Weaving a narrative of a mother-daughter relationship is Dear Maa, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s (Tony) recent release which brings Chandan Roy Sanyal (CRS) and Padmapriya on screen. We caught up with the duo to know about their characters, involvement in the film and more.
Excerpts:
What were your first reactions when Tony da approached you?
Chandan: Tony da has a very typical way of narrating and asking you for a film. He normally calls and says “I’m doing this, You’re doing it”. Then he gives the narration, scene and script.
Padmapriya: I was in a space where I was really not into acting. So, I was quite reluctant. But I also did it because it’s a great story. Inherently as actors you can trust this man. It’s the trust that makes you say yes, more than the character.
What attracted you to playing such layered characters?
Chandan: In one of the briefs Tony da said that “I want a young Naseeruddin Shah of Masoom” in Awrko Mitra. That’s the note I had to catch. I have seen how child actors work. To match up to their skill is difficult. You have to unlearn yourself. A lot depends on their mood, so you have to be patient. All these things I thought were very challenging in the role of a father, who actually plays the role of a mother in her life.
Padmapriya: My character, Ahana Nair brings in a little sanity and Buddhist calm. I came with no baggage of preparation. Chandan and I don’t have any scenes together. I had a lot of fun not working too much and experiencing the art of bringing people together for a great story. That was really the inspiration. What it did to me was brought back my love for cinema as a performer.
Adoption is still seen with divided perceptions. How has that been dealt with in the movie?
Chandan: Neither have I had a lot of personal interactions with children nor am I married. But my friends do have children. I wonder, what’s the motivation to become a parent? I am a pet parent to a few cats. The kind of attachment and love I feel for them, I do understand where parenting comes from. Then think about the attachment one would have for the child who grows out of their body. Adoption comes at a point when they can’t have a child of their own. I understand their pain. Adoption here is a well planned step. It probably makes it more special than conceiving a child sometimes. You are making a difference to the society by raising someone else’s child. As an actor, at least I went through the emotion with the kid while preparing for the part subconsciously.
Padmapriya: The film talks about the tussle between an adopted and natural child, in the sense that life is an intersection of choices and situations. At the end what holds everything together is love with its subset of other emotions.
At a time when thriller rules, how does Dear Maa bring a breath of fresh air?
Padmapriya: It’s a beautiful time to bring a film like this because it tugs your heart and makes you think, feel and connect. There are moments in cinema where certain films change the nature of storytelling and therefore the economics, I hope this film is one such.
Chandan: Post 2020 there has been a shift in the film making and watching culture. This film is braver. It’s easy to make thrillers and crime, but this film is slow paced about motherhood and children.
The most memorable moment/s with your mothers?
Chandan: When we were growing up in Delhi, she used to soak rice and leave. I had to prepare and give it to my younger brother. Almost 35 years back she used to go out and work for the family. It inspired me to go to Bombay and become an actor.
Padmapriya: My mom has been a single parent because father was in the army. She was born and raised here in Kolkata. We used to come for summer holidays here. We were not allowed to eat outside. My mother would sneak us out of the house to have phuchka and jhaalmuri. When I was in 11 standard you tend to get conscious of your body. My mother decked me up and took me to a photo studio. She made me a Kareena Kapoor overnight!
Padmapriya, Why the gap of 13 years between your last Bengali film?
I don’t see myself as a Bengali actor. But I’d love to do more Bengali films, especially rustic ones.
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