Amrita Rao confesses she turned down promising roles as they required her to do ‘intimate scenes’

21/01/2019

Nawazuddin Siddiqui needs no introduction. When he started off nobody knew he would be such a star in Bollywood.
But oh well, how the stars above have changed! More than a star, he is a versatile actor, who has proved his mettle and the classic examples of it are Freaky Ali, Gangs Of Wasseypur and his last release Manto.
In fact, he is all set to do what he does best in Thackeray where he will bring to life the life and learnings of Bal Thackeray. The Abhijit Panse directorial has all the makings of a blockbuster and it has fans on the edge of their seats. Like the above-mentioned was not enough, Amrita Rao who was was away from the silver screen for a while is also making a comeback!
In fact, we recently sat down with the actor who agreed saying, "It’s not a comeback to acting, because I debuted on TV, but it is a comeback to the 70 mm."
In a candid chat, she spilled the beans about her self-imposed time off and everything she did to essay the character of Mina Thackeray, wife of Balasaheb Thackeray. While speaking about coming on board, she said, "I didn’t choose this (film).
Mina Tai’s character fell into my lap. One fine day, I got a call from Sanjay Raut’s office saying the director will come and meet and I was given a narration. Soon after, before I could open my mouth, the director just closed the script on me and said, ‘I’m taking it for granted. You are our Mina Tai.’"
He also added that she was a very pure and pious lady and we were looking at an actress who extended the same image in the mind of the audience.
And I truly believe, in this journey, I have earned that image by the choices I have made for myself. It’s not an easy space to be in because you have to let go of big opportunities."
But it wasn't easy, she says. When asked about the challenges she faced while prepping for her character, she stated, "I had no reference point for Meena Tai. Even Sanjay Raut and Udhhav Thackeray ji tried to dig in the old videotapes but there was none. My only reference was the limited photographs and a rare Marathi interview where Bala Saheb’s daughter described her traits."
Not just that, she also spoke about her working experience with Nawaz and maintained that it was 'nice' and 'smooth'. Speaking about his craft, she added, "There is a lot to learn from Nawaz. I don’t know what is the method to his madness because he is new every time I see him. When he steps out, he comes thoroughly prepared.
There is no confusion, no waste of time and so professional and very secure as an actor. It was a nice and smooth journey working with him."
Amrita also opened up in true terms about how biopics can be lopsided in their treatment and assured that Thackeray is nothing close to that. "Right from Sanju we got a very loud feedback where there was a large section of the audience who felt that what was true was not shown so, we are very well aware.
This is not a propaganda film or candy-floss version of Balasaheb’s life. The man was known to be controversial and we have stuck to that," she asserted.
But that wasn't all. We also quizzed her about her sabbatical from the silver screen and if she missed it.
The actress who belives the current time is the right time to be an actor said that she chose it to be this way and said, "I started so young and I have given quite a few years to the industry.
Most actresses by now would have been asked to pack their bags and leave." She even confessed that she had to turn down a lot of parts because it required her to do bold scenes.
"There were a lot of moments where I found myself taking a sigh and letting go some big offers because I knew I was not comfortable with the intimate scenes that were a part of the character’s journey in the film."

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