Vidya shot Sherni before and during the pandemic. There was a gap of about six seven months after lockdown. What gave her the mental resilience to step out of home and take a risk? Vidya told Asian Voice, “I have to say that when I stepped out I wasn’t scared. At my expense, I knew that they would take great care of the people on set. The film would get made anyway. What was important was that everyone on set was safe and I knew that was being taken care of. It was like a time machine. I remember walking on the set and feeling ‘oh my god’, it really felt like robots because everyone looked alike, everyone was wearing masks and PPE. She agreed that it was a bit challenging for others.
Vidya gets to work with an outstanding supporting cast that comprises Sharad Saxena, Vijay Raaz, Bijendra Kala, Ila Arun and Neeraj Kabi among others. When asked how empowering it is to have that kind of support, she said, “I feel truly grateful for the love I have received as an actor all these years. I think it feels wonderful to be paired with such fantastic actors. Acting seems like child play. So we use to be bantering on set and we would shoot and come back from where we left off. So it was fabulous.”
She further added, “It’s so exciting when you work with actors like the kind I got to work with on Sherni. I have to also tell you that it was wonderful to work with villagers who were non-actors and they surprised me with their ease in front of the camera. I thought they would probably stitch up or forget their lines. But not at all. The mobile phone in that sense has made everyone camera friendly.”
Amit Masurkar who has directed Sherni, has previously delivered a critically acclaimed film like Newton (starring Rajkummar Rao). Does that experience help actors like Vidya in gathering more conviction about a project? Vidya said, “Your own experiences help. As you said when you have a director like Amit who is adept at dealing with non-actors. They found their way around this. There were two people dedicated to training the villagers in the lines. It was a well-worked out system. It definitely helps that Amit is someone who is comfortable in the space.”
Vidya Balan’s performance in Sherni reminds a lot of people of Kate Winslet from Mare of Easttown. Reacting to that comparison, Vidya said, “Thank you for that compliment. If something I’ve done reminds you of Kate Winslet, I’m really thankful. I’m hugely flattered. But I think this Vidya Vincent is an everyday woman. She’s not aggressive. She’s someone who seems passive but at the end of it, you realise she’s grown up. Despite what image and perception you have of her, we realise that we tend to box people so easily. So you feel she’s not a strong woman, but she’s strong, she’s a woman of integrity.”
“It is annoying to be underestimated. She has this desire to be taken seriously,” she added. Vidya plays the role of a forest department officer who navigates through misogyny, bureaucracy and life in general.
Vidya is perhaps the only female actor to have had two releases direct on OTT during the pandemic. Commenting on how she selects scripts, Vidya said, “I just choose scripts base on my instinctive reaction. When I begin to see myself in the character that’s being offered to me, then I know I can do it. But sometimes the most beautiful stories don’t inspire.
“I feel you have to adapt to the situation. I’m blessed that I’ve been able to have two releases in the pandemic, despite the fact that there isn’t much work happening right now. I feel very fortunate to have had two releases. I think the jitters are there, irrespective of the fact whether it’s the silver screen or OTT platform because finally, people are going to see you they are going to hopefully like you, I won’t want to consider otherwise. But yes, it takes the pressure of box office off your shoulders undoubtedly and that’s a welcome change.”
“It’ll (OTT) earn you more and repeat audiences. You are no longer dependant on a telecast. You can watch it whenever. There’s something for everyone. People who enjoy documentaries have access to documentaries. People who enjoy festivals had a very small audience. There’s a long and short format, and it depends on the genre of the kind of film you want to see. I definitely think it’s given people freedom, the freedom to choose and decide.”
When you watch a film at a theatre, you almost always watch it till the end. But with OTT, you have the luxury to close the window if you don’t like the first ten minutes. Does that put any kind of pressure or changes the approach towards movie editing? Vidya said, “For me, the pace is very important because I am an impatient person, so if you don’t get me in the first ten minutes, you’ve lost me. Films that grab you in the first minute and film that take a few minutes or films that play. There’s an audience for every kind of film.
“Sherni is not a fast-paced thriller. It’s a very unusual film. Generally, things seem to come to a standstill, it’s not like city life that has a buzz. If you try and intrude space unnatural, I don’t think you’ll be able to do justice to the content.”
