'I was always a storyteller'

Beyond Bollywood

Bollywood actor Anjali Patil has her hands full. The actor will soon be seen in Rajkummar Rao-starrer ‘Newton’ and the Marathi film ‘The Silence’. Moreover, she also has Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Kaala’ in her kitty.

In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, the artiste talks about her life and projects.

What drew you to acting?
I was always a storyteller. When I was a child, I would tell all kinds of stories, complete with elaborate lies, to my mother and school teacher. I would tell tales after absenting myself from school and people would believe it. I always wanted to break rules since I had a problem with anything that was systematic. It took me a good number of years to realise that acting would give me that freedom to express myself.

What motivates you as an actor and what keeps you going?
Acting gives me a good platform. When you surprise yourself with a great performance, that becomes a source of encouragement too. Actors are the most vulnerable people.

With back-to-back releases, what is on your mind right now?
I am as calm as I was before ‘Sameer’ was released. ‘Sameer’ happened when I was travelling and had no money. I instantly agreed to the project. The movie is trying to wake people up. Now that ‘Newton’ is coming up, I am all excited. I have no doubts about the project; I know that it will be talked about for a long time.

Tell us about ‘Newton’.
I am playing a young girl, who is young, educated and has seen incidents that have happened to people around her. She is hoping for a change, but is practical and knows that things don’t happen in a jiffy. ‘Newton’ is a gem.

How was the experience shooting for it?
Shooting in secluded areas in the interior parts of Chhattisgarh was interesting.

It helped me to stay in tune with my character. We used to have a lot of fun. There would be nothing else to do when we weren’t shooting, so we would be just singing and cooking.

Can you tell us a bit about your other projects...
My Marathi film ‘The Silence’, is about child abuse and has been showcased at many film festivals across the world.

Child abuse is common in our society, yet we are apprehensive to talk about it. I’m glad that the movie will be on the screens soon. The other exciting project is ‘Kaala’ with Rajini sir.

How was it to be in the presence of Rajinikanth?
Just amazing! I learned and unlearned many things during the shoot. It was an overwhelming experience.

He is a beacon of hope and light. When he comes, everything lights up.
You should see his code of conduct on and off the set.
He is such a fine person.

Is it challenging to act in other languages?
I’m comfortable in all languages. Films in different languages are a great opportunity to learn a bit about the culture of these states.

If you weren’t an actor...
I don’t know... maybe a director. I could be painting or maybe, I would even be running a cafe on the top of a hill.

Your biggest strength and weakness...
My biggest strength and weakness is my innocence and simplicity.