourite though. I look at the whole graph of a character, so if you ask me to play a scene from the middle, I know just how to get there," says the National School of Drama alumni who was taught by stalwarts such as Satyadev Dubey. For now, she is getting ready for another movie and web series and promises us we will see her on-screen soon. "I just keep asking the universe, whom I call my lover, for whatever I want. I believe this—what you seek, is seeking you!"
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