Simran | Photo credit: Special Arrangements
One of Simran’s most memorable roles is Mani Ratnam’s 2002 Tamil film Indra. Kunathal Muthamtal And it is no coincidence that his upcoming Hindi film Gil Mohr He also stars in a role with the same name. ” GulmoharDirector Rahul V Chatela is a huge fan of Mani Sir and loves him. Kunathal Muthamtalsays Simran on a call from Mumbai in between promotions.
Quotations:
You started your film journey with Bollywood before making a name for yourself in the South. How did it feel to go back to where it all started?
OTT has brought the world together and language is no longer a barrier. Although I started in Bollywood, my luck and fortune took me down south. My knowledge, when it comes to acting, comes from the amazing colleagues and seniors I have had the opportunity to work with from South. This confidence has forced me to take on new roles.
What intrigued you the most about ‘Gul Mohr’?
It’s been a while since we had such a happy family story, given how OTT is full of thriller, sci-fi and action content. I believe that regardless of gender, it is impossible to achieve anything without the support of family members… and this film is about love, differences, unity and unity within a family.
The director has followed my work in films like Rahul. Warnam Ayaram And they wanted to cast me in their film even though they were scared initially because they thought I didn’t know Hindi (laughs).
I actually felt proud when he said that. It was nice to play Indra and the mother of three again, even though they are all grown up.
Simran with director Rahul V Chatela on the sets of ‘Gul Mohar’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements
While doing a realistic film like ‘Gul Mohar’, do you take cues from your real life experiences or is it the opposite where your character influences your personal life?
While speaking dialogues or discussing scenes, you are definitely influenced by your real life experiences and you start giving your opinion on how the character might react. Similarly, when you do something on screen, the character stays with you even after you go back home. Entertainment really affects our personal lives and vice versa. That’s why like a movie Gulmohar Important is where, despite the combination of different characters, you can find one that suits you. Rahul has worked with Meera Nair for over a decade, so you can imagine the depths he must have touched.
With ‘Gulmohar’, you also got to work with veterans like Sharmila Tagore and Amul Pallekar.
It was a wonderful experience. She (Sharmila) was perfect when it came to discipline as well as work. Similarly, Amul Pallekar is a fantastic actor to share the screen space with, given his immense experience in theatre. I also got to work with Manoj (Bajpai) ji, a great actor, and Suraj Sharma, who started his career. Life of PI.
Simran with Sharmila Tagore on the sets of ‘Gul Mohar’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements
As someone who has seen the film industry for so long, how do you see the way women’s roles are being written changing?
It is seen that many films these days are writing better roles for women and giving equal importance to both men and women. It also comes down to writing roles based on the actor’s ability. In Ponniyin Selvan 1, despite being a drama and mainly about male characters, the characters portrayed by Aishwarya Rai and Trisha had their own screen space.
You have also completed 25 years in the Tamil film industry. How did it go and what is your next move?
I literally grew up with the industry. I have done many genres on different mediums and platforms, and all of them have increased learning. I am also happy about the versatile roles I have acquired over the years, which I am sure the audience expects. I want to continue acting and given an opportunity, I want to produce new material that can introduce new talent.
Gulmohar will air on Disney+ Hotstar from March 3.
Manoj Bajpayee and Simran in a still from ‘Gul Mohar’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements
