Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma were in Delhi recently to promote their film Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola . A satire set in Haryana, the Vishal Bhardwaj film is creating quite a buzz with its catchy trailers. Having done films like Delhi Belly and Ek Main Aur Ek Tu , Imran said, “We get to learn different things from whatever work we do.” He had taken a two month workshop with noted theatre director N.K. Sharma in Delhi to hone his skills to suit the Haryanvi character Matru. “I not only needed to pick the accent but also worked on my body language. Matru is a graduate from JNU but he wants to change the life in his village. He wants to be an insider, not an outsider,” explained Imran.
Asked whether it was difficult to pull off the role, Imran said, “There were times when I questioned Vishal ji’s judgment of casting me as I didn’t think I would be able to pull it off. But he had more faith in me than I had in myself. And with a talented actor such as Pankaj Kapur in front of me, I was forced to improvise. Until you are afraid of failure you don’t work hard.”
Anushka said, “I think I have always had bold and candid roles and even here Bijli is just like a roaring bijli (thunder). Her tattoo ‘dekho magar pyaar se’ explains her motto. Anushka explained the famous Meena Kumari complex that Bijli talks about in the promos. “It is about when one is happy in one’s own sadness.”
