Not Just Bollywood: In this we will be having a lighthearted conversation over a cup of tea with the actors, filmmakers and those associated with the entertainment industry. The interviewer's questions will not only be about the new releases but about the craftsman's journey in the entertainment industry and more.
In conversation with actress Neena Gupta on her role in Panchayat Season 2, doing different roles, the change of women characters in cinema and how daily soaps brought the downfall of television.
Panchayat Season 2 is a step forward where we get to see a gradual transformation in the character of Manju Devi played by Neena Gupta. The growth of Manju Devi‘s character is slow with no abrupt shifts. In an exclusive chat with Firstpost, Neena Gupta says that if she starts doing romantic roles, the audience will not be able to accept it. But she is optimistic that it will happen soon. Excerpts from the interview:
On doing different kinds of roles…
I do it well no (laughs)? I put in my best effort. Now I have a lot of experience doing a variety of roles. And I like it that way because that helps you to explore your craft. I have the advantage and disadvantage of looking very different in all my shows and films. A face that can fit in many roles. In Masaba Masaba I look the way I am. I can look like Mandi. I can look like Anna. I can look like Manju Devi. I can look like upper class, lower middle class and in a Telugu film I played the role of a Majdoor woman. So, God has given me a face so that I can look different for different roles. The only thing I have to work on is understanding the mannerism of the characters I play. There is a negative side to this also because filmmakers can’t decide what role to give me.
How has Manju Devi evolved from Panchayat Season 1 to Season 2?
Manju Devi has evolved a lot, but she is a simple innocent person who has no ambitions in life. Getting her daughter married off is her only aim. If she changes, it will take some time. She can’t change dramatically overnight and that is the basic essence of the character. The makers of Panchayat have gradually worked on my character so that it doesn’t look artificial. She is not the one who is going to say, ‘let me run the Panchayat office now.’ In real life also this doesn’t happen. The character of Manju Devi shows gradual growth in the second season.
Now you are doing much more powerful roles than what you have done in your twenties. What do you have to say about the transformation in the industry?
In real life, what is a woman's role? It is not you and me, but the 99.5 percent woman, what is it that they do? Our role is doing household chores, and taking care of kids, parents, and in-laws. So, what will Bollywood write? If they write it any differently than the characters of women in real life, it will not work because nobody will identify them. Stories come from the society that we live in. With the role of women changing now in society, filmmakers and writers are free to experiment. Now they are writing substantial roles for women.
Since society has changed women are getting roles that are layered. I will give you my example, I have played the role of a Telugu maid who is in America. I have done Last Colour which is on a widow. I am doing Masaba Masaba where I am showing my own life. In Panchayat, Manju Devi is very different from the way I am in real life. Now, things are changing and I am getting interesting parts to play. But such was not the case years back when I started working. Our society was different and so were the stories revolving around women.
What is your idea of doing an intense romantic role now?
I want to do romantic roles. But at this age I am not getting any. The audience might say, ‘buddhi paagal hoy giya hai’ (old lady has gone crazy). In our country, we don’t have films where actresses of my age can do romantic roles. But I am very optimistic that it will happen soon.
OTT doesn’t put you inside boxes, everybody is a hero. What do you have to say about that?
The best thing about OTT is that you don’t have the pressure of the box office. So, it’s not a gamble. The films and shows are also not made with a big budget. You are not dependent on your Friday collection and Saturday collection. So, you are a little easy on experimenting with new things.
What next?
I finished doing Shiv Shastri Balboa which is with Anupam Kher where I play the role of a Telugu maid. I have done Goodbye with Vikas Bhal. I have just finished Oonchai with Sooraj Barjatya. Then Masaba Masaba will come soon. And there are three more projects. There is a show that I am doing where all the stories are with dogs. Another story I have done is with the Jio films called Baa and it’s in Gujrati. Baa is a woman who makes pickles, she has a son in Mumbai and she wants to visit him and meet his grandson too. Then one day her son calls her to Mumbai and she goes and what happens there?... That is where the real story starts from.
What are the advantages of the series format?
The biggest advantage is interesting roles for my age group are being made and number two is it is not like those typical daily soaps, where you are 24/7 doing the same thing. Series offers you variety. And lastly, there isn't much pressure on the actor.
Your memories on television, now that it is not so popular and you have once been an important part of it?
The best era of television was when we used to have those serials once a week. HumLoog, Nukkad, Kora Kagaaz, Saans had such lovely scripts. Daily soaps brought the downfall for television. When the designation of Executive Producer was brought about, it totally killed the culture of working in television. We used to work for long hours, sometimes three days at one stretch and there was no creative freedom.
On audiences evolving…
Audiences are not fools. They know and understand everything and most importantly, they know how to differentiate between a good cinema and a bad cinema. So, if you give them good stories and different content, they will like it. We shouldn’t underestimate our audience. They were intelligent then and they are intelligent now!
Panchayat’s eight-episode second season is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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