‘Laapataa Ladies’ featuring Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, and Nitanshi Goel has hit cinemas. The film revolves around the mysterious disappearance of brides on a train. The movie is receiving good word of mouth and great accolades from the industry as a whole. Notably, Aamir Khan is one of the producers of “Laapataa Ladies,” which marks Kiran Rao‘s directorial venture. In an exclusive interview with ETimes, Pratibha Ranta, also known as Jaya from ‘Laapataa Ladies’, shared her thoughts on the phenomenal response she is getting from the audience, how she related her character to herself, the best compliment she received, other Bollywood movies she admires, and much more. Excerpts from the interview:
How is the film’s success treating you?
It’s so overwhelming. It’s absolutely nice because such great reviews are coming in. I am like, this seems to be unreal. But yeah, I am really enjoying every bit of it.
So far, what is the best compliment that you have received?
People are really able to relate to my character. Many girls are coming, messaging me, saying that you’ve just told our story. We really relate to this. So I think that’s the biggest compliment I feel. My work has reached people, and people are able to relate to it. It’s a big thing for an artist.
How did you bagged ‘Laapata Ladies’?
I auditioned for it. When I got the scripts, I realized it was so good. After reading three scripts, I got so excited that I wanted to read the whole film. I related to those three scripts so much. The audition felt like it was made for me. They called me to meet because they wanted to test me again. When I went to the office, I was excited and nervous. Everything was exciting. When I came out of the audition room, I was satisfied. I felt like I have done my job. After that, whatever happens, I will leave it to the universe. I got a call saying that I had been selected for the role. It was a fun experience.
Were there moments during the filming of emotional scenes when you experienced heightened or subdued emotions?
Low and high on emotions don’t happen. I knew from the beginning which scenes we were going to perform. One night before, I used to go to a specific zone. I thought, for this scene, it’s fun. It will be shot from different angles. And there will be a lot of takes. Surprisingly, the big monologues end in a couple of takes. It becomes magical and easy. Initially, you get scared before performing every scene. But when you reach the set, it becomes organic.
You spoke about the monologue. Can you shed some light on that?
When I auditioned, I read that scene first. Jaya tells us in that scene who she is, what she is doing, and what pursuit she has to pursue. That same incident happened to me. I was in Shimla. I told my family, “Look, I want to act. Don’t make me a doctor or an engineer. Give me one chance.” I used the word ‘chance’ at home. There’s a line in the film. If we steal, let’s steal a chance for ourselves from life. That’s my favorite line. I really want people to watch the film. Some films are important. This film is important. One learns so much. The day I saw this film in front of an audience, I realized I’m a part of a masterpiece.
Are there any other Bollywood films or films of a similar nature that you truly admire?
I really like ‘Queen‘. It emphasizes the importance of self-discovery in life, It tells about that. There are so many films that I admire namely, Chameli, Heroine, Gangubai Kathiawadi and many others.
How is the film’s success treating you?
It’s so overwhelming. It’s absolutely nice because such great reviews are coming in. I am like, this seems to be unreal. But yeah, I am really enjoying every bit of it.
So far, what is the best compliment that you have received?
People are really able to relate to my character. Many girls are coming, messaging me, saying that you’ve just told our story. We really relate to this. So I think that’s the biggest compliment I feel. My work has reached people, and people are able to relate to it. It’s a big thing for an artist.
How did you bagged ‘Laapata Ladies’?
I auditioned for it. When I got the scripts, I realized it was so good. After reading three scripts, I got so excited that I wanted to read the whole film. I related to those three scripts so much. The audition felt like it was made for me. They called me to meet because they wanted to test me again. When I went to the office, I was excited and nervous. Everything was exciting. When I came out of the audition room, I was satisfied. I felt like I have done my job. After that, whatever happens, I will leave it to the universe. I got a call saying that I had been selected for the role. It was a fun experience.
Were there moments during the filming of emotional scenes when you experienced heightened or subdued emotions?
Low and high on emotions don’t happen. I knew from the beginning which scenes we were going to perform. One night before, I used to go to a specific zone. I thought, for this scene, it’s fun. It will be shot from different angles. And there will be a lot of takes. Surprisingly, the big monologues end in a couple of takes. It becomes magical and easy. Initially, you get scared before performing every scene. But when you reach the set, it becomes organic.
You spoke about the monologue. Can you shed some light on that?
When I auditioned, I read that scene first. Jaya tells us in that scene who she is, what she is doing, and what pursuit she has to pursue. That same incident happened to me. I was in Shimla. I told my family, “Look, I want to act. Don’t make me a doctor or an engineer. Give me one chance.” I used the word ‘chance’ at home. There’s a line in the film. If we steal, let’s steal a chance for ourselves from life. That’s my favorite line. I really want people to watch the film. Some films are important. This film is important. One learns so much. The day I saw this film in front of an audience, I realized I’m a part of a masterpiece.
Are there any other Bollywood films or films of a similar nature that you truly admire?
I really like ‘Queen‘. It emphasizes the importance of self-discovery in life, It tells about that. There are so many films that I admire namely, Chameli, Heroine, Gangubai Kathiawadi and many others.
