Tejaswini Kolhapure, who was last seen in Hansal Mehta’s crime drama, Scoop, is excited about her comeback play, The Graduate, which is all set to complete a year in June. The actress plays the iconic character Mrs Robinson from the Charles Webb novel and Mike Nichols’s film, The Graduate.
Talking about her comeback to theatre, Tejaswini says, “My last play was All About Women (2008) by Hidayat Sami, after which I got married and my stage journey came to a halt. The director of The Graduate, Trishala Patel, and I were part of Pandit Satyadev Dubey’s theatre group. We had been meeting on and off. I had broached the idea that I wanted to get back to theatre, and that’s how this offer came about. At first, I wasn’t sure, because it’s been a while I had performed on stage.”
On playing Mrs Robinson, who has an affair with a younger man, Tejaswini says, “Since the character is extremely popular, I had very big shoes to fill. But, at the same time, you cannot compare cinema with theatre. In theatre, the audience tends to miss out on certain expressions because there are many things happening on stage. In cinema, all you need is a close-up shot, and you’re able to gauge the emotions. I was a tad apprehensive during the rehearsals. But after I met the entire cast, and we shared a great rapport, things fell into place. We’re doing our first anniversary show in Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai on June 3, where we premiered a year ago.”
Tejaswini’s character Rambha Maa in Scoop took the internet by storm last year. “I had wanted to work with Hansal for a long time. We were supposed to do a film together, but that did not materialise. For me, whether it’s a small part or a big one, it’s what you bring to the character that matters. I enjoyed playing the role.”
When asked if OTT platforms were doing a better job of tapping talents, she says, “Well, things, of course, have changed for the better. But at the same time, it’s become so competitive with so many platforms out there. Even among them, people are stuck with the top four or five platforms. Beyond that, you have to go the extra mile to promote yourself.”
She adds, “But it’s a great time to be an actor. Earlier, the minute you took the plunge into television, you got the tag of a TV star. When I made my debut with the TV show, Mujhe Chaand Chahiye, I faced a similar situation. Filmmakers were like, ‘Oh, but you have already done television’. I got into theatre and that helped me break that stereotype. Today, you can be part of a reality show, OTT show, theatre or even an influencer on social media.”
Talking about her most challenging role to date, Tejaswini says, "It was my first television show because I had no prior experience as an actor. The late filmmaker Satish Kaushik gave me the opportunity. The show was written by Surendra Verma ji and was based on his book, Mujhe Chaand Chahiye. At that time, my Hindi was very Bambaiya. The show, on the other hand, was set in Madhya Pradesh. Although I agreed to be on board, when I received the script and started reading the dialogues, I realised how strenuous it was. The first day on set was nothing short of a nightmare because I had one whole page of dialogue to deliver. It was like going back to school. I ended up cramming the dialogue. The moment they said 'Action' on the set, I rambled on. Later, Verma Ji said that I had given a wonderful shot and that I perfectly suited the role."
Tejaswini has dabbled in movies, modelling, and theater. When asked about her experience in all three professions, she says," The film industry works on a different formula altogether, and somehow, I have not been able to crack it yet. When you are an actor, there are certain expectations from you: having a manager and a spot boy, and being seen at certain places. You have to be careful about what you are wearing and who you are talking to. Theatre, on the other hand, is very simple. There is no drama, and everybody is treated equally. Even as a model, you don't have to fret over it. You finish your job and go home."
Coming from a family that has a strong film background (Tejaswini is the sister of Padmini Kolhapure, and Shraddha Kapoor is her niece), is there constant pressure to prove herself? "When my first film, Paanch (directed by Anurag Kashyap), was released in 2003, I received a lot of negative comments for it. Some even said that I had wasted my life. I was quite upset at that point in time. As actors, you tend to be extremely emotional. Later, I realized that it didn't matter. Today, the same people come back and tell me that it was a fantastic film. And I am still around."
Ask Tejaswini if the khandaan would come together for a film, and she breaks into a smile. "In fact, just a few days ago, we were discussing this. I think someone should approach us and say, You are doing this project. And then maybe we'll all put our minds together and work on something."
On her upcoming projects, Tejaswini says, “I have Zindagi Kashmakash, directed by Nirnimesh Dubey, a relationship drama. I also have in my kitty, Good Morning Sunshine, helmed by Sanjoy Nag. I play Revathi madam’s sister in it. I also won two awards for Yes Papa, directed by Saif Hyder Hasan, which revolves around child sexual abuse.”
