Mukta Barve “The length of a role is immaterial”

The actress par excellence Mukta Barve whose latest release is Aamhi Doghi and has to her credit as many as 30 films, including two in Hindi tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that she has a lot of patience and feels that has a long way to go as an actress and climb even greater heights as far as Marathi films are concerned.

How did you approach your role as Amla in Aamhi Doghi?
Once I made sure that I looked the character Amla with my costume, half my battle as an actress was won. The moment you see me in the attire that I had worn in the film you can easily make out that Ammi or Amla is from a village and not at all a city girl. Though Amla is not educated, she speaks more from her eyes.

What made you say yes to the role of Ammi in Aamhi Doghi which required you to play Priya Bapat’s stepmom?
The character appealed to me a lot because not only did it have subtlety but also pace. It impressed me a lot that even in today’s age a film is being made which centred on human emotions like this. I found it to be a simple script with a simple story. Aamhi Doghi is adapted from the popular short story Paus Aala Mota written by the late author Gauri Deshpande and directed by Pratima Joshi who has made her debut as a director with the film and is absolutely brilliant.

In what way is a woman director more sensitive than a male director?
Pratima Joshi helped me relax on the sets. Patima had earlier assisted director Chandrakant Kulkarni in over 10 films and is not only fantastic but also very creative and had a lot of clarity. What’s more, she is also a good actor and knows the parameters of the role, even though it is her first film as a director. The best thing about Pratima is that she is very sensitive to the core. Also, the lunch breaks were organized on time. Sensitivity-wise it does not really matter whether a male is directing a film or a female.

The role that you have played in Aamhi Doghi is very complex.
I have been working in the Marathi film industry for the last 17 years and played varied as well as difficult roles and also enjoyed each and every moment that I have been a part of the industry, whether it was TV, theatre or for that matter films. I always have been choosy as an actress and always said yes to a role only if I like it.

After Mumbai Pune Mumbai and Mumbai Pune Mumbai 2, you are creating history as far as Marathi Cinema is concerned as the third part is all set to be released- Mumbai Pune Mumbai 3!

Yes. I am very excited that Sanjay Chhabria and Satish Rajwade have come forward to make the sequel to the two parts of Mumbai Pune Mumbai. The film starts where the second part ends

You are also part of the film Y.
Yes. The film Y being directed by a new director is being shot briskly in Latur. I have always believed that it is only the content that works in the long run for the simple reason that it is actually the hero. If I like the story when it is narrated to me, the genre the film belongs to or the length does not matter absolutely.

Like you did Umesh Kulkarni’s film Highway?
Yes. As I said, the length of a role is immaterial and it does not matter at all when a film sets out to tell you something and what’s more it is also experimental by nature like Highway was. I was keen on becoming a part and parcel of that experiment of a director like Umesh Kulkarni

To what extent, do you think the conviction of the director is important?
If you go by my career graph, you will realize that most of the times I have acted under the direction of newcomers and believe it or not there is no director on my wish list.

Which are your five best films till date as an actress?
I made my debut with the Marathi film Chakwa in 2002 and till date have to my credit as many as 30 odd films. Out of them, my five best are Jogwa, Mumbai Pune Mumbai 1, Double Seat, Hrudayanthar and last but not the least Aamhi Doghi

You have also acted in two films in Hindi. Why are you not looking forward to acting in more Hindi films?
I have been a part of small budget Hindi films like Saas Bahu Aur Sensex with actors like Lilette Dubey and also Thanks, Maa, albeit in small cameo roles. Shona Urvashi directed the film Saas Bahu Aur Sensex a decade ago in 2008. It also starred Faruq Shaikh, Sudhanshu Pandey, Tanushree Dutta, Masumi Makhija and Kirron Kher in key roles. Thanks, Maa, directed by actor Irfan Kamal was about the issue of children who are being abandoned by their parents. I played a prostitute in the film which was entered in several film festivals all over the world. If I get a good role, I am ready to sink my teeth into any role, whether it is a film in Marathi or for that matter Marathi.

You are still single. Have you thought about your Mr Right in life?
I am more than happy with my pursuit of excellence as an actress that I do not think that I even have the time to even think of my Mr Right still.

In what way do you think is Marathi cinema changing over the years?
Everything in the world is changing, and you can see for yourself that whether in real life or technologically, there are a lot of changes in the film industry, especially in the last 10 to 12 years since I had made my debut in films. The producers are thinking a lot about promoting their films and also making technically good films by concentrating on production values, which actually augurs well for the film industry at large.

You are compared to Smita Patil in terms of your intensity as an actress. How do you feel?
If you compare me to the late actress Smita Patil, who was one of my favourite actresses too, I can only say that it is a very big compliment to me as an actress.

What do you feel when you look back at you career of seventeen years in Marathi cinema?
I would say that it has indeed been a very exciting journey as an actress right from the time I had made my debut with Chakwa with a small character role. After Chakwa, I graduated to character roles initially and eventually was offered central roles. I have come a long way because I think I have a lot of patience.