I have now learnt how to detach myself from the character's pain after the shoot is over: Sonalee Kulkarni

Sonalee Kulkarni, who was last seen in Jhimma (2021) and Pandu (2021), is ready to take over the big screen in Sanjay Jadhav's musical drama Tamasha Live.

The film, which is set to arrive in cinemas on 15 July, stars Sachit Patil, Siddharth Jadhav and Hemangi Kavi. It revolves around a young journalist Shefali, played by Kulkarni, who decides to go against a star reporter of the Marathi media Ashwin (Sachit Patil). 

In an exclusive conversation with Cinestaan.com, Kulkarni opened up about her character, the preparation she had to do for this role and her acting career.

What can you tell us about your character and the film?

Our film and my character, Shefali, have many layers. The viewers must have noticed how wear white clothes in the beginning of the trailer but they slowly transition into grey and then black outfits. These clothes indicate her character transformation from an honest, naive reporter to a cunning and smart journalist who knows how to not let herself get affected by her emotions.

Initially, she works as a simple reporter who has to cover absurd news but she wants to become a star reporter like Ashwin, who is played by Sachit Patil, But when Ashwin insults her and makes her realize that what she is doing is not actual journalism, she decides to become a star reporter like him. And her journey from this naive young reporter to a star reporter is what the film is about. And I think every ambitious person will relate to her journey.

When you read the script for the first time, did you immediately agree to be part of the film or did it take a little time?

Actually, I hadn't read the script when I agreed to be part of the film. I was in Dubai during the second lockdown when I got a call from Planet Marathi regarding this project. They told me, 'Sanjay Jadhav has an interesting film project and he wants to cast you'. Obviously, I was intrigued, because after all, it's Sanjay Jadhav's film. He has delivered so many hits in Marathi cinema. 

Not many people know this, but my first project as an actress was shot by Sanjay Jadhav as DOP.  I was 16 years old and was working on a serial called Ha Khel Sanchitacha. Sanjay dada was the DOP on that serial. I was waiting for him to call me to act in his film. And now after almost twenty years, I got a chance to work under his direction. When directors call us to narrate a script, they generally give us a brief about the story and our character, but when Sanjay da called me, he narrated the whole script on a zoom call with all the minute details including how they were going to shoot the film and how each song would take the story forward. I was absolutely blown away by his narration. So there was no reason for me to say no to the project.

It's a musical, so I'm sure that must have been a unique experience.

Yes, we generally have song and dance in films, but this is a very different kind of musical. Each song takes the story forward. The film also gave me an opportunity to explore various types of dances. I did Garba for the first time in my life for this film,and mind you, it was really tough. It looks easy on the eyes, but pulling off those steps with grace, especially in that 15kg Ghagra was no easy feat.  I'm also doing Lavani, Bhangra and Bharatnatyam. In fact, I have also attempted western dance types such as Jazz and Contemporary. We also have qawwali. From folk music to western music, we have every kind of music in this film.

What was the most interesting aspect of your character?

More than the character, I would say I got to learn many new things about the journalism profession. I used to think that being a journalist was not that difficult, but after playing this character, I realized that it's definitely a difficult job. You have to be always aware of what's happening around you. Also you can't afford to lose objectivity. Even when I have to give some sad news, I have to be neutral and not let my emotions take over. The one thing I learned while shooting for the film is how to detach myself from the character's pain and certain situations which are not in our control. I cannot take Shefali to Sonalee's house. Earlier I used to take my character home and it would stay with me even after we are done with the shooting. But this didn't happen to me for this character.

So how did you prepare for this role?

All the actors did workshops for more than one month. Like we do in plays, we used to rehearse our scenes. Because it is a very dialogue-heavy film and we have to express a lot, it was necessary for us to attned these workshops. So when we finally began the shooting for the film, everyone was fully prepared.

You have also turned playback singer for the first time for this film. What was that experience like?

Yes, not just me, but Sachit and Siddharth have also sung one song each. I have to admit that it was a very difficult task. But Sanjay dada somehow convinced me to try it. He told me that, instead of another singer, he wanted me to express the emotions Shefali was going through because I had already felt those emotions. After some convincing, I agreed to give it a shot. 

Every girl can relate to this song because it shows how a girl who has been humiliated will go to any extent to prove herself. It was really really difficult to record the track because it is a high-pitch song, but we somehow managed it. And now that the audience and my fans are also liking the song, so I'm glad that I took this chance.

Jhimma is a woman-centric film, Pandu is a comedy and Tamasha Live is a musical drama. How do you choose your projects?

When you are hungry, you don't care about how tasty or healthy your food is; you eat whatever is presented in front of you. Only after you have eaten enough and no longer feel hungry, do you start looking for tasty or healthy food. Just like that, at the beginning of an actor's career, any actor would seek out roles, irrespective of the film's content. After a few years, when we have established ourselves, we become a bit more choosy and look for roles that will give us something new. I completed 15 years in the industry.  The audience has seen me in many different roles, so I don't want the audience to receive the same experience by playing the same type of characters. I want them to be surprised by me and my performance. So right now I look for something that I have never tried before. When I first signed on for this film, I couldn't relate to Shefali's character at all. There was hardly any similarity between me and her. I was getting the opportunity to play someone with whom I could not relate at all and I think that was one of the reasons I agreed to be part of the film.

Last month, RaanBaazaar's teaser sparked controversy with its explicit content. Many people criticized Tejaswini Pandit and Prajakta Mali for doing bold scenes. But we see that the same Marathi audience very happily accepts such content in Hindi shows and films. What's your take on this?  

I know; it's pretty ironic actually. When the same Marathi audience sees bold content in Hindi or English shows, they don't find anything morally wrong with it. I'm not exactly sure about why this happens, but the one reason I can think of is that the Marathi audience considers us as part of their family. My audience who has seen me in Hirkani (2019) or Jhimma consider me as one of their family members. So when your family member is doing such bold content it does hurt you a little. This is my opinion. I might be wrong. 

But on the other hand, it's high time we give our Marathi artistes the freedom to do such content. Because now Marathi content is getting compared with content from all over the world. So we can't afford to lag behind in this aspect also. If the story and script demand such content, then there is nothing wrong with doing bold scenes. I'm not comfortable doing such scenes, but I believe that those who can pull it off should have the freedom to do so.