Defying stereotypes and reinventing is the need of the hour. And the senior actresses who are back in the reckoning are acing this — be it Anushka Shetty as a progressive woman in Ms Shetty Mr Polishetty, Samantha as a woman who goes through miscarriage in Kushi, or Tamannaah’s bold role in the Sex with Ex episode in Lust Stories 2, they turned out captivating performances.
‘Didn’t want to let go the role’
Anushka Shetty’s character of a woman who baulks at romance and marriage but wants to become a mother in the super-hit Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty took everyone by surprise. It was unlike any of her earlier roles, but ‘Miss Shetty’ resonated with the audiences and she was lavishly praised.“I knew people would be surprised by the role,” she admits. “I was hooked by my character arc. It was like a breath of fresh air and was worth the wait. It’s such a strong role that I didn’t want to let it go,” she shares.
More interesting roles are now being written for women, and a lot of narratives are women-centric. “This change in the industry mirrors the way women have grown in society. It’s a welcoming change,” Anushka notes.
‘Validation time’
Tamannaah was not known to upset fans and audiences with her choice of roles. So it was all the more shocking when the trailer of Lust Stories 2 dropped. The actress, who broke her 18-year ‘no kissing’ policy on screen with her beau Vijay Varma, was criticised for doing intimate scenes in the show. But Tamannah says she wanted to grow as an actress.
“I am game to explore any character that I find interesting. And this is part of constantly reinventing myself,” she says, adding that filmmakers are now focussing on giving a ‘real perspective’ to characters. “My character in Lust Stories 2 brought out a completely new facet of me. It’s a role that let me be my authentic self without any filters. I did Babli Bouncer because it was about celebrating the physical strength of a woman. Plan A Plan B and Jee Karda were set in Mumbai, the city where I was raised. So I got an opportunity to represent that lifestyle. Every part that I am playing validates me,” says Tamannah.
‘Sam enhances writing’
Samantha was charming as Aaradhya, young wife in the recent hit Kushi, also starring Vijay Deverakonda, But she was also criticised for doing intimate scenes. Interestingly, Sam wasn’t the first choice for the part, says the film’s director Shiva Niravana.
“Initially we wanted to go with a relatively new actress. But I had felt that there were some crucial scenes in the second half where the leading lady had to go through emotional turmoil as a woman who suffers a miscarriage. We needed an actress who could give a substantial performance. I know Sam well because I worked with her in Majili. She can slip into any character effortlessly once she wears the costumes. I thought she would be the best bet,” explains Shiva on how he cast Sam. “One of the reasons I picked Sam was because of the strong writing. The right casting can do justice and enhance the writing. Moreover, it was a role that she hadn’t played so far,” he explains.
Anushka’s role as a woman who baulks at romance and marriage but wants to become a mother in Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty took everyone by surprise
Samantha’s performance as a woman who goes through emotional turmoil — as a woman who suffers a miscarriage was appreciated
Tamannaah was at her authentic self without any filters in Lust Stories 2. The role brought out a completely new facet of her
The greatest validation for actors is when filmmakers start writing roles for them. I always looked at strong content-driven roles which are relatable. But again, choosing a film depends on what we are offered. I never differentiate between male- or female-centric films because I believe in novel scripts, and how my character pans out. I will continue doing all kinds of films and at the same time look for an X factor in a female-centric film. — Rashmika Mandanna
