Esha Deol has been garnering praise for her role in the recently released Tumko Meri Kasam directed by Vikram Bhatt. In fact, there should have been more of her in the excellent film. The actress talks with Subhash K Jha about her homecoming to the big screen, working on Tumko Meri Kasam, her life off camera, and what’s coming next!
What made you say yes to Tumko Meri Kasam?
Tumko Meri Kasam, overall, for me, had more green tick marks to say yes to the project. As, you know, it’s very important who’s making it, who’s presenting it, and it was none other than Mahesh Bhatt sahib and the director Vikram Bhatt. I have worked with him earlier in a film called Ankahi, and having the opportunity to work with him again was like, for me, you know, I really, really loved working under Vikram’s direction because I believe he’s a complete actor’s director and I always wanted to work with him again. So when I got this opportunity with Tumko Meri Kasam, I knew I was in good hands.
You have an interesting part ?
I was coming to that. Most importantly, the role that I play in the film is a defence lawyer, Meenakshi Sharma, and it is a very challenging role—nothing like I’ve done before. Having said that, being under the right guidance of a good director was very important to me. So, you know, it just blended in well.
You share all your screen space with Anupam Kher?
Of course, you know, my entire section in the film is with Kher Saab, and again, he’s an institution in himself. So overall, it was just a wonderful film to do and to more than anything else, satisfy me and my thirst as an actor.
The film is about pregnancy through IVF?
You know, IVF has become a very well-known subject today. More and more people are opting for IVF because of the success rate of it and definitely educating certain sections of our country with this, you know, science has been Dr. Ajay’s sort of motto and mission when he launched Indira IVFs all over the country. I think he’s done a fantastic job so that it reaches everywhere in the country. And touching on a topic like this in today’s time is absolutely, I think, is sort of the call of the hour, I would say. People will identify with this.
You have been away from the big screen for ages?
Yes, fourteen years of me not being on the silver screen. So this time with Tumko Meri Kasam, more than any other term, I would say it’s a homecoming for me. It’s a feeling of coming back home when I see myself on the big screen and seeing, you know, the audiences watching me again on the big screen because I started my career at eighteen and all my films were for the theatre.
Would you say Tumko Meri Kasam is your comeback?
I wouldn’t say a comeback because I have been actively working since the past few years. Like you all know, I’ve done Rudra, the web series on OTT, then Hunter, then short films and ‘Ek Dua’, my short film which I produced and acted in also, won the National Award. So, I have been actively working. So I wouldn’t say it’s a comeback, but Tumko Meri Kasam, I would say it’s a homecoming.
What was it like being directed by Vikram Bhatt?
I think for any actor, it’s a beautiful experience because he is, you know, with you through the film from the beginning till the end. And he’s a complete actor’s director. I have worked with him earlier and that experience was also very satisfying for me as an actor. Again, that was quite a different role for me to do at that age than of a very sort of possessive, passionate lover in Ankahi. And now being a defence lawyer, it was a very challenging role because I’ve never done something like that. It had a certain feminine subtlety that I brought into the character, and a certain fierceness was required. So, I have somehow blended these two.
How do you balance your responsibilities as a mother and your professional commitments?
Being a working mother is something that, you know, requires a lot of, I would say, pre-planning of the schedule, a lot of prioritising of your time. Yeah, it’s sort of that and sort of staying away from certain things that you probably would have been able to do in your free time. You know, so my schedule, honestly, is just between my shoots of the films and my kids. Staying away is mainly some of my friends scribble, saying that you don’t meet us much anymore because on days that I’m not working, I’m at home with my kids, and we’re chilling, and we sleep early, get up early. So yeah, I mean, it’s all about balancing and prioritising everything. And, of course, pre-planning your entire schedule.
Are you open to new offers?
I’m absolutely open to more offers. I’m feeling like I’m back on the saddle. So once you’re on the horse, the horse needs to gallop, and it has started galloping. So I would say, you know, I am doing a couple of projects already, which we will talk about closer to whenever they are ready to be spoken about. And I’m open to more challenging roles. Again, something that gives me the satisfaction to work in today’s time and age. And yes, I’m happy to be galloping on the horse again.
What’s next?
Next, I will be starting filming for a pan-India film shot in Telugu. It’s called S.Y.G. It is also with Mr. Sanjay Dutt. And it’s a fantastic setup—very different. There’s a certain fantasy element to it. And yeah, so I’ll start to work on that now, next.
I’m looking forward to another one with Vikram soon.
