A film still from Ludo
Shalini Vatsa recently made waves onscreen for her portrayal of the idiosyncratic Lata Kutty in the Anurag Basu directorial anthology, Ludo. Ludo however is far from being her first stint as an actor. Shalini had made her debut with the critically acclaimed Peepli Live, and since then, has been lending strength and authenticity to all her characters. She further gained recognition for her portrayal of a lawyer in Hansal Mehta’s National award winning Shahid. She was equally at ease while working on international projects like Lena Khan’s The Tiger Hunter and a very special film documenting special stories of girl-child education from around the world by Academy Award nominated director Richard E. Robbins, called Girl Rising.
The actor finds herself transcending cultural, social, language, class, age barriers with ease while slipping into her characters. Hailing from Patna, she began her journey with theatre, where she honed her skills under stalwarts like Habib Tanvir and Barry John. She went on to travel with Habib Tanvir’s unique troupe naya theatre of folk and tribal artistes for over a decade, playing some very intriguing roles. We’re in conversation with Shalini, who tells us about her transition from stage to film, the experience of working on Ludo and more.
To begin with, could you take us back to your early years and tell us about what motivated you towards acting as a career?
I started acting when I was really young. I began in school itself and was working with theatre groups in Patna, so I was always aware of the fact that I wanted to act. However, I didn’t know much about becoming an actor until much later in life. I continued my journey with theatre just to be able to act, I was also a part of my university theatre. Even when I started working, I just continued to act.
You have worked extensively as a theatre artist. Films and theatre are vastly different from one another. How easy/difficult was it to transition to films?
The transition for me was fairly swift. I got informed about bagging the role in Peepli Live and within a week or ten days we had to begin shooting. So, I didn’t have much time to think about the differences in the mediums. I went in with the gut feeling that if I’ve been picked up for Peepli Live on the basis of my four auditions, then I just have to continue doing that. The movie just happened and since I wasn’t planning it, I didn’t think a lot about things like the shift from stage to film, what is the difference, and how does one negotiate that.
Are you someone who believes in preparing for characters? Tell us a little bit about your process.
Yes I definitely prepare. One needs to be familiar with the script and the story, the character and whatever information has been given. I think there’s a very thin line in being prepared and over-prepared. With films, I usually run my lines all alone at home with the script, but when I reach the set, there are a lot of variables involved. Even if one is prepared, there needs to be a window open in their mind for all kinds of aspects. I don’t quite believe in being over-prepared, but definitely in being familiar with the script and character, and then going with the director’s process. Different scripts and characters require a different kind of preparation, and each director’s process varies too.
What are the kind of films/scripts that you are drawn towards and would like to work on for the future?
Basically I have worked in films that I have been picked for and those that have come my way. After that, if I have to choose, it’s about the people who are making the movie, the environment in which I have to go and work in, and the story’s message and character that I’m expected to play. I personally think that right from my first film, up until now, I have been a part of the shift that has occurred in Bollywood in terms of content, and that has really been exciting. As an actor I would love to explore any and every kind of film or character. To keep exploring becomes the key, otherwise you’re in a rut and repeating the same things over and over again.
Tell us about the experience of working on Ludo with Anurag Basu and Pankaj Tripathi? Were there any challenges you faced with your character.
Working with both Anurag and Pankaj was absolutely terrific. It was very assuring as an actor as well. Everything was very relaxed and it was creatively very dynamic. There was ample opportunity to explore. Largely speaking, for me every character begins with being a challenge. Everything is completely new, I don’t know these women when I first meet them, it's all about the process of discovering them as I go along. Although, it is very reassuring when you’re working with a director like Anurag Basu.
Lastly what’s coming up next?
There are a couple of exciting projects in the pipeline. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to talk about them yet.