For those who discovered the joys of youth in the 90s, it is hard to forget Suchitra Krishnamoorthi. From commercials to Indi pop, there was hardly any stage where Suchitra was not there. And when Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Naa released in 1994, one could feel the dilemmas of love through her. But even before audience could gauge her complete worth, Suchitra said no to the public eye and embraced matrimony when she was in her early 20s. Most didn’t question her choice. In those days, the world was at Shekhar Kapur’s feet. But the man was going places and perhaps he picked his ambition over matrimony in his journey.
Big hurdle
Many thought Suchitra’s story was over, but the gutsy girl behind that jolly face is back on stage with the adaptation of her memoirs, Drama Queen. To be staged in Delhi for the first time at the upcoming Old World Theatre Festival in India Habitat Centre. “Before the first performance, I felt like I am going to die. When you stay away from work for a long time, your confidence does get eroded to a large extent. It was only after the audience applauded that I realised that I still have it in me. It was a big hurdle that I crossed that night,” she gushes. But all these years, she never exuded the image of a drama queen. “It was the publisher’s choice,” informs Suchitra. “It started as a compilation of articles on my blog. I called it Irresistibly Single but the publisher found Drama Queen more catchy. Also, as the tone of the book was exaggerated and over the top, the title suited the tone.”
Suchitra clarifies that it is a combination of real and fictional events. Reflecting on her unusual choice of quitting at the top of her career, Suchitra says it was a choice that she made. “I was very young and made a decision to marry. I had a husband who didn’t want me to work. I was too young to grasp exactly what was going on. And my way of dealing with it was avoiding conflict. It was a choice I made and I don’t blame anybody.”
Suchitra Krishnamoorthi
And doesn’t regret it either. “Everybody has a unique life. And life is about so many things, it is not just about career. I also look at that phase as a growth curve rather than something that pulled me down.” Some feel the decisions one makes as an adult reflects one’s upbringing. Suchitra had a strict mother. “Everything adds up,” she agrees. “When you have a strict upbringing, you keep looking for support from outside, and jump out at the first opportunity.”
Suchitra, the character
For many people, writing an autobiographical account is cathartic. Suchitra filled it with humour and tongue in cheek remarks. “Suchitra became a character for me and in the play as well Suchitra is a character for me. A character who is hyper, and little over the top. Your imagination is very different from who are you in reality.” She recalls when she wrote it in five-six weeks, it was her state of mind. “People tend to take it seriously but I always tell them it is not meant to be.”
But it is her life, after all? “I believe in what Charlie Chaplin once said, Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot. I could zoom out and I think everybody needs to develop this ability. Life as a single mother was both financially and emotionally challenging but many women have come out of that phase with shining colours. I am one of them.” She says she chose to do things which she could complete from home. “It is not that I didn’t miss music. It is in my blood. Many members of my family are classical musicians but a career in music and acting require a lot of travelling. So I expressed through paintings and candles. And now that Kaveri has grown up, I am open to projects. Unfortunately. I have not been offered any substantial part in last few years.”
Hope she hasn’t lost hope in men. “Hope in men? I am not sure,” she bursts into laughter. Does she believe that all men put self before family? “My father is not like that but my mother may have a different story to tell. So who knows. I don’t think about men that much anymore. I have learnt to be very independent. For somebody to come into my space, he would have to bring something really exceptional into my life.”
There are some candid reference to her bond with Ram Gopal Varma in the book. Suchitra says Varma is her friend for a long time and thanks him and Karan Johar for being sporting enough to allow the dramatised version of events seep into the book.
Those ‘haphazard’ days
It has been 23 years since Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa made it to theatres . Suchitra says she considers herself “lucky” to be part of a film of such “calibre”. “At that time I was more bothered about the heat and why am I not getting my coca cola.” Over the years, she says, film business has become very professional. “I can sense lot of young energy on the sets. There is an educated crowd that is coming to film business. It is very different from 20-25 years ago when things were very haphazard. People didn’t stuck to a schedule or budget. It is a good time for Indian cinema as different stories are being explored. It doesn’t need to be a love story all the time.” She is still in touch with director Kundan Shah but not with Shah Rukh Khan. “At that time, he was very energetic and self absorbed. He was a star on the rise and had the insecurity of a star on the rise. He was very involved in everything and was very focussed. He knew what he wanted and was going after it. He didn’t want to care about anything else. He had a tunnel vision and that is what has worked for him,” sums up Suchitra.
(“Drama Queen” will be staged on October 6 at The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre.)
