MUSBA HASHMI speaks with actor ANANNYA KHARE, who is known for her performance in Devdas. She talks about her journey & her latest show Beechvale
What is your role in Beechvale?
I play Chanchal Beechvaale Bhatia. She is from a middle-class family and a homemaker. She is concerned about her family. She is a devoted person but not in a boring and a filmy way. She is straightforward and outspoken in a way that doesn’t hurt the other person.
What made you say yes?
This role was something different from what I have played in the last six-seven years of my career. I have mostly played negative and powerful roles and this was something that I haven’t tried my hands on. It is also because of the producer Ashwini’s vision who saw me play Sarla in Mere Angne Mein. He thought I fit the bill for this role.
How hard is it to get into the skin of the character?
It is very difficult to play different roles because it is another person that you are playing. You have to get convinced of what you are doing and how you want to play the character. It is difficult to do comedy; it is tough to make others laugh.
How did acting happen with you?
It happened by chance; it started as a hobby when I was in Class VIII. I used to take theatre workshops during summer holidays. My father, Vishnu Khare, is a well-known journalist and I had a very cultural background. My family wanted to me to do something different other than just taking more tuitions and enrolling myself in more academic classes. They are creative people so they encouraged me to do acting. My first show Nirmala happened with me when I was in Class XI. The show was based on Munshi Premchand’s novel and I played the role was of a 15-year-old girl. At that time, I was doing theater and someone from the serial’s team saw my performance and they approached me for it. That is how I got my first role.
What challenges did you face in your journey?
I went through the normal ups and downs — normal struggle that every actor goes through. The real challenges are the practical ones. When you come to a new city, you don’t know about the city, the people who live there, so it is very hard to adapt. There is a language barrier, the food is different, you come directly from a protected environment of your home and start living in a PG accommodation, so you have to adjust to all of those things. These are practical and emotional difficulties. You feel alone, you go through a mental breakdown, you start feeling what you are doing and then people may try to stereotype you because every individual is different and you may not feel comfortable around them or the way they think about you. When you are young, these things do matter a lot in your life. But as you grow older you realise that differences make life interesting.
Which role came close to you?
It is difficult to name one because all the roles that you play are different aspects of your personality. While playing them you bring them closer to yourself. You connect them with your experiences and your life. So every role you play has something of you, different emotions are explored through different roles. There is no role that is close to you because you are not that character, you are yourself, you just experience different emotions through that role.
What are some of the best moments of your journey?
For me each and every moment that I have lived was good but when I was nominated for IIFA for the Best Supporting Role in Devdas and when I won the National Award for Best Supporting Role in Chandni Bar were the two moments that my family and I cherish a lot.
How do you define acting and what is your approach towards it?
Acting is a representation of real life through one’s expression and movements. My acting is instinctive, there is no school of acting that I follow. In practical life, you can’t follow any school for acting because different mediums require different acting approach. You can’t follow a set pattern, you have to keep adjusting, modulating and changing according to the role and the medium.
What will make you quit a show?
Not being able to express myself and my role because of any reason, be it because of the other actor or whether the script is not working out for me or because of too much politics off-cameras. Also, if there is unpleasantness or if I feel restricted in my roles I will quit a show.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
There are two types of inspirations one is practical and the other one is creative. Practical inspiration comes from the thought that you have to pay the bills (laughs) and the creative one is when you enjoy your work.
What are your upcoming projects?
Currently, I am very busy doing Beechvale and it is not possible to do two shows consistently that too playing lead roles.
