- Tuesday, October 22, 2024
“Arth” was semi-autobiographical, inspired by director Mahesh Bhatt’s own relationship with actress Parveen Babi
By: India Weekly
VETERAN actor Shabana Azmi recently discussed the unconventional shooting process for Mahesh Bhatt’s 1982 film “Arth,” revealing that there was no script in place.
Speaking at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Azmi shared that the movie was shot with only a basic story idea. “He (Bhatt) was going through a personal crisis. We didn’t have a script, we had a story idea, and as we were shooting it went along, it was all very ad hoc,” she said.
The acclaimed film, which won Azmi the National Award for Best Actress, centres around a filmmaker named Inder, who is involved in an extramarital relationship with an actress while leaving his wife, Pooja, to find her own identity. The movie is reportedly semi-autobiographical, inspired by Bhatt’s own relationship with actress Parveen Babi.
Azmi recalled the demanding nature of the shoot, where scenes were sometimes given to her last minute. “For instance, if he would give me a difficult scene to do, and expected me to do it right away, I would say, ‘I can’t do it.’ He would say, ‘Artificial conflict is not allowed, we don’t have time, you better do it,’” she noted.
She also described the challenges female actors faced in the 1970s and 1980s, such as the absence of vanity vans and proper facilities on sets.
“There was a time when we had no vanity vans, we had no bathrooms on the sets,” she said, explaining how hairdressers would create makeshift privacy screens.
Today, Azmi continues to navigate the evolving landscape of acting, taking on new experiences like performing with green screens. “It is important for me to stay relevant; I wouldn’t think of somebody who is resting on laurels,” she said.
Reflecting on her recent role in Karan Johar’s “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” Azmi mentioned her doubts about the character’s appearance. Despite her concerns, she trusted Johar’s vision and was pleasantly surprised by the audience’s positive reaction.
