Tanya Hope is well known in the South Indian film industry. She has acted in films like Thadam and Dharala Prabhu (a Tamil remake of Vicky Donor), among others. The Free Press Journal caught up with her for an exclusive conversation. Excerpts:
Could you tell us about your film with director Prashant Raj?
We haven’t started filming it right now. By April 1, we are going to start shooting it in Thailand. It is a Tamil film, and I am the main lead. I am playing a marketing professional. It’s not conceptualised from any real story. It will be like a commercial comedy movie.
Go on...
I do have a Tamil movie titled Kulasamy, which is complete with its shooting and is now in post-production. In it, I play a medical student. Its story is based on real-life events. Medical college girls were basically being threatened by the professors, and they were pimping them out to politicians and police authorities. These girls were economically not well off. If they didn’t do what was asked, the professors would fail them. The director didn’t specify anyone; he just said it does happen.
Why are you not doing Hindi films? Did you not audition for some big production houses in Bollywood?
When we do our auditions, we are not told about the director and the production house either. I don’t know which movies I auditioned for, but throughout the year, I auditioned for a couple of films. No opportunities or nothing amazing came my way as I wanted to do something great.
You were not informed about which film you auditioned for?
I have auditioned with Shanoo Sharma. She didn’t tell me which movie I was auditioning for. Then I auditioned with Mukesh Chhabra for a couple of movies... one of them was Laila Majnu. But I am not even aware of if the movies are made or released. I auditioned with a few others. I also auditioned with Shruti Mahajan, who casts for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films. I figured that the opportunities will come at the right time. I have to keep working.
When you were not cast in the Hindi remake of Thadam, were you disappointed?
I did a Tamil Movie called Thadam, which was a very big hit film. Now they are remaking it in Hindi. It is being remade with Aditya Roy (Kapur) and Mrunal (Thakur). Yes, I did feel bad, but then I have also done remakes. It’s fine as I stared in movies that were being made from other movies. It’s like you win some and lose some. It’s all fair in the game. In Dharala Prabhu, I played Yami Gautam’s role.
Unless you get a leading lady role, will you not do a Hindi film?
It’s not so. I think the role has to be substantial enough for me, whether it’s the main lead or not.
What are your limitations regarding boldness, especially for a Hindi film?
If I am honest, I don’t know. In all the movies I have done so far, I was never required to be bold. If I am sitting with a director and he is telling me a story and about the role, if I honestly feel convinced about it, the story is great, and if it’s important for this character to be this way, then why not. I trust the people I am working with. However, it should not be an irrelevant scene just put for clickbait. I have no hard limitations. I should know who I’m working with first and what’s the project.
