It’s been more than a week since ‘Dhadak 2’ was released, making people once again take notice of casteism, a plague that’s eating the progress of our country. While Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri played the leads in the film, Anubha Fatehpuria’s small but impactful role also made a mark.
Essaying the role of a distraught mother vying for a better future for her son, and pushing him towards education. For her, that’s the only path to help them come out of the issues that come with their last name. The actor, in an exclusive chat with India Today, spoke about the power of cinema to bring about change and her challenges of dabbling in two careers: acting and architecture.
Starting by sharing how she’s overwhelmed with the love that ‘Dhadak 2’ has been receiving, Anubha Fatehpuria said that the story grabbed her attention when she was first offered the part. She added that not just this film, but there is a lot of meaningful work being put out, and she wishes it could reach more people.
When asked if cinema has the power to evoke conversation or educate people on subjects like caste, she said, “It does and so does theatre. But all forms of art can actually do that, as it’s not like sitting and studying in school through a textbook. It really sort of touches people. And this is why I feel art is very important for our society, because it can reach you in ways other things can’t. As for cinema, it’s the most powerful as it has probably the largest audience base.”
Discussing casteism, the actor shared that it’s impossible to be unaware of it in today’s time. She added that all of us have experienced it in different ways. While not wanting to elaborate on the same, Fatehpuria said that just the act of oppression and suppression moves her. “How does anyone, a human being can ever think of being superior or above a fellow being? It really makes me wonder how, as a society, we can allow that? Even within the family, there are times when someone can try to oppress the other. And it makes me question this more because at times these people have everything, the best education, worldly knowledge. That should make you more open and sensible, right?”
Director Shazia Iqbal, in a recent interview, mentioned how the scene where Anubha’s character is slapped by an upper-caste police officer was cut by the CBFC. When asked more about the scene and whether that left an impact on her as it did on the audience, the actor said, “Cinema is subjective and different people may relate to different scenes, and characters. Apart from the scene you mentioned, people also told me how they liked the one where we are sitting on the ledge, and I am asking my son to become a lawyer. Personally, for me, it was not any one scene; the character of Bina stood out for me. She had to be built very delicately and restrained, yet with so much strength. She is also placed in a very vulnerable context, and even though not very literate, she has a lot of wisdom. So it was all very fascinating and beautiful, and it was an enriching experience to essay the part.”
However, she did mention that the scene where the pet dog Birju is buried shook her. “There were so many difficult scenes, and picking one would be tough. I also really liked all the scenes at home with Siddhant and Vipin ji (Vipin Sharma). I thought those were also written and handled well. The husband has another life, and so Bina becomes the matriarch, and the complexities of their life were satisfying to play as an actor.”
Not many know that the actor is also a professional architect and runs a successful design studio in Kolkata. However, it’s her love for acting that is now making her swing to and fro between Mumbai often. She shared that her parents encouraged her to take up classical music and dance as a child, which led her to theatre. She then went ahead and studied architecture and finished college with a Gold Medal. And as it was difficult to leave either of them, she decided to pursue both. “I came back to Calcutta as I knew this was the place where I could do both. I often joke that I am an architect from 10 to 6 and an actor, from 6 to 10,” she said.
However, it hasn’t been easy as both industries often feel she is not serious about either. It really becomes a bit difficult to explain how tough it is to do both professions. And most importantly, be available to both at the same time. There are times when I am shooting in my vanity, and would have my iPad or Laptop open, and coordinate with the sites in between during breaks. It’s not easy at all, especially getting the mental switch. While people here feel I am not available to act, there are times when people in the architecture industry feel I am not taking that seriously. I just keep trying my best and give 100 percent to both. There are also times when you have to let go of projects because you’ve committed to something else. It’s tough, but so far, I am managing well,” Anubha Fatehpuria concluded.
‘Dhadak 2’ hit theatres on August 1, bringing a fresh chapter to the emotional saga that began with Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter’s debut film.
– Ends