What happens when 5 competing actresses from Bollywood come together? Vane gossip, glamour & goofy jokes? Here are the highlights of ‘The Actresses Roundtable’ with Rajeev Masand, which will make you think otherwise.
1. On films eliminating taboos
Sonam Kapoor revealed that she had been molested at the age of 13 & how she couldn’t come out & talk about it for 2 years. Whether it is drug abuse with Udta Punjab, child sexual abuse with Kahaani 2 or domestic violence with Parched, the actresses spoke about how films help bring these issues to light.
2. On actresses getting better opportunities
The stunning ladies accepted that things have changed in cinema for female actors. There is a new world of opportunities & better roles are being created for them. They also agreed that learning to say ‘no’ to certain kinds of films has helped push the limitations that the actresses once had. We certainly agree, this year has been amazing for women in cinema & some of the best performances have come from the female actors.
3. About bringing characters to life
Vidya Balan revealed that she hadn’t washed her hair for 7 days to give her character more of a real touch in Kahaani 2. She also mentioned she was okay being shot from unflattering angles as long as it felt real. Anushka spoke about how difficult & important it is to also get into the mind space of the character one plays. There is a lot that goes beyond ‘Action & Cut’, from the way a character looks, feels, talks to even remains silent.
4. Inspiring with words & the way actresses dress
It is the show business & it’s all about appearances. So while Sonam said she derived inspiration from the other actresses at the roundtable, in terms of being able to dress the way she wanted. Alia & Anushka appreciated Sonam on being able to speak about things without worrying what people would say.
5. On shooting brutal/abusive scenes in a film
Be it Alia, Anushka, Sonam, Vidya or Radhika, every single one of them has shot scenes of physical abuse in their films. While the other actresses found it emotionally draining, Radhika accepted on finding it rather technical. Emotionally challenging or not, kudos to the actresses for doing a great job with them on screen.
6. On their dreams other than acting
Everyone has a passion & a profession, so when asked what the actresses would like to do besides acting, Anushka instantly replied saying she would want to be the best producer in India. Alia had a rather social cause in mind & admitted to be interested in working towards helping animals whereas Sonam shared her desire of directing films. Vidya Balan revealed acting is all she knew & wanted to do while Radhika said she’d like to do something in the area of mathematics.
Those are some rather interesting choices, no?
The actresses made some strong points throughout the interview. Watch the full video here:
