Says Sandeepa Dhar about making it big in the film industry as she speaks to Manasi Y Mastakar about her web series with Kunal Kemmu, films and more…
You are playing a cop in Abhay. What kind of training did you have to undergo?
There was certain mandatory research and training that I had to do. Because I am playing a cop there is a certain body language that I needed to follow: I need to know how to hold a gun, how to fire, etc. Also, there is a bit of action in Abhay. So I am training in Krav Maga which is Israeli self-defense martial art form which is extremely lethal, difficult and a very intensive martial art form. Of course, holding a gun shooting a gun, studying the body language of police officers, the way they talk, the way they react to situations is very difficult…all these had to be researched and kept in mind and applied while playing the character.
How was it working with Kunal Kemmu?
It’s amazing to work with Kunal. This is the first time I am working with him. I have been watching him since I was a kid as he was a child actor in ‘Zakhm’ and ‘Raja Hindustani’. He was a fantastic child actor and is an amazing actor today. There is so much one can learn from him. He is also a friend…It’s nice to work with a friend that you have known. He has got an amazing sense of humour and he keeps us in splits all the time. He is a Kashmiri so we have a lot to bond over.
You are also doing another web series Cartel. Please tell us about that.
Yes, I am doing Cartel. That is with alt Balaji. Its Balaji’s biggest web series till date. They are putting in a humongous amount of money and it’s huge in terms of scale and production design and everything. The star cast also includes Vivek Oberoi, Ravi Krishan, Supriya Pathak and Rithvik Dhanjani. I can’t reveal much about it, but I am very excited and happy to be a part of ‘Cartel’. I am playing a Marathi girl in the series, and I am learning the langauge and picking up nuances of a middle-class Maharashtrian family. It’s difficult as there is a lot of prep involved, but I am looking forward to shooting for it.
You recently shot for a special song for Kagaz. How did that happen?
Kagaaz is extremely special for me because it’s the first special song that I have done for a film. And I am so glad that it is a Salman Khan production and in a film like Kagaaz which is directed by Satish Kaushik starring Pankaj Tripathi in the lead. I am looking forward for people to watching the song in the film because I haven’t yet ventured into the Indian rustic space and this song gave me the opportunity to explore the rustic vibe. Ahmed Khan has choreographed the song and he is brilliant and everybody knows that. And he makes the song look larger than life.
Please tell us more about Firrkie. It stars Neil Nitin Mukesh…
We have finished shooting for the film. The post-production is going on now…The film is an out and out commercial thriller. The film chronicles the journey of a supermodel and how she gets trapped in certain situations. I am also very excited for the film because for the first time I am doing a commercial song and dance film with a lot of glamour…something which I haven’t had the opportunity to explore till now.
Shooting for it was a lot of fun because Neil and Karan Singh Grover are very chilled out co-actors. Neil was extremely easy to work with, so was Karan. We used to go out for dinner, have lunches together…food was a major part of every day that we would be on set. We would play board games and jam every night because both Karan and Neil are into music.
They say the film industry is a tough place to survive. What would you say about your journey so far?
It definitely is a difficult and tough place to survive. But I feel so are other industries. I don’t think any of the other industries are easy to survive in — be it corporate or journalism or any other industry. Yes it is difficult, but my journey has been quite interesting because I have worked with some amazing people and some of the top production houses. I am also working internationally, so I am getting to experience best of both the worlds.
I can’t really complain, because considering the fact that I don’t have any godfather and I don’t know anybody in the industry, whatever I have done is purely on the basis of my talent and the people who have supported, like Sajid Nadiadwala, Salman Khan and Rajshri. These are the people who have helped me grow in the industry and I am so thankful to them for giving me the opportunity and making me a part of their production houses.
You seem to have a packed calendar this year…
It feels extremely exciting. I think 2019 is a very special year because I have a lot of work coming to India. Usually, I am traveling a lot because of my musical and I don’t get a lot of time to do that much work in India. This time it was a conscious effort to reduce the amount of travelling and do a little more work in India. Apart from ‘Cartel’, ‘Abhay’ and ‘Firkey’, I have also done a film with Bejoy Nambiar called ‘Massage’ with Jim Shrabh. So I very excited about 2019 and looking forward to the kind of work I have done and hoping people will enjoy it as well.
