Priya Bapat : “I Just Go With the Flow as an Actress”

The effervescent and ever smiling actress digs her dainty fingers into her home made food during the interaction at a city cinema house and talks to JYOTHI VENKATESH about her role in her latest film Aamhi Doghi and her approach towards acting.

What exactly is your role in ‘Aamhi Doghi’?
I play the role of Savitri Sardesai fondly known as Savi, in producer Sanjay Chhabria’s ‘Aamhi Doghi’ directed by Pratima Joshi. Incidentally it is my tenth film since I had started acting with ‘Mee Sivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy ‘which was also produced by Sanjay Chhabria. Savi is today’s extrovert girl. Though the story has been written by Gauri Deshpande way back in 1973, it is so ahead of its time and what’s more, it is more relatable today even after 40 years. Savi appears to be arrogant at times and also adamant of her beliefs and wants to lead her own life on her own terms and conditions.

Tell us more about the character.
Savi does not want someone to come in her life as her rainbow, but instead wants to be the rainbow in her life. In that kind of phase, often you have to sacrifice a lot of your own emotions. The film is all about how Savi realizes the importance of relationships that she has in her life. The film is about how Savi’s life changes after Ami comes into her life. Savi and Ami are related to each other in some ways, but are not in some ways though they have a parallel journey together.

How did you prepare to get into the skin of your character as Savi?
We did a lot of readings of the script together. I realized while reading my script that it was not important only to read the script, but to also try to understand the thought process behind those lines and what exactly happens between two scenes. It was very difficult to translate the same.

In what way could you relate to your reel life with your real life?
In real life I am not at all arrogant though I have my own opinion. You can say that I am probably an emotional fool, whereas Savi isn’t. I would not like to be real as an actor on the screen or else I will end up as a psycho. I feel that acting per se is an illusion that you set out to create for others.

Why are you very choosy as an actor?
If a role does not challenge me or I do not feel uncomfortable with it, I do not agree to do it. What’s the big deal if I repeat myself in similar roles again and again? I like to do one film at a time. Besides films, I also do a lot of brand endorsements and ads. A film lasts longer with the audience. I take time to choose a film, because I act in a film not to make money, but for my creative satisfaction. A film gets archived and becomes a part of history eventually. I want to be proud of my own work. Also my grand children should be proud of my own work.

Do you want to be a part of mainstream cinema or off beat art house films?
I’d like to do different roles like I did in films like ‘Time Pass 2’, ‘Aamhi Doghi’, ‘Gachchi’ and ‘Happy Journey’. They were all mainstream films though content wise and concept wise they were also experimental by nature.

Though you played a cameo role in ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, we have not seen you in any other Hindi film. Why?
I have signed a Hindi film, but it is too early for me to divulge details about the film till the producer deems it fit to announce the same. When I did ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, I was not sure whether I wanted to take up acting in films, but after my post graduation, I made my debut in Marathi films with ‘Mee Sivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy’ way back in 2008 and have not looked back ever since. I just went with the flow and have been a part of around ten films till date. I do not want to restrict myself to only Marathi, Hindi, South Indian films or Hollywood. I am ready to learn different languages and do good work that comes my way.

What is your priority as far as acting goes?
My priority is my creative satisfaction and not money, but at the same time I’d like to state that I do not work for charity too, because lets face facts, I put in a large amount of effort and time for each and every role that I do and concentrate for over a period of four months and give my 1000% to each role. I put in my best and leave the rest to God, luck and hope for the best.

Can you tell us about your five best films till date as an actress?
I give my 1000% to each and every role that I do. If I were to say that I was the best in this particular role, what can I possibly do in my next? You should look at me from outside and say that I was the best in this particular film. If I feel that I was at my best in a particular film, I’d have nothing more to learn after that. As I said, I am game to experiment with any role irrespective of it’s length, like I was part of Sachin Kundalkar’s last release Gulaab Jam though it was an appearance only in the climax, because I wanted to wortk with Sachin Sir.

Marathi cinema does not have a star system like Bollywood. Is it a bane or boon?
I feel people should take home Savi when they watch me in ‘Aamhi Doghi’ and not Priya Kamat. I like the fact that there is no star system in Marathi cinema and it is governed by content and not just mega stars.

How do you manage to strike the right balance between your career and family life?
My husband Umesh and I have acted till date in only one film ‘Time Pass’. Luckily for me, my husband is very sweet and understanding and knows what kind of work we are doing. We both go through the same process. It is seven years since we got married. Touchwood.

What is your role in Gajendra Ahire’s next film ‘Pimpal’?
I am quite excited about my small role in Gajendra Ahire’s ‘Pimpal, which is creating waves at various International film festivals. I play the role of a young doctor friend of Dilip Prabhawalkar who plays an octogenarian who prefers to live alone away from his family which is settled abroad.