Warring sisters

From playing a typical TV serial bahu to portraying a reckless and impulsive girl, it was a major transition for you Radhika. Tell me about it...

Radhika Madan: I really got excited when I read the script of Pataakha. My first reaction was 'I want to live Champa Kumari's life( Radhika's character in the movie). For that, I was willing to go to any extent and do anything. I didn't think once before rolling in the mud or digging my hands in the cow dung. After all, it was the requirement of my character and the script.

I got to do so many things that I never did in my life. I smoked for the first time for this movie, picked cow dung, cooked, milked the cow, bathe it and a lot more. It was very new and I enjoyed every bit of it.

The only tough part for me was to play an elder sister because I am the youngest in my family. I had no idea about how the elder sisters are. So, I used to go back home and think about all those things my elder brother had done. I observed siblings and tried to get into the character. Besides that, there was no such issue.

How was your experience Sanya?

Sanya Malhotra: For every role that we do, the process and prep changes. For example, there was a completely different process for Photograph. It was more psychological for me. Whereas, for Pataakha, I had to not only get myself out of my comfort zone but also work on a lot many things.

Chutki (Sanya's character in Pataakha) has been the most challenging character for me to play because she is something I cannot relate to.

Though I have an elder sister and I can relate to the relationship and bond, (I used to hate her at a point of time, we used to fight and all such stuff) I had a major problem with how loud she is. I had to do a lot of preparations for the same.

But what about learning the Rajasthani dialect...

Radhika: We did a lot of readings with Vishal sir and Charan Singh Ji (Author of the book on which Pataakha is based). But what helped me the most was the visit to the village. I spent 5-6 days in the village. I had to converse in the language of locals because women over there didn't know Hindi at all. By the third or fourth day, we actually got a hang of it.

Sanya: Dialect was not an issue for me. It is very similar to Haryanvi and I had done quite a similar thing in Dangal. So, it was not a major problem. For me, the challenge was to push myself out of the comfort zone and get into the character.

Sunil, your television show was a great hit then why did you decide to shift to movies?

Sunil Grover:Firstly, I don't think it's a shift. Secondly, there are no lines between television and films anymore. Everything is merged... It has become one world. So, irrespective of the medium, I will keep doing good work. I believe, the amount of popularity I have today, and the love I get is because of television. I will not mind doing another show on TV even if my films are doing amazingly well.

How is Vishal Bhardwaj as a director?

Radhika: He is a very easy director to work with. He creates an extremely positive environment. There is a pre-conceived notion that he is a very senior director and therefore will be harsh and stubborn about what he wants. But I think, it's quite the opposite. He is always very open to suggestion. He will either convince you or get convinced.

I remember a scene where I and Sanya were not very sure and didn't want to do it. Vishal sir got to know about it, came to our room, sat with us, and discussed it for a good amount of time. Later, we decided to give it a shot and see what happens. After doing the scene we realized how important it actually was. If you ask me now, it is the most important scene of the first half.

There is a reason why Vishal Bharadwaj is 'The Vishal Bhardwaj'. He is blessed with a vision that nobody has.

Sanya: Working with Vishal sir was so much fun. He is an amazing director. But more than that, he is a fabulous human being who gave us a lot of importance. He gave us all the freedom as an actor to perform and to question him. I am really grateful that I got a chance to work with him and learn more than I expected.

Sunil: I would say, he is an artist...Artists have their own expression of communicating. Similarly, Vishal sir has his own way of telling a story which is beautiful. It feels nice to see people who are so dedicated towards their work, pay attention to the minutest details and love their work. Vishal sir is one of those people.

When you play a character, you have to put all your effort to get into its skin. But after the shoot, was it difficult to come out of your character?

Radhika: When the shoot was over, I had to dub for Mard ko dard nahi hota(her next film). While I was doing the recording, unintentionally I uttered the dialogue in that Rajasthani accent I have in Pataakha. The director came to me and asked 'do you realize what happened just now.' And I was completely unaware of what he was actually talking about. He had to replay the scene to explain me everything. The similar incidences happened with Sanya as well. We are still very much into our characters.

In fact, for a long time, I had to talk in English so as to come out of my character of Champa Kumari.

Sanya, people often questioned you about the positive changes that came in your life after Dangal. I want to know the negative parts because of which you to took such a long break...

Sanya: After Dangal, I was in a very good state professionally. I wasn't expecting this reaction from the industry. I literally thought that I will have to start auditioning again. But the kind of roles people were offering me at that point was very surprising and overwhelming. Despite getting offered amazing scripts, I wanted to be patient and spend some time away from the limelight...and I did it willingly. I am an introvert person and like my own company.

During that phase, I traveled a lot, read a lot of books and did all those things that made me happy. I was upset because of some personal reason. It had nothing to do with my career and work.

You got to work with mega stars like Vishal Bhardwaj and Aamir Khan in the very start of your career. To what extent do you think luck played a role in your success?

Sanya: I would say it was 'being at the right place at the right time'. For Dangal, I auditioned for almost a month. I won't say that I was just lucky. I have spent days without any work. I was jobless and had to struggle a lot. I spent months sitting at home waiting for a call from the casting director. I have seen all of it. So, it wasn't a cakewalk for me at all.

You three are quite different from each other. Were there any fights or clashes?

Sunil: Vishal chose his characters very well(laughs). It was like a family working together. We never had a clash of opinion or any sort of fights. I think, Vishal sir was like the principal who was very clear about the script and what he wants. This was the reason everything went so smoothly.