Language has never been a barrier for actor Sonali Kulkarni. Her debut with Cheluvi (1992), a Kannada film written and directed by Girish Karnad, marked the beginning of over two decades of work in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and even Tamil cinema. While it is not uncommon for actors to straddle films across regional industries, not many have voyaged into international cinema, and Kulkarni even learnt Italian for her role in Lamberto Lambertini’s Fuoco su di me (2006). But of late, the actor has been performing for the big screen largely in Marathi films. After the romantic comedy Aga Bai Arechyaa 2 (2015), Kulkarni will be seen in director Prasad Oak’s Marathi drama, Kachcha Limbu , that releases this week.
Based on Marathi writer Jaywant Dalvi’s play Nati-Goti , the film is about the difficulties a middle-class couple face as their differently abled son grows up. Kulkarni says that the woman-centric script resonated with her since she has worked with children with special needs since she was in college. She worked for five years as a dance teacher at Bal Kalyan Sanstha in Pune, a centre that provides activities of sports, arts and crafts for differenly abled children. “I thought that it must be so difficult leading a life with them,” says the actor. “I have a close friend whose son is differently abled, and [I felt] pained. I always wanted to say ‘don’t feel alone, the world is with you’. Because there is a feeling of helplessness among these families.” The film seems to follow in the same vein of powerlessness as the actor’s thoughts and Kulkarni feels grateful that the film enables her to translate those feelings into her character; allowing her to tap into sincerity and honesty for her performance.
Kulkarni plays mother and wife, Shailaja Katdare, and she describes how Kachcha Limbu chronicles the beginning of her character’s dialogue with herself about whether she feels successful in taking on the many roles she inhabits: as wife, mother and working woman. Kulkarni says the emotional weight of the script made her interaction with it two-fold: she would experience it once as herself, and then as her character. “Every day there would be a point where I felt like I was breaking down,” shares Kulkarni, “but I [told] myself, ‘give justice to Shailaja. She has to live that life’.”
While Shonali Bose’s Margarita with a Straw (2015) dealt with a similar subject — that of differently-abled characters — it viewed its subjects in colourful compositions. In contrast to that treatment, actor-director Oak narrates Kachcha Limbu in black and white frames with cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhary who has Harishchandrachi Factory (2010) to his credit. “The colours have faded from this couple’s life”, says Kulkarni describing Oak’s decision, while emphasising that the film is centred round the parents’ hardships more than it is on the child’s situation. “And though the couple should be in search of the colours, for now they are struggling with the colourless life they are leading.”
While discussing Oak’s directorial vision, Kulkarni admits to having taken a rain check with him. “Whether or not there is an opening in the cast, I am ready to be his assistant director, costume designer or anything because he has excelled!” the actor gushes about any films Oak may possibly direct in the future.
Talking about her films that will soon hit the screens, Kulkarni rattles off a list of projects she is a part of. She will be seen in Kuch Umeedein Aisi with actor Naseeruddin Shah, in Shreyas Talpade’s Poster Boys , and in Marathi films like Sachin Kundalkar’s Gulabjaam and in Dil, Dimag aur Batti by writer-turned-filmmaker Rushikesh Gupte. Apart from her ventures in plays and films, the actor signs off saying she is working on her second book that compiles her writings for Viva, a supplement of Marathi newspaper Loksatta .
