Think Anupama Kumar and her various on-screen avatars spring to mind — the affectionate but practical mother, a wife who laughingly chides her husband, the everyday woman with her warts and all. Now, taking that image further, the actress, a popular screen amma, has signed up for My Son is Gay, said to be India’s first crowd-funded LGBT rights film.
“Yes, I play the mother in this film too, an orthodox mother who struggles and then eventually understands and accepts her son’s choice,” says Anupama. The film speaks about tolerance and the need to accept people who are different. It is directed by Chennai-based Lokesh Kumar. Gay activist Nakshatra Bagwe plays the son.
Speaking about why she signed up for the film, Anupama says: “I believe in basic human rights; the sexual preference of a person does not, and must not, matter. I believe everyone is born equal and has the right to live the life they want to. This is a story that has to be told. The director has his heart in the right place, and I felt I must be a part of it.”
As an actress, says Anupama, the film was “too attractive to pass up”. “I don’t merely play a feel-good mother, but someone who has a character graph. There’s scope for performance. This story will be incomplete without the mother. Plus, there’s the greater good — wider acceptance of all people,” she says. Working with the film’s young team has been fun, says Anupama, who has a Coimbatore connect (she studied in Alvernia and at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sulur, when her father was posted here). They have shot enough for a trailer, and are not looking for some crowd-funding to help them along.
So, what makes her a good on-screen mother? “Probably because I keep things as real as possible, even in commercial films. A natural reaction lends a film authenticity,” she says, and cites the example of Thuppakki and the “Appava Adi” scene. “I said it in genuine anger, I reacted how a mother would react in real life; everyone loved the scene and found it hilarious.”
Anupama says she attempts to experiment even if there is limited scope, and avoids repeating roles and looks. “I lose interest otherwise. I have a very limited attention span. Creative satisfaction drives me; a role has to be exciting and new to sustain me. The only question I ask a director who comes for a narration is: ‘Is this role based on anything you have seen me do before?’”
Anupama has dabbled in television and has been an anchor and producer. And the actress says that very often she thinks like a filmmaker. “I’m a ‘behind the camera’ person too. Many times, that is a disadvantage. You think more than you have to. You can’t ever sit in peace,” she laughs.
