Isha Tawar’s candour is refreshing in a world where most aim to be politically correct. Though diplomacy is definitely her forte, her forthright approach adds an enjoyable twist to conversations. Excerpts from an interview where she elaborates on life in filmdom.
Entry point
Something about “living a lie” has always been an exciting concept. As a child, much like others my age, I vividly remember being intrigued about how actors landed up inside television sets. That was the start of my fascination for cinema. Over the years, things fell in place and it was the icing on the cake when I was chosen for a three-year, fully funded dance scholarship at the Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company. One day, a casting call for a Yahoo commercial had been scheduled and people came to the studio to conduct auditions. I was chosen, and that’s how it all began — it was the much-needed turning point I had been looking for, and led me to sell a product in Kerala. Since then, there has been no looking back.
Back in college, dancing and studies went hand-in-hand. I was already travelling for shows and performing as a back dancer with some of the biggest stars in the country. Life at St.Xaviers was a lot of fun, especially as I had joined college in the odd semester. It garnered me a lot of attention as the “new girl”. Merely travelling from Andheri to Churchgate by bus and local trains to college gave me perspective in life. One incident that stands out from my college days is a trip to Goa with my friends. We had a whale of a time dancing to live music on the beach.
Favoured mentor
I had none as most of the time was spent at the dance studio — at least eight to 10 hours a day. There were no mentors in the film industry either — I am sure I have made my own share of mistakes, but I prefer it that way. However, Terence Lewis was a huge guiding force at the academy. We used to personally train with him and that was most exciting. He opened our minds to new thought processes and the way we approached life.
First film experience
My debut film was shot in Thalessery, Kerala. Back then, I couldn’t comprehend the technicalities of film making — why scenes were shot in a non-linear pattern, what was going on around me, and so on. There was just too much happening around me and I was confused yet happy.
When I started working in Mumbai as an actor, the music video with Hrithik was the first opportunity I bagged, through an audition. Being a dancer, it was exciting to know that I would be shearing the frame with Hrithik. We had several rehearsals together and all my energies went into staying calm as I was star struck. Hrithik works extremely hard on his dancing, and practises his moves repeatedly until he gets them perfectly. Salman brings in something new with every take he gives, which is exciting to watch. While the specifics of working with Aishwarya Rai are faint as I was young. I do however recall that she took instructions extremely well from director Satish Kaushik.
A topsy-tury world
Kaalakaandi is one of the most exciting projects I have been a part of. Saif has a space of his own and is a fine performer. The time too, I was part of a round of rigorous auditions. The film exposes Mumbai as a city, and its quirks. The story is about how one man — played by Saif — who does everything right, lives by the book, and still gets it all wrong — hence the title Kaalakaandi (When it’s all topsy turvy ).
Source of motivation
Living with self-doubt and confusion, I have finally reached a stage where I now enjoy acting to its fullest. The industry is constantly evolving, opening up a world of opportunities for actors and generating new exciting content. This keeps me motivated.
Message
Acting is a giving profession and will bless you with much more than you can imagine, provided you respect it and practise the craft day in and day out. There should be a fine balance of academics and extracurricular activities, and you must explore a whole bunch of opportunities to expand your horizon .
