Actor Ivanka Das, who co-stars with Abhishek Bachchan’s in the R Balki directorial Ghoomer gets candid about her role, getting typecast, and more. Ivanka has the web series Bombay Begums and the Madhuri Dixit film Maja Ma to her credit. Speaking about her experience working with Junior Bachchan in Ghoomer, she says, “He is very intelligent and humble. He has a lot of topics to talk about. Very funny I must say and cracks many jokes too. I would feel intimidated at times, not because he is a big star, but at that point, the situation was such that I just couldn’t help myself feel his starry presence."
Ivanka’s been through her share of ups and downs before she could witness herself on the big screen. She recalls the time no one was around to help her understand what was her identity, but Lord Krishna became her guide in those trying times. She says, "When there's no one around and you need help to stay in this world and survive positively and achieve something, you lean towards a spiritual power. I went to ISKCON and found that I was just in the wrong phase and needed to come out of it. I didn't know who the f*** I am. I needed to realise my soul, dignity, character, and desire that is me. Shree Krishna helped me and I feel connected to him.”
Ivanka went through a rough patch while finding work in showbiz. She elaborates, “I've been typecast for my gender, people constantly bring up my sex change and have been very judgemental. But there are few people who have a good eye for an artist. However, it wasn't that easy. Many have different perspectives and lack sensitivity toward gender issues. They still don't know the difference between transgender and transexual. I am transexual - a woman by heart or physically, whereas transgender means a person who carries both genders in one body.”
Ivanka states that she has always been fighting to get a good role where she doesn’t need to specify her gender. She explains, “Their perspective is always like 'Yeh hijra hoga'. Every part of my body and my soul says that I am a woman because I didn't like it as a man. As an actor, I can play a transgender but not all the time. Why typecast me? A woman plays the role of a transgender but you need a real transgender as a supporting actor. It is wrong. Try doing it the other way around. I can play anything - a cop, doctor, sister. I don't like people calling me a trans-actor. I have changed everything. After all, an actor is just an actor, why bother with their gender.”
Ivanka reveals that she was also offered a role in the Sushmita Sen-starrer Taali, which is based on the life of transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant. However, she was later removed from the project and was given a termination letter. “What happened to me was not right,” she says. When asked if the former Miss Universe was the right choice to play the titular role, Ivanka concludes, “A transgender actor should have done it but if Shreegauri Sawant wants Sushmita only to do this role then it's her choice.”
