Took up 'Dithee' because of legendary director Sumitra Bhave: Anjali Patil

Anjali Patil plays the role of a young woman, who loses her husband, in 'Dithee'

Actor Anjali Patil, who has impressed cinephiles with her work in late Marathi director Sumitra Bhave's swansong Dithee, says she agreed to be a part of the movie because of her bond with the ace filmmaker.

"The legend, Sumitra madam, is the main reason behind saying yes to the film. We once met when I was young and she said 'we will work together one day'. That finally happened with Dithee,"she told DH in an exclusive interview.

The Kishor Kadam-starrer, which released on SonyLiv a few days ago, is a moving drama that revolves around a man's attempts at coming to terms with the untimely demise of his son. Dithee, which is based on writer D B Mokashi's short story Aata Aamod Sunasi Aale, has received rave reviews for its sensitive storyline and mature execution. It features Anjali in the role of a young woman who finds herself in a difficult situation after her husband's death.

"I had no experience in handling the situation faced by the character, but was able to relate to the fact that she is a vulnerable girl," said Anjali.

Dithee, like most of Sumitra's films, featured realistic situations and well-defined characters, which many feel helped it click with OTTians.

"Her work comes from a different sensitivity, which is quite hard to find," the actor added.

Anjali, meanwhile, is going through a busy phase on the work front and will soon be seen in Tamil movie Kuthiraivaal, which has garnered a fair deal of international attention as it uses 'magic realism' to connect with the audience. It is based on the novel The Metamorphosis and has been produced by Pa Ranjith, who directed her in Kaala. She also plans to don the director's hat in the near future.

"I always try to choose cinema that I can relate to," said Anjali, on a parting note.