Mona Ambegaonkar's latest outing, Gudhal, a social drama directed by Yuvraaj Parashar that explores the harsh realities surrounding old-age homes, has been receiving positive word of mouth since its OTT premiere. Needless to say, the actress is elated by the response. "I've been part of this film's journey since Yuvraaj first started scripting it. In fact, I think I was the first person he discussed the idea with when he decided to write the story."
She adds, “The film is an amalgamation of many real-life experiences. At the time, however, it had a very different setting. The central drama unfolded in a different context, with different characters and storylines. As the script evolved, characters were added and removed, settings changed, and some stories were dropped while others were retained because they better served the narrative and emotional arc of the film. Those were creative decisions made along the way, primarily by Yuvraaj. I did make a few suggestions that he accepted, and they've found their way into both the script and the finished film."
Having previously collaborated with Yuvraaj, Mona says the experience was both familiar and creatively fulfilling."This may be Yuvraaj's debut as a feature film director, but he's directed other projects in which I played the lead. There was a great deal of comfort in working with someone I know well. Most of the core technical team — the camera crew, the sound department and others — are people I've worked with before as well. Every project introduces new people, whether they're technicians or actors. Some of the cast in Gudhal had worked with Yuvraaj on his earlier projects, which I'd also been part of, so there was already a sense of familiarity. For instance, I had worked with Shahbaz Khan around 30 years ago on Kalpana Lajmi's The Awakening, based on Leo Tolstoy's Resurrection. We played a romantic couple in that project, so meeting again for this film was rather amusing. We're friends, so it was wonderfully comforting. We could crack jokes, relax and laugh between takes. Overall, it was a lovely blend of the familiar and the new."
Mona believes viewers are embracing Gudhal because of its honesty and humanity. " I think audiences appreciate that it doesn't rely on toxic masculinity or mindless violence. It isn't about othering people or criminalising identities. Gudhal returns to telling deeply human stories — stories of both loss and triumph. It also features strong women who don't have to cut people's heads off or revel in bloodshed and lynchings to be seen as powerful. It's an empowering film, particularly for women. I'd recommend it to women of all ages because it portrays a broad spectrum of women from different backgrounds and generations. Their representation feels genuine and authentic."
Asked whether audiences are becoming more receptive to stories centred on mature female characters, Mona says she remains grateful that such roles still come her way, even if they remain few and far between. "What I find refreshing is that there are still filmmakers who write roles with me in mind at my age. Of course, I also play the hero's mother and the heroine's mother. I do those roles too — I have to pay my bills. But there are also filmmakers who create fully realised characters with proper names, histories, dramatic arcs and emotional journeys. For that, I'm simply grateful. The trouble is that there are so few of those films that they barely register as a statistic. They hardly appear on the radar.”
She adds, “When was the last time you saw a genuinely female-led film become a major box-office success in a country where 50 per cent of the population is female? Why aren't more women supporting stories about women? Is it because they don't have access to these films? Is it because they can't buy tickets? Or are they, perhaps, even more patriarchal than the man next door? I honestly don't know. But I do question the women in this country who have the means to buy their own tickets, especially those who earn their own money. I want to ask them: why aren't you supporting stories about women?"
Speaking about what guides her script choices today, the actress is characteristically candid."Whatever is offered to me — and that isn't very much. The opportunities are very, very thin on the ground. Every now and then, though, something comes along that truly speaks to me. Even if it doesn't pay the bills, I'll do it because it's the kind of role that calls out to you. So it's always a balance between what you do for your soul and what you do for your stomach. For your stomach, you sometimes end up doing rubbish — and I'm certainly guilty of that. But I'd like to think I redeem myself by taking on projects that nourish my soul as well. Whenever an opportunity like that comes along, I don't let it pass me by. I grab it with both hands."
Mona also offers an insightful perspective on portraying emotionally demanding characters, explaining that she never consciously tries to separate herself from them once filming ends.
"I don't really think of it that way," she says. "Every character I play already exists somewhere within me. There's an element of each of those characters in me, organically, from birth, in my DNA. I'm an independent working woman and I've never been mentally or financially dependent on the permission or largesse of men. But I understand my character in Gudhal. I understand her because I know women like her. Some of them are even my friends. I may not always admire the choices they make, but I respect them because I know their personal stories. That's how I work. I don't think in terms of leaving things behind or artificially trying to become someone else. I believe every character I'm offered already exists somewhere within me. My job is simply to find the path to that part of myself whenever the role requires it."
As she signs off, Mona makes a heartfelt appeal for audiences to champion independent filmmaking. "Gudhal is a film that has been made through immense effort, perseverance, and countless trials and tribulations. I've witnessed first-hand everything my producer, director and writer has gone through to bring it to fruition and finally get it on to our screens. I've been with him every step of that journey. I would urge audiences to support independent cinema, support films that aren't driven by corporate funding, and support stories made from the heart that reflect real lives. I believe that's the only way we can keep freedom of expression alive. It's also the only way we can preserve genuine creative freedom."
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