There are certain films where the trailer tells the entire story, and it is the performances that draw audience to theatres. Sharat Katariya’s Sui Dhaaga seems to belong to the category where Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan’s realistic portrayal of a couple’s search for self-respect through ingenious craft is expected to strike a chord with the audience.
In the last few years, the two have surprised with their choices. Many thought Varun would excel in the David Dhawan kind of cinema. He did, but in between, he imploded in Badlapur, excelled in October and is now stitching a man “who has no idea of self-respect” in Sui Dhaaga . “I saw a different kind of heroism in the kind of obstacles that Mauji faces. I wanted to play the character of a common man. Also, having watched Dum Laga Ke Haisha, I felt that Sharat knows this space well,” says Varun, as we settle for an early morning chat with the actors in Delhi.
Anushka also found Sharat’s voice “different”. “I wanted to work with him but I was apprehensive about my own ability to play Mamta. I found the character bland till Sharat explained that her strength lies in her quiet confidence. One needs to understand that everybody’s expression of strength cannot be the same. Often we feel that a woman is not strong because she is not voicing her opinion or is not owning her thoughts. Mamta is uneducated and comes from a lower middle class family. Her opportunities and privileges are not those that I or any other urban girl would get. So, her expression of strength has to be different as well, and, I think, that will come across on the screen.”
Hues of hope: Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawan at the Central Park of Connaught Place in New Delhi
A deluge of memes notwithstanding, Anushka’s expressions do challenge vanity. “A lot of times we get caught up in simplistic expressions like a de-glam look, which essentially remain superficial. Right from my first film, I was not conscious of how I would look on the screen. I just try to feel the part and become that person. Subjects like Pari give you a reason to behave in a certain way because you are playing a demonic character, but here Mamta is an ordinary girl. I had to have an insight into her life to convey her feeling across.”
Both Varun and Anushka appreciate the work of costume designer Darshan Jalan, who also dressed up the characters in Dum Laga Ke Haisha , for helping them in making the experience believable. A large chunk of the film is shot in Chanderi town of Madhya Pradesh. “The place where we shot is a heritage site. The house shown in the film was not a set, only props were added. Some of my cherished memories include flying kites in the evening and experience the co-existence of different faiths with Jain temples on one side and the azaan emanating from the other. Artisans from both communities work together on the fabric that defines the city,” recalls Varun.
One could see traces of Badri in Mauji. Varun differs, “In Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya , I played a rich Bansal boy, here I work for a Bansal family. The only similarity is that things change when a girl comes into the life of both Mauji and Badri. But unlike BKD , here the girl gets the support of the family. They don’t mind her going out for work. It is about finding self-respect by reviving art forms that are dying.”
Reflecting on his choices, Varun says there was no reference for acting in a film like October . “It was such a flowy narrative. In Badlapur , the challenge was playing a character who was very different from me. In October, it was still a younger character but I didn’t know how to play him because the screenplay was very scene-to-scene – yeh hua toh phir yeh hua. Thankfully, Shoojit Sircar shot it in a linear fashion.” It was a case of smart casting because Dan, the character that he played, was also not aware of his strengths. “Indeed, I learned a lot of things about myself while doing October . Coming to Sui Dhaaga after doing October and Judwaa-2 proved advantageous. The film has scenes which are inherently comic but they required a restrained tone. The two films helped me in getting my conversations with Anushka right in tragi-comic situations.”
‘Not a propaganda’
Sui Dhaaga could be seen as a propaganda film highlighting the government’s Make in India policy. Anushka counters, “From the perspective of filmmaking, one has to understand that it is very difficult to write propaganda and make it entertaining.”
“And these days propaganda also keeps changing. It is very hard to keep up with it,” quips Varun. “Also,” Anushka adds, “Sharat is a purist to the point that at times it becomes irritating. He is a kind of director who would probably expect his actors to spend eight hours under the sun to get a realistic shot on the street. It wouldn’t help if we would say, we are actors and would manage anyhow. The idea is to highlight the rediscovery of ingenious talent that these people have, something that has been passed on to them over generations.”
Does Nush, Anushka’s clothing brand follow the Make in India policy? “Yes, it is a brand that is made in India,” chuckles the actor.
High-spirited
As a producer, Anushka seems to be in love with ghosts. If in Phillauri , it was a happy spirit, in Pari , it was a tortured one; and if we stretch it a little further NH 10 talked about social demons. “I didn’t get into production just because of the commercial aspect. There are films which are made to suit everybody's liking but then there are themes that lead to change. As an actor, I find that space extremely challenging. The power of cinema is that you can change the thought process or shift the perspective of an audience.”
She says she did Pari not because she wanted to play a demon. “It had different layers which showed that these demons or social outcastes are actually kind and it is humans, who at times, behave in a demonic fashion. It was the biggest takeaway for me from the film.”
During her conversations with the media, Anushka comes across as a person who is carrying a lot inside her.
“While I do enjoy my success, the fame and all are just by-products for me. I never wanted to become an actor. Now I feel that these things were meant to happen. Success or failure, I strive to back subjects that challenge the thought process of people. I find real life stories more interesting than a bigger cultivated canvas,” sums up Anushka.
