Five years ago, like several other aspiring actors, Sayani Gupta arrived in Mumbai with a bagful of dreams. Today, with movies like Margarita with a Straw (2014), Fan (2016), Baar Baar Dekho (2016) and Jolly LLB 2 (2017) in her portfolio, the Kolkata-born actor is in absolute awe of the city. Meeting us on a warm February afternoon at Versova’s Jamjar Diner, she tells us that the city has been rather kind to her. She has now bagged a pivotal role in a British Indian co-production, The Hungry .
Nibbling on cubes of watermelon in her salad, the actor says the film is based on one of William Shakespeare’s earliest tragedies: Titus Andronicus . Produced by Film London and Cinestaan Film Company, the adaptation is a contemporary Indian spin on the British classic. Starring Naseeruddin Shah and Tisca Chopra, the film was shot on the outskirts of Agra and Delhi in 28 days.
This is Gupta’s third international co-production. Having worked on international, independent as well as mainstream Indian films, the actor has observed the diversity in their work cultures. While independent films have a wider margin for modifications, international co-productions are tightly bound by the written word. “With The Hungry they were struggling for money with Brexit, but it didn’t change anything,” says Gupta.
Finding the right roles
While movies like Fan , Baar Baar Dekho and Jolly LLB 2 brought Gupta into the mainstream, it was Margarita with a Straw (2014) that brought her critical acclaim. Despite doing three films before Margarita with a Straw , the movie is often mistaken as her debut movie. “But I’m happy people think that,” she laughs. While signing up to play a visually impaired lesbian character, Gupta was certain the decision would either make or break her career. “There was no two ways about it.”
Actors in the industry are largely apprehensive about playing homosexual characters. But Gupta is glad several people turned down the role before it was offered to her. “I knew that the people who were making the film are sensitive and would treat the film that way.”
Despite being appreciated in the movie, Gupta says strong female roles are offered to a select few actors. “It’s mostly Alia [Bhatt], Kangana [Ranaut], Anushka [Sharma] and Deepika [Padukone], and understandably so.” She says good female actors outnumber the availability of roles, making commercial viability of an actor the main criteria for selection. According to Gupta, once an actor drives home a commercially successful film, she receives most of the offers. “A Nimrat [Kaur] could do it after 10 years of struggle; Radhika [Apte] could do it only after several years. After a while, you’re like how many times do I have to prove myself?”
The balancing act
Raised in Kolkata, the 32-year-old actor graduated in Delhi and worked in the Capital for a few years. She later enrolled in the Film and Television Institute of India to pursue acting. Being an outsider, networking within the Hindi film industry was a major challenge. “It’s not like I’m partying with filmmakers and producers every day, so it’s important for them to see my work.”
Gupta enjoys the auditioning process. It not just allows her to showcase her acting skills, but also helps her check if she fits the role. “I got all my parts through auditions, except Jolly LLB 2 .” To avoid getting typecast, she selects roles that are characteristically different from her. “I only fear being complacent and insecure.”
As much as Gupta enjoys working in mainstream movies, she finds indie cinema more creatively satisfying. In Fan , the actor plays Shah Rukh Khan’s secretary, which didn’t require her to put in much effort. “But Margarita was more nuanced.” Indie cinema gives the actor an opportunity to play lead characters, which for her, is a lot more exciting. “Also, engagement with actors is less in commercial cinema, but in independent films everyone is more involved.”
All said and done, an actor is noticed only if the film is a commercial success, says Gupta. “At some point we all end up becoming sell-outs.” When the actor decided to enter the film industry, she resolved not to do advertisements. But as the bills mounted, the actor caved in. “So then you make a choice, like I won’t do fairness cream or aerated drinks ads.”As long as her choices don’t meddle with her core ideologies, the actor can make peace with these amendments.
