“Acting has been the best experience of my life” ”“ Actress Chitragandha Singh.
By Neeru Saluja
I came to interview actress Chitragandha Singh and left knowing a woman of substance, who is beautiful from inside and outside. The dusky beauty who has recently turned 40, has an intelligent head on her shoulders while making the right choices in the industry.
Actress Chitragandha Singh was in Sydney recently for a meet and greet organised by Friends India Entertainment and Anuj Kulshreshtha. Before she headed for the meet and greet, we got a chance to have an exclusive interview with her. Looking stunning from head to toe in a dress styled by designer Esha Amin, Chitragandha talked about her journey, juggling motherhood and the choices she has made in her career since her debut film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2003.
As we start the conversation, we discover this is not her first visit to Australia and she loves travelling. “I came to Australia 10 years ago, and my first landing was in Perth which was breathtaking. Melbourne was winter to summer and summer to winter, so Sydney is my favourite city in Australia.
“When I was told about this event, the first feeling was very heart warming. There are people here who love what we do, and acknowledge what we do. However cliché it sounds, it means a lot to us. I feel indebted for that kind of love and whatever little work I have done. We keep going to Dubai and Bangkok for work but I have never come this far for a professional commitment,” says Chitragandha.
While we talk about her journey from India to Australia, we also ask her about her Bollywood journey. “It’s been an interesting yet fulfilling journey in Bollywood since my debut. I never planned to be an actor, it just happened. Many times personal commitments have taken priority over my professional commitments, because of which I have been in and out of work. Saying that, this has been the best experience of my life. I’m so lucky to get the second chance to work in the industry, the comeback has been beautiful. I’m humbled to get the acknowledgement” tells Chitragandha.
She is also one of the actresses who took a four year sabbatical at the peak of her career to enjoy motherhood. How does she do the juggling act? “There are good days, there are bad days. I had my son and then took a sabbatical for four years. All women are doing the balancing act. It’s become normal now. I’m very fortunate that instead of a 9 to 5 job, I can choose my films according to my schedule. There is a gradual change in the society and that’s why the industry is changing. You are not looking for the ”˜virgin’ in the heroine and neither vamps exist anymore. Bollywood is now accepting female leads in films” acclaims the actress.
Saying that, you have portrayed very strong characters in Sudhir Mishra’s films ”“ Hazaaron Khawaishen, Inkaar and Yeh Saali Zindagi. Do you think Sudhir Mishra brings the best out of you? “Absolutely. Sudhir Mishra brings out the best out of a woman character. He has the talent to understand a woman without judging a woman. The way he writes the script for a female character is amazing. He doesn’t write them black and white. He’s definitely given me my best parts. There is no second question about that.”
Her film ”˜Inkaar’ was a breakthrough film dealing with sexual harassment. ”˜Maya’ stood up for what was right and so has she with her recent choices. Do you relate to the character? “I’m so much like her. She was strong but was extremely vulnerable and that’s how she got pushed into what she did. She wasn’t the cold and practical woman, she was emotional and vulnerable. That’s what I relate to as a woman. She was so affected by that man that she makes the decision” says Chitragandha.
Talking about being strong, you were recently in the news for walking out of Kushan Nandy’s film with actor Nawazuddin because of an intimate scene. “It was very unfortunate. Nawaz is a brilliant actor and I would have loved to work with him. I had prepared for the role and even did a few workshops. But it’s sad when your director sees things in a different way and you see things in a different way. I didn’t want to be pushed and get bullied into to it. You can’t get bullied into things,” asserts Chitragandha.
If not this incident, what would you term as your most difficult struggle? “To be able to experiment with different things has been a struggle. Whatever you get introduced with in the industry, that image stays with you for a long time. People box you in that kind of character and perceive that you can only do these kind of roles. But I’m talking about the time of around 15 years ago when I made my debut. Things are changing now, and I’m getting offers from both parallel and commercial cinema,” tells the beautiful actress.
On a glamourous note, the actress was also here to judge a fashion designer show in Melbourne and we wanted to know if she was a fashionista and if she could share a few fashion tips! “I don’t think I follow fashion that much and follow trends. Honestly I’m not a trendsetter! But as any woman I do enjoy fashion. It’s definitely not ruling my day. Keep it simple, don’t overdo things, and don’t carry the bling if it doesn’t suit. Don’t let fashion wear you, wear what suits you. Nothing is more attractive than confidence. It’s very important to feel comfortable and confident in what you wear than watching your toes and back all the time,” advises the fashionable actress.
Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=7879