It is difficult to make a mark in the dynamic film industry and especially in a multi-starrer. But what grabbed the audience attention in Prakash Jha’s Chakravyuh was the newcomer Anjali Patil’s act. Cast opposite Abhay Deol, Anjali not only made her mark but also emerged as the real heroine ahead of Esha Gupta!
“Chakravyuh is my first commercial film,” shares Anjali who hails from Nasik and studied in Pune and NSD, Delhi. A student of direction, Anjali moved to acting more as a matter of exploration. “Camera always attracted me so I thought I would try to be in front of it rather than at the back and why not, if people were offering me good roles and scripts? It was like exploring unknown territory.”
But acting wasn’t a co-incidence. Anjali planned for it. “I stayed in Mumbai for around two years, began circulating my portfolio which somehow reached Prakash Jha who then approached me for his film. Meanwhile, I did a couple of Telugu and Malayalam films which are expected to be released soon.”
But working with Prakash is what she is happy about. The exploration of her character must have been a tough job because this role demanded much more than an adventurous spirit. “I read literature, books on Naxalism and those related to communist literature. I also went to JNU to meet few people.”
Is that all that she did to look convincing? “I enquired about guerrilla’s warfare and realised how much energy goes into it. So, I put in all my energy and motivation to make my character appear real,” she says but adds that in real life too, being a rebel attracts her and that is why she could portray it well on screen, “I know that Naxals think that fighting for their rights is right and they follow that.
But in certain ways, I always wanted to become a part of revolution myself. I have always believed in equality of things but it is so difficult to make it happen in practical terms. I have always wanted to be part of something like this but whenever I dreamed of a revolution, all that came across was false hope that erupted as anger against a society and people.”
Her pairing with Abhay is also what she cherishes, “Abhay is one of the most talked about actors today and it was it was pleasantly surprising to find out that both of us had similar mindsets while working on our characters. He is quite a logical person so it became easy for me to relate with him while working.”
Now that she has made her foray into commercial cinema, is she up for Bollywood glam roles? “The moment people start offering me typical roles, I'll stop acting,” she sums up.
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