Mumbai, February 12
Actors Sparsh Shrivastava and Nitanshi Goel on Monday spoke about their roles in the upcoming film 'Laapataa Ladies' and their experience working on Kiran Rao's directorial project.
"First of all, the script itself attracted me a lot. But if I tell you from the beginning, I had only read the four pages for the audition, which I had to prepare and send. So, the four pages that were written, triggered me a lot. If the four pages are so good, then how good will the whole script be? And then, the kind of message this film is giving, that too is very big, that girls should be encouraged and not just confined to homes or forced into early marriage," Sparsh told ANI.
"There was another very good message that Deepak, my character, says in this film. That a man can express his feelings. Like we often suppress our feelings. So, all this collectively supported me a lot. And Kiran Rao is directing, so why not be part of such a project," he added.
As an actor, it was also a great learning experience for him, and working with Kiran Rao helped him to improvise and become a "better actor."
He mentioned, "While shooting the film, I became a better actor under her direction. A lot of undiscovered emotions came out. One more thing I would like to mention is that by working with them, I have become a better person, more than just an actor. So, this has been a huge benefit for me."
Nitanshi added what attracted her to the script, making her agree to be part of the film. Talking about her character Phool, she shared, "I had three scenes for the audition, and I didn't even know that it was Aamir sir's film or that it was directed by Kiran mam. I had to read just those three pages, and those three scenes moved me so much that I just wanted to be a part of this project in any way."
She continued how she prepared for her role in the film and said, "I watched 'Sui Dhaaga', 'Balika Badhu' and a lot of Bhojpuri women's videos to see how the women are there because this is the story of 2001 and I am born in 2007. So I had never seen that era and now I wanted to live this era in the audition itself. I wanted that by looking at my body language people should feel that I am telling the story of those women. So I practised their body language and practiced how to wear a veil. I wanted a sari costume. I didn't have a sari, so I made her a ready-made sari with a lehenga dupatta. Phool doesn't say much in the film, but you can tell from her eyes what she wants to say."
"So, how she sits, how she speaks, how she looks at a person. I practised all those things. And after that, when I auditioned, So I got a call in the evening that Kiran ma'am liked the audition and Aamir sir wanted to meet you. And after that, I started crying, mom started crying. It was such a big thing for all of us such a good script, such a lovely character and Aamir sir's film. The dream came true. It was like my world was about to turn. I met Aamir Sir. He is so humble and he teaches so much. Kiran Ma'am is also such a dedicated director and so much about others," she added.
'Laapataa Ladies' is a story set in 2001 in rural India about two young brides who get separated during a train journey and what happens when Kishan, a police officer, takes it upon himself to probe the missing case.
The film received a standing ovation during its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.
'Laapataa Ladies' is produced by a team that has collaborated for such hits as 'Delhi Belly', 'Dangal', and 'Peepli Live'.
Presented by Jio Studios, 'Laapataa Ladies' is directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan and Jyoti Deshpande.
The film has been produced under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions, with the scripting by Biplab Goswami.
Sneha Desai wrote the screenplay and dialogue, while Divyanidhi Sharma jotted down the additional lines. 'Laapataa Ladies' will hit the theatres on March 1.