“Can you believe we’ve travelled all over the world, but we’ve never been to Goa?” laughs Shanta Dhananjayan, as she leads us into her immaculate drawing room.
An unexpected call from advertisement director, Prakash Varma, had Shanta and husband VP Dhananjayan on board a flight to Goa the very next morning to shoot for Vodafone’s new series of IPL advertisements.
“We were asked to do so many things we’ve never done before — parasailing, riding a scooter, and partying on the beach, for example. The crew at Nirvana Films was rather surprised when we said we were game for it all,” Dhananjayan says.
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The legendary Bharatanatyam exponents, fondly known as
Having left the lush grounds of Kalakshetra almost 40 years ago to establish their current institute, Bharata Kalanjali , the Dhananjayans are no strangers to new beginnings. “We do not make our decisions with the mindset of wanting to set trends, necessarily. But we hope to show young artistes that they can confidently take risks and be part of some amazing projects,” Dhananjayan says.
They prefer to lead by example, and the six-part advertisement, coined with the hashtag ‘MakeMostofNow’ has the Padma Bhushan awardees-turned-actors venturing into unexplored territory. “I was asked to ride a scooter a day before the shoot — unfortunately, I have never ridden one!” Dhananjayan exclaims. With a little last-minute training, and the sudden appearance of a body double that Dhananjayan calls “a miracle”, the crew was able to get the shot without a hitch.
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From teaching Shanta how to parasail, to getting the couple to groove with local tourists on a Goan beach, the finished product shows the two natyacharyas as we have never seen them before.
“We have done some advertisements previously, but we were excited to be able to play characters that go through a journey,” Dhananjayan smiles.
The process
The excitement on their faces is childlike, and evident as they detail the six-day filming process. And yet, there is a level of professionalism that reminds us of who they really are. “We are always willing to try something new, as long as we are comfortable with the team and the project, and it is executed in a dignified manner,” Dhananjayan tells us.
Beside him, Shanta beams, adding, “the crew made us feel so, so comfortable. They took such good care of us, holding our hands and feeding us non-stop!”
Essaying the role of the Balakrishnans, the Dhananjayans were a perfect fit for the conceptualised advertisement. “Our son Satyajit has a friend who was involved with the project, so when they were trying to find the right couple, they felt that we would fit the parts if we would be willing to do it,” Dhananjayan says.
He says their comfort, both on and off screen, was simply an added benefit.
“They wanted a real-life couple, not a pair of actors. And for us, the decision was easy. We finally had a reason to take our long-awaited Goa trip,” he smiles.
Despite the years of experience that the couple has accrued on stages globally, they say that being in front of the cameras is an experience unlike any other. “There was so much attention given to every detail, and even the most minute of things, like a corner of my sari being crinkled, was noticed by the director,” Shanta says. “From continuity, to the multiple angles that they use to shoot, the crew is so disciplined. Everything runs so seamlessly,” she adds.
As they returned from their week-long shoot, the couple was unaware of the waves that the advertisement was already making.
Then they began to see hoardings spring up around the city. “We began getting calls from friends and family, both in India and abroad, telling us how cute we looked,” Shanta smiles.
As the couple reaches their eighties, they say it’s never too late to innovate. A question about a future in film is met with hearty laughter. “If it’s an award-winning role that I like, maybe!” Dhananjayan jokes. Shanta smiles, adding, “We never knew that we would be part of something so special. Who knows what the future holds?”