He recalled an incident when, while leaving a screening, he was asked, “How was the movie?” because the questioner did not recognize him.However, recently his Role As Manju Maai In Lapata Ladies And her dialogues have gone so viral that now her fans stop her even at grocery stores to ask her to recite the film’s dialogues. In a conversation at the closing ceremony of MIFF, Chhaya spoke to us about her Cannes debut, Missing Ladies, and how she chooses her roles.
Shadow Steps
‘Everyone who works in films must go to Cannes’
The cast of All We Imagine As Light not only attended the screening – they also celebrated on the red carpet. Later, at the awards ceremony, Payal Kapadia brought her three main actors on stage to accept the historic award. Recalling her Cannes trip, Chaaya says, “After going to Cannes, as an actor, I feel that everyone who works in films should definitely go to Cannes. If there is a film, it is a big deal, even if there is no film, one should go. When people who love films gather there, it becomes a film city. When the film was selected, it was decided for us that we would go to Cannes. Our producer took us there, otherwise not all producers take their actors to Cannes. These people were amazing. Even if Payal did not take us on stage…
After the announcement of the Grand Prix, Chaaya said in the press conference that she knew she would win. She had even booked tickets for the ceremony after the ceremony and decided on clothes for the award ceremony. How did she get this confidence? Chaaya says, “I don’t know where I got this confidence. But I had that confidence in my film. Now that I have seen you, I was so scared before going to Cannes – I came out for the first time. I went to India so far. So I was very doubtful that yaar mujhe gusto na? Language problem also. But friends said – nothing, you go. Then I had to find a house there, so I went a little early. Now my confidence has increased so much.
Talking about her role, she says, “All We Imagine As Light is a story of three women. Usually, women are shown fighting among themselves in films, but this film is about three different women and their friendship. The film is about Mumbai. Mumbai is a city where people come from many places and settle down in Mumbai. This film is their story. I have played the role of Parvati in the film, who is from Konkan and lives in Mumbai. When I heard about the role of Parvati, I realized that I have Parvati in me. When I heard about that role, I felt that it was written for me. Only I will do it. We shot in Mumbai and Ratnagiri.”
Shadows in Missing Ladies
‘During the auditions for Missing Ladies I kept saying – why would they take a Marathi actress?’
Her recent role as Manju Maai in Missing Ladies and her dialogues went so viral that now her fans stop her even at grocery stores to pick her up. Talking about the film, she says, “Kiran ji had worked a lot on that film. We had a dialect coach, Sonu Anand, who worked really hard with us to get the dialect right. I used to call him at midnight to check if I was able to speak the dialect correctly. I myself have a knack for different languages and every language has an accent – it’s a lot of fun doing that. But I was a little scared during Missing Ladies. The Hindi films I had done till then – the film was Hindi but my accent was in Hindi. Character There was a Maharashtrian in it. She spoke Hindi but she was a Marathi woman. But this character was from UP, so I was like I didn’t want to get caught. My friend Romil Modi, who was the casting director of the film – I kept telling him, ‘Romil, it won’t happen. These people will audition and take a Hindi actress, why will they take a Marathi actress?’ But I am thankful to Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan that they thought I could do this character of Manju Maai.”
For me, the most important thing is my role, the director or the production house comes later. I want to do different roles and want a chance to learn with every film. Otherwise, it will be like sticking the same character in every film. Kiran Rao is an amazing director and an amazing person. She made Dhobi Ghat, even at that time I was offered a small role, but I couldn’t do it because of my operation.”
Recalling an encounter, she said, “If asked, I would not immediately remember Manju Maai’s dialogues, but I keep meeting people who remember the dialogues. A few days ago, I went to a shop and met a family from Gujarat. And they were all reciting my dialogues to me. One of them told me that she tells her daughter, ‘It is not a matter of shame to be a fool, it is a matter of shame to be proud of being a fool.’ (laughs)
‘I will never say – what a rubbish film I did. No. It was a very important film for me at that time, so I did it
Kadam has played strong female roles like Nani in Fandry, Suman Akka in Sairat and Chandraka in Nude. Talking about her way of choosing scripts, she says, “When I get to do something different, I do it. But it is not always like that. Sometimes there is a good script, sometimes there are good people and sometimes it is a matter of bank balance – that also happens. Sometimes I also feel – why did I do this film? But one thing I want to say is that right now people are talking about my good films. But what do the audience think of my good films, I was able to do these good films because I did some other films as well. Those films gave me financial support at that time. It is because of those films that I am doing good films today. I will not even say – what rubbish film did I do. No. That was very important for me at that time. I had put in the same effort for that work at that time.”
How did Chaaya Kadam start acting?
Her acting career started when she attended a workshop by former NSD director Waman Kendre. Recalling how it all began, she said, “My elder brother and father both left me, I was very attached to both of them. When they left, I felt like there was nothing left in life. There was nothing to do, it felt like everything was over. That’s what happened to me. I never used to step out of the house and I was the youngest. I felt I had to get out of this and then one day I saw an advertisement in the newspaper for Prof. Waman Kendre’s acting workshop and I thought I would step out of my house and meet people who would not even know what was happening in my life. I had to adapt to something, forget myself. That’s what was on my mind and that’s how I did the workshop. I enjoyed the workshop a lot and he also told me what I have and what I lack.
Just yesterday, when I gave an interview for Doordarshan, I remember someone told me that Doordarshan needs an actor, and I went there and the director told me that the casting was done, but he needed an assistant. “I felt like – yaar, I am not looking like an actress?” (laughs)
Later, she joined as an assistant and acted in a short film when the lead actress did not turn up. She has done many films that have not yet been released. Doesn’t it feel bad to work in films that have not released? She says, “There is a lot of sadness. But that sadness is not mine alone. When we start discussing a project, from that very moment we start discussing the character. Whether the film releases or not, the preparations that are done to play the characters connect somewhere.”
Chhaya Kadam turns producer with her upcoming film BardowShe says, “It was a good subject and so many good people were associated with the film that I felt my name should also be associated with it.” Bardow It means the space between death and rebirth. It was quite challenging for me to play this role. When you work with people who love their work, even if there are fewer people – say just 50 – their energy feels like 100 people. That’s how I worked on that film.”
Shadow Steps
