At a time when most people in the capital are battling the haphazardly increasing pollution levels, Nila Madhab Panda’s upcoming film Kadvi Hawa seems like an apt lesson to aware people about climatic changes and to get them conscious about the environment and whatever little natural resources we’re left with.
Tillotama Shome, who plays Parvati in the film which is based on true stories from drought-prone Bundelkhand, believes that there are several issues that plague the world in current times and no holocaust can be called lesser or greater than the other.
On being asked if Indian cinema took a long time to address an issue as significant as this, Shome said, “When it comes to films, an image, a story, a thought has to captivate the film-maker until like a pearl a story emerges out of it and becomes a film."
“A filmmaker is not obligated to make an issue-based film. Nila's own experiences, certain images and landmarks of his childhood being wiped out by climate change has led him to this film," she shared in an exclusive interaction with News18.com.
She shed light on the fact that pure realism doesn’t always make for a good film. “A good film needs an original voice, a voice that alters the way we look at ourselves and others, a voice that fractures our reality so that we can look at a plurality of truths and finally a voice that allows us to experience something different. If the masala films of our times are drowning in fantasy then the urge is, sadly to counter it by drowning in realism," she noted.
While Shome maintained that a film is entirely a director’s medium, as actors, it’s their duty to fulfill a part of that vision. “It is important to me, that each role I am trusted with requires me to learn something new and that simplifies my decision making."
“The rest is as unpredictable as Bombay monsoon," she added.
Shome further added that there’s no obligation for her to support a film only because it’s an issue-based project. “The screenplay has to have legs and be the main reason for saying yes or no."
Having featured in films like Monsoon Wedding, Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, A Death In The Gunj, Hindi Medium and Budhia Singh: Born to Run among others, the actor shared that she takes her own time to decide on a project. “I cannot multitask, so cannot do more than one project at a time, hence I take my time. Also, I want to keep learning new things, so that pushes me to say yes to things I have never done."
“The idea of doing something I never thought I could do, the possibility of failing miserably but valiantly trying is the only conscious decision I have made in choosing my work," she added while explaining her choice of roles.
Someone acquainted with her work might feel that there’s so much more than what meets the eye and that there’s so much potential yet to be tapped but Shome explained that it’s an intrinsic human trait to ‘stereotype’ and box people in one category.
“Actors get stereotyped across the world and yes it is very annoying. But having said that why should we be surprised by that? We slot people based on our first meeting with them, have opinions about them and in more extreme cases, harbor prejudices. This is human nature."
She added, “As an actor, it falls upon me to reimagine myself until others can see me differently. Of course, there will always be those amazing directors who see something in you that you never saw and that’s a gift."
The film, co-starring Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey besides the actor, is all set to release on November 24.
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