8 minutes agoAuthor: Kiran Jain
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Actress Patralekha has recently been in the headlines after the release of her web series ‘IC- 814 Kandahar Hijack’. After this, she is preparing for her next film ‘Mahatma Phule’, which will be released next year. In this biopic, she is playing the role of Savitribai Phule.
Recently, while talking to Dainik Bhaskar, the actress shared her experience of working in both the projects – ‘IC- 814 Kandahar Hijack’ and ‘Mahatma Phule’. Read some highlights of the conversation:
The shooting of the film ‘Phoole’ has been completed. How was your experience of working in this biopic?
The experience was very different and special. This film is a biopic based on Mahatma Phule. It is a great honour for me to play the role of Savitribai Phule in it. The acting styles, personalities and actors in the film were all different. Working with a brilliant artist like Pratik Gandhi was very special. Mahatma Phule and Savitribai were reformers, their way of thinking was far ahead of our today’s society. The work they did for the country, children and especially girls is very inspiring. This film gave me a lot of strength.
You got a chance to play the role of Savitribai Phule, how did you feel?
It was a proud moment for me. When I told my mother that I have got the role of Savitribai Phule, she was the happiest. It is a huge responsibility for me to play this character, because we have been reading about her since childhood.
A lot has been written about this character, but understanding the personality is a different thing. Anand sir, who is our director, wrote the script with a lot of simplicity and love. We spent a lot of time reading and researching. We sat with the whole team and thought deeply about every aspect. The script was so well written that the work became very easy.
How was the shooting schedule?
The schedule of the film was of two months, and it was quite continuous. We shot in places like Bhor, Pune and Satara. Every scene was filmed with a lot of hard work and love.
What message do you want to give through this film?
The biggest message is that the story of Savitribai and Jyotiba Phule should reach everyone. People in Maharashtra and Goa know them, but I don’t think children in the North East or Tamil Nadu know about them. It’s an important part of history and I want it to reach every child. The vision they saw can take our society forward even today, especially for women.
Now let’s talk about your web series ‘Kandahar Hijack’. When this project came to you, what was your first reaction?
Actually, I was not offered this project. I came to know that Anubhav Sinha sir is working on this series. I called him and expressed my desire to meet him. I always wanted to work with him. I told him that I want to be a part of this show. I kept calling him for six-seven months. Finally he called me and said- this is the role and this is the script, read it. The script was 200 pages long, but it was so well written that we finished it very quickly.
This series is a story based on a real life incident. How challenging is it to prepare for such a character?
It is quite challenging, especially at the writing level. Writers have to do a lot of research. The actor’s job becomes a little easier because you get the final script and you keep doing your research side by side. I watched a lot of videos on YouTube and also watched a lot of documentaries. But no matter how much homework you do, until you reach the set, the vibe does not give you the right experience. On the set, your co-actors, costumes and space are what really put you into the character.
How did you feel while researching this real-life incident? Was there a particular emotion that connected with you?
This was one of the darkest moments in our country’s history. Anyone who heard about this incident was shaken. What the people on the flight went through was extremely traumatic. A flight is a claustrophobic space, and sitting in it for 7 days was extremely difficult. There was no food, the toilets were overflowing. This is a wound that may never heal.
How was the experience of working with Vijay Verma?
Very nice. I have known Vijay for many years. We have worked together before, but I did not get a role in that project. Then we worked together in a web series called ‘Culture’. Vijay is a very good friend and I am very happy to see his career. We had some scenes together in ‘Kandahar Hijack’, and working with him has always been very comfortable and fun.
