Some female directors share a very special rapport with their leading ladies: Aparna Sen and Shabana Azmi in Sati, Kalpana Lajmi and Dimple Kapadia in Rudaali, Gauri Shinde and Sridevi in English Vinglish, Arati Kadav and Sanya Malhotra in Mrs….
Arati remembers her first meeting with Sanya. “In the first meeting itself, Sanya endeared herself so much to me that I really wanted to work with her and learn and grow with her. She made me feel very comfortable in my skin, in being myself, and then, through her own dedication, inspired me to excel. I have grown as a fan, and every day, I have met her. This role in Mrs was very tough, also for an actor who operates with so much empathy, and seeing her break and rebuild herself was something else. Working with her any day is like the best creative day of my life. I am so happy so many young girls across the country identify with her and look up to her. Her victory in life feels deeply personal, and I wish her the very best today and every day. The film really spoke to her, and it showed the way she committed herself to the character. From my first meeting itself, she impressed me with her simplicity of heart, her pep and energy and her deep empathy. I felt the character needed all these qualities, and knowing Sanya is going to be part of this film helped us weave the screenplay around her. Her passion for dance also showed up in the screenplay.”
Arati is effusive about Sanya’s collaborative spirit. “She helped me meet many women who were the same as her age group and made me realize how urgent and important this story is as it is happening to girls younger than me. She was very hardworking and had notes for every scene, sort of a diary entry, and she worked with diligence and sincerity that I found inspiring. She was a dream actress to work with whose presence elevated the game of the entire team. Yes, we had a bonding coming from a deep respect and love for each other. I realized that Sanya feels every moment while performing, so I just wanted to be there for her emotionally. But besides that, Sanya was like my Santa, ordering coffee and bagel and other food items for me. I always met her every morning of the shoot. And even in that meetings a lot of time I would get coffee from her. She makes the best coffee one can find in Mumbai.”
About the comparisons of Mrs with the original film The Great Indian Kitchen, Arati ponders, “I personally felt it would be unavoidable; the only way to do it is by distancing ourselves from it after seeing it once. Because already the screenplay was close to it. After we had the screenplay, we just wanted to make it our own. I had loved her in Dangal, Pagglait, and Kathal. Even Pataka, the madness of both her and Radhika was wonderful. But I love her in Mrs a lot. If I could, I would work with her on every film I could. But immediately, yes, there is one film I want to do with her.”
