Sayani Gupta has been in the entertainment industry for over a decade now. The versatile actress who can pull off complex characters like Khanum in Margarita with a Straw, Champa in Parched, Gaura in Article 15, Upasana in Axone, Damini Rizvi-Roy in Four More Shots Please to name a few. In addition, Sayani has also impressed everyone with her acting chops in several mainstream commercial cinemas including Shah Rukh Khan starrer Fan and Jolly LLB 2.
Since Sayani Gupta believes in pushing the envelope with the roles she takes up, the actress has done a bunch of interesting short films like Red Velvet and Shameless and her most recent one ‘Badminton’ in collaboration with Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films and Jio MAMI Film Festival has struck a chord with the viewers. In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Sayani Gupta talked about Badminton, taking up unconventional roles and the current state of the entertainment industry after Covid-19 pandemic.
Here are the excerpts:
Tell me something about ‘Badminton’. What character do you play and what attracted you towards this story?
The character is very complex – she’s just really mysterious and cool. That’s all I can tell you because it’s a short film. I don’t want to overkill it. What attracted me was the director – I’ve wanted to work with Mr. Dibakar Banerjee for over a decade and finally it happened.
With brilliant actors like yourself, Jim Sarbh and Vijay Maurya collaborating on this story, what sort of camaraderie and energy did you experience on the sets?
Well, it was very quick – it was a one-night shoot; but it was lovely. Jim and I have worked on many other projects together – collaborated in multiple plays and done theatre for many years so, he is a very old friend of mine. I’m a huge admirer of Vijay’s work as an actor, director, writer, so it was lovely working with him. There is also a lovely young actor named Ibadullah in the film who is equally fun to work with. I just wish we had more time to spend together, since it was all really cramped up and there was a lot of work, however, it was fun.
What are your thoughts about being a part of Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films, and them giving a platform to budding and renowned filmmakers and artists?
I think it’s fabulous, the platform they provide is spectacular, offering passionate filmmakers the opportunity to bring forth authentic stories in the short film format and celebrate cinematic brilliance. Congratulations to them and more power.
Acting in a short film is as challenging as making one. To compress the crux and nuances into a time frame of a few minutes requires hard work. Having said that, as an actor, how did this project push you to explore sides that might have been dormant?
Interesting, but I don’t think actors do anything differently in a short film or a long film. Or a feature film, that is. Yes, of course, you have less time and there could be times when you may not be able to take the long pauses that you would want. But it’s also written in that particular way. It is an interesting format to work for, but I don’t think it’s any different for an actor, though.
What was your ultimate takeaway from ‘Badminton’ and what sort of message do you want to put through with this film?
It talks about class struggle, but in a very satirical manner, which is what is interesting about the film and brilliant about the writing. It’s almost like a cheeky observation and it’s a really funny film, so I hope people enjoy it.
What do you believe sets your approach to acting apart from others in the industry?
I don’t know about this being different from others or not, but what really gets me going is quality. Quality of work. And what is the kind of story you’re trying to tell.
In what ways do you think the entertainment industry has evolved during your career, and how have these changes impacted your approach to acting?
Well, for one, OTT has changed everything, honestly. When I joined, there was no OTT. I was part of the first OTT series in India, which is Inside Edge. I think one good thing that has come is the kind of status quo in the star system is less now and actors are recognised for their talent, which is amazing.
How do you manage to balance your work in both mainstream and independent cinema, and
what are the key differences you observe between the two?
Well, money being the key difference, but I have always done both, and I do films which are interesting; it doesn’t matter how small or big they are.
Last year, when most people started writing off Hindi Cinema or Bollywood solely on the basis of box office numbers, there was a certain atmosphere of uncertainty about ‘tomorrow’. However, this year has been quite bountiful for the industry. As an actor, when the industry was going through that ‘post-Covid’ phase, what were some of your concerns and whether it affected you in any manner?
I think we are still in that post-COVID phase. Nobody has money. The films are really not doing well. Well, there are some films that are doing well such as that of Shah Rukh Khan, rightly so – and I think his success is a joint success for all of us! But films are not doing so well and honestly, it’s still going through a phase that probably will stay for more than a year. It is a difficult time for the industry, and we all recognize that.
Since it’s SRK’s birthday, I have to ask about your thoughts on his recent films Jawan and Pathaan and whether you are looking forward to his next Dunki? Also can you recall any trivia, any unheard anecdote from the sets of Fan?
I just saw the trailer of Dunki, and it looks fabulous. It just looks like Rajkumar Hirani’s world in SRK’s world, and SRK’s world merging with Rajkumar Hirani’s world. And it’s going to be fabulous, and it’s going to be beautiful.
As for anecdotes, I’ve spent a lot of time on set, with him telling me so many stories, funny ones. He’s always full of these funny trivia from his own life. But I genuinely loved Pathaan. I loved it. It felt like a festive day. We went to the first show on the first day, and it was brilliant. And we had a great, great time. I was actually offered Jawan. I couldn’t do it but again, hoping something else comes up.
At this juncture of your career, what sort of stories really excite you as an actor and which stories you don’t want to be part of?
Stories that excite me, well, ones with a solid character, man. Something spunky or a character which has a lot of either action or performance or maybe dance. As for the second part of the question, I’m skipping most stories these days. I’m saying no to everything. I am waiting for something that really gets me going.
What are some of your upcoming projects?
I have four films in post-production which are almost ready. So, they are going to be out any time in the next few months.
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