You know that we see it in a film we see ridiculous it is but you know how many times have you when there's been an accident for example you say but you know must have been
Why was she out? you know almost like it's her fault.
The film will push everyone one is that they'll relate to it. They'll relate to some or the other part of some or the other characters and secondly, it's going to raise a question which says what if this happened to me?
Soon after I think you also announced the web series on Indira Gandhi is that still happening? I'd hope so I 'm hoping to be able to share good news very soon.
Hi everyone this is Avinash Lohana and you're watching Pinkvilla. You know there are days when you're just happy to meet someone and talk to someone this is one of those days.
Primarily because I'm talking to two powerhouse performers Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah.
Hi guys. Hi. Hi Avinash.
So you know 'Jalsa', I really have been meaning to ask this ever since I've seen the trailer the title Jalsa and the trailer are dichotomically opposite to each other. What is the scene?
It was her idea so she'll answer yeah and she got the spelling right so he just put it Suresh had nothing to do with it
But like Suresh says it's Jalsa, the meaning is a congregation of people coming together for a celebration. This is a congregation of many lives many people
The irony is coming together the suituation coming together the way the title comes in the film is completely unexpected yeah I'm sure, completely unexpected.
And it's very very interesting very interesting sure so yeah. You like to add? Yeah just that you know like she said it's one event in this case it's that one accident that sets in motion
A domino effect you know which impacts the lives of so many people literally turns it upside down yeah so I know that's the extent to which we can tell you about the title. Sure.
You know there's this line in the trailer that really caught my attention it's which Shefali ma'am where some person says 'your daughter too was away for three months' and
You turn around and say 'so you'll kill her or what?' [in hindi] Pardon me, it might not be the same words but what a powerful line! you know and it really makes you think that
It's 2022 and people still really think like that. Yeah! True. But don't we all? You know now that we see it in a film we see how ridiculous it is but you know how how many times have you...
When there's been an accident for example you say you know must have been why was she out? you know almost like it was her fault, it could have been a he also.
The gender's not the point here but I think that's the amazing thing about cinema you know it reflects reality back to you. Yeah.
And because it mirrors that you're able to see yourself in a different light when I saw that shot I thought of the same thing yeah
Especially the way she's done it because I read it on paper but so I think I read a bit differently right, I think it was 'so you'll kill her?' [Hindi] or something like that yeah.
And when I saw the way she did it there was a certain- It shakes you, it jolts you it does, to realise that we all do that and make it the victim's fault not just in this situation. Yeah.
It's sad that sometimes it's always the victim's fault. A lot of times.
Of course, I mean it's a mystery thriller that obviously comes across the trailer but are you also trying to convey thoughts about you know how society looks at women even today?
I- sorry, no, please
I don't think there is a moral of the story. Hmm, wow! yeah.
Also, it's not just a thriller it's a human drama thriller what-
The film will push everyone one is that they'll relate to it. They'll relate to some or the other part of some or the other characters and secondly, it's going to raise a question which says what if this happened to me?
And when this question rises in somebody you automatically are easing out on being judgemental. yeah, because being judgemental is very easy and that's the first instinct that comes to us but I wouldn't do it and here you're like
Would I do this? So I think it's more of that and it's intriguing it's riveting it's going to hold I mean it's gonna like really
One keep you on the edge of your seat and at the same time just touch you on many many levels. Sure. Yeah but I don't think there's a moral of the story for Jalsa.
And it's not necessary also yeah every film doesn't have to have a moral. i also feel that that's the beautiful irony in the film you know um
Again you expect it to have a moral yeah. Because you think it's about you know we've had people asking us because we belong to different economic strata in the film, is there some-
There's nothing it's a human story and I feel the fact that morality is being put to test yeah, everyone's idea of their own morality is being put to test because you think oh if
I was in this situation I would have done differently yeah. but only when you're in that situation you will know how you're going to react? True
Until then it's just uh you know you're just postulating yeah.
At the trailer launch, you said that you had rejected the film first and you have grey shades in the role at this stature of your career, did you still feel that there are roles that you know probably you feel that it's intimidating to you?
Yeah, I don't know whether it was intimidating but I definitely think I was not ready for it. you know, I won't say I rejected the script because it was a fantastically written script.
but I didn't think I could do it with conviction because you know-
I think I was probably I felt no you know i don't want to portray someone who reacts like that
I think I was in a moral dilemma myself but then post the pandemic I realised that you know we don't know how we'll react in any situation until you're put in that situation. Right, sure.
So I think that's what opened my mind up to the fact, to the possibility of playing Maya Menon and then when I had a chat with Suresh I said I want to re-read it and I did it but there's no question of rejecting it at all
This makes me ask another question as actors do you all judge your characters sometimes and does that become a hindrance while playing the character on-screen? To the both of you.
No, I don't judge my character. Sure. I don't and I'm sure even in real life consciously or subconsciously I may be judging people but I-
There's a conscious effort to not do it because I don't like it because there're a lot of things that I do wrong but in my place may be it seems okay for me Yeah and like Vidya said earlier
You cannot judge a person because you're not in those shoes so it's very easy to sit back and say but you know I wouldn't do it. How do you know?
And okay you wouldn't do it but that doesn't mean the whole world possesses the same morals as you. You know so I tend-
At least I want to be sensible enough to not judge people I may have an opinion Sure.
But that doesn't my opinion doesn't determine whether the other person is right or wrong but as far as the characters are concerned not at all I'm totally convinced about them. Wow! Vidya?
I think once I take up a film of course I don't but I'll say that I haven't reached the stage where I don't judge at all
Like, in this case, I realised actually I thought of myself as someone who doesn't judge as easily yeah but
I realised that you know when I was confronted with a person who has whose grey shades are being ex- whose grey shades are being explored because we all have the grey right but
I was feeling like may be intimidated is the right word.
Maybe. I don't know. Wow. Sure.
I think this combination of course is such a great cast from the outside of course you're not seeing the film yet but from the outside it just looks such a powerhouse of talent together
of course, besides being great actors you also have a tv in connect now you all have both done tv in the past.
Did you all discuss that? There was one day when I think I told Shefali how you know when I watched her the first time live on set but she obviously wasn't aware we hadn't gotten introduced to each other
I knew her from another show that she was in I was already watching that and I already loved her which was called 'Banegi Apni Baat' so
We spoke about that therefore and then Rohini ji was also on set Rohini Hattangadi. Yes. So she was also talking about television and yes we did that
We were talking about different shows yeah actors yeah correct yeah. Sure.
But you had a great last year, six projects yes touchwood and what all phenomenal projects all together.
Of course, OTT has really come as a new lease of life for a lot of actors but do you see this staying back for long? do you see this as a sustainable medium?
Absolutely. It's going to be I feel it's already dug its roots very strong and it's only going to go stronger and it's going to be forever. Sure.
I mean because the horizons OTT has opened up for all creative people and even business-wise for producers. Yes.
You know uh is commendable it's commendable I think it's going to be forever.
Sure. Vidya your last three films were also released on OTT are you also but theatres are now opening up did you all discuss releasing Jalsa in theatres?
No, I think it was very clear that Jalsa will be an OTT release always, and I think rightly so because the theme is universal the storytelling is universal so you know
The ott platforms for example Prime Video allows you to reach 240 countries and that is incredible you know and this is the right kind of film, yeah for a world audience to see
Sure. In one of your interviews years ago you had said that there was a point where you were offered ten biopics yeah wow really?
Immediately after the dirty picture people were only coming to me with the biopics, Meena Kumari, MS Subbulakshmi, Kiran Bedi
Geeta Bali you've played in a Marathi film, no that was not really- a small part, it was Bhagwan Dada's biopic yes correct in Marathi and I just did a special appearance but there were yeah
Ten of them that came to me at that time I'm thinking of the others but soon after I think you also announced a web series on Indira Gandhi, is that still happening?
I'd hope so I'm hoping to be able to share good news very soon I'll leave it at that, can't wait, for now, that's so exciting it might be a very- yeah I'm really looking forward to that project
And so am I really looking forward to Jalsa thank you so much for this lovely conversation Thank you so much