Sai Tamhankar “I Have Always Been A Risk Taker”

The brilliant actress tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that she is agog with excitement about her wacky character in her forthcoming International crossover film Love Sonia.

Sai Tamhankar gained recognition for her performance in the Marathi TV serial, Ya Gojirvanya Gharat, which aired on Etv Marathi. Born in the Sangli district of Maharashtra, Sai was enrolled at a Junior College where she first time performed in a play. Developing an interest in acting she took part in street plays and inter-college dramas. However, it was her performance in the play ‘Adhure Adhure’ that was highly appreciated and fetched her the Best Actor Award. This prompted her to take up acting as a profession. Later, Sai shifted to Mumbai and also took up a Hotel Management course. Sai got engaged to her longtime boyfriend in 2012 and the couple got married on 15th December 2013, but unfortunately the marriage did not last and the couple split. It was during an award function that Sai was offered to play a role in the popular Marathi sitcom, Ya Gojirvanya Gharat. The actress became a household name for her role in the sitcom and went on to star in Marathi TV serials such as Agni Shikha, Sathi Re and Kasturi.

Sai soon made her silver screen acting debut with Subhash Ghai’s Hindi movie Black & White in 2008. Soon she made her Marathi film debut in the same year with the movie Sanai Chowgadhe directed by Rajeev Patil. In the following year, she also appeared in A.R. Murgadoss’ movie Ghajini starring Aamir Khan. From 2009 to 2012, the actress starred in Marathi movies like Be Dune Saade Char, Ajab Lagnachi Gajab Gosht, Lalbaugh Paral, Rita and No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahe which was a remake of the Hindi film No Entry. Sai continued to deliver powerful performances in movies such as Pune 52 (2013), Duniyadari(2013), and Time Please (2013). In 2015, she essayed one of her best Bollywood roles, in the movie Hunterr which also starred Gulshan Devaiah. Her 2016 releases included Marathi movies like YZ, Jaudya Na Balasaheb, Family Katta, Vazandar etc.

To what extent do you depend on your director?
I depend on my director 100% because I have 200% faith in both the writer as well as the director. I just follow their instructions on the sets. I’d to just look at their eyes and enact the scene as per their vision. If am not convinced as an actress, I’ always tell them frankly and ask them to tell me to do it the way I like it

To what extent are you game to play out and out negative roles in films?
Till date I have not essayed any out and out negative roles though I have played roles with grey shades but I feel that I should do everything that a human being does, whether it is an emotional or a cruel role.

Would you go out of your way to send feelers to a director for a film?
I do not know whether I’d go out of my way but at times when I do come to know that a good role is waiting to be picked, I do not mind calling up my favorite directors and asking if he would be able to cast me in the role if I fitted the part, like I called up director Paresh Mokashi who had made Elizabeth Ekadashi. I have always been a risk taker and want to do quality stuff and not do any and every film just for the heck of it for me to be seen in it as I am not at all in a tearing rush.

Which are your forthcoming films?
I am quite excited to be a part of director David Womark’s crossover film called Love Sonia. It is a film based on sex trafficking and also stars Anupam Kher, Freida Pinto, Richa Chaddha and Rajkummar Rao. I play a wacky character of Anjali

Which are your best films as an actress till date?
I think though I have lost count of the number of films in Marathi and Hindi since I made my debut, I would say that I consider only Duniyaadari and Pune 52 are my best till date as an actress.