Expect to see Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as a super-mum in her latest thriller, Jazbaa, her first film in five years, out in the UAE on Thursday.
Director Sanjay Gupta has painstakingly painted a picture of a wholesome working woman who can do it all. In Jazbaa, the former Miss World, 41, plays Anuradha Verma, whom, we are told, is a mean machine in the courtroom, a stand-out mother who never misses out on her child’s sports’ day and a tigress when it comes to protecting her loved ones.
There’s even a song, Kaahaniya, in Jazbaa that focuses lovingly on her character’s workout regimen. In her role as Anuradha, Rai Bachchan is seen jogging enthusiastically in the morning, then dropping her daughter off at school and then reaching her courtroom on time, joking with her peers — not a hair out of place. But do such super women exist in real life?
“Of course, they do. Look at everybody … people are super fit after delivering kids. That wasn’t my story but there are women [who] manage to do that. So more power to them,” said Rai Bachchan in a video conference call from Mumbai on Tuesday evening.
“He [director Sanjay Gupta] is a smart filmmaker who knows what works… He decided to take those jogging shots on the spur of the moment to portray a working mother who takes time out for fitness. But nothing like Aishwarya though.”
Perhaps the video is just cheeky bait to get people talking about her shrinking size and create some social media buzz.
In 2010, Rai Bachchan was cruelly mocked for not losing her pregnancy weight “fast enough”. But soon the scathing remarks gave way to reluctant admiration as India’s famed global export refused to succumb to society’s expectations of how a woman should look after having a child. She says her character, however, is a far cry from her real self.
Her character is the product of her director’s imagination. “Even today, I just try to get on with everyday life and am still trying to get into the schedule of taking my kid to school and rushing to work. I am still trying to keep pace with time. But Anuradha Verma manages to work out, look after her daughter and reach court on time … that’s what Sanjay has put out. I haven’t managed to make any kind of ‘me time’ in this zone. I have blissfully looked after Aaradhya and worked my schedule around that. So far, I have not been able to take out ‘me-time’. But I should start,” said Rai Bachchan, who’s a member (by her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan) of the illustrious Bachchan acting dynasty.
The thriller puts an end to her self-imposed five-year sabbatical from films. Jazbaa, which is a remake of the South Korean film Seven Days, chronicles the tale of a high-profile lawyer who’s forced to defend a rapist killer whose goons are holding her daughter to ransom: Free the rapist, or watch your daughter get killed.
“When Sanjay Gupta narrated the script, I knew from the word go that this is a film that I would have done even five years ago. But back then, I would have interpreted the part in the way that Sanjay asked me to. But today, I am a mother and I realised that I can bring a lot of nuance to the role because I know what it’s [like] to be a mother or parent. Having said that, I wouldn’t wish such a horrible situation on any mother.” Calling it an engaging thriller with some strong content, the film is an example of “fine cinema”, she adds.
Lending her company is seasoned actor Irrfan Khan, who plays a law enforcement officer, yet again (even in last week’s release Talvar, Khan plays an officer investigating a gruesome murder). When Khan was asked if playing a police officer’s role was becoming repetitive, Rai Bachchan jumped to his defence.
“I believe Irrfan can play a cop another fifty times. He will surprise us every time since he’s always brilliant,” said Rai Bachchan, touching his arm playfully.
It’s the first time that the award-winning actor is in a film with Rai Bachchan. Both claim that they have been yearning to work together for the longest time. As far as on-screen unions go, they make an unlikely combination. While Rai Bachchan is the paragon of glamour and physical perfection that fits well in flashy blockbusters, Khan is a scruffy unconventional actor who has courted fame with some splendid indie films such as the recent thriller Talvar, low-key romance The Lunchbox and the touching drama The Namesake.
“For the longest time, I wanted to act with her. It’s always a pleasure to act with beautiful, talented people. But often we actors need to wait for such a chance. It takes time and patience,” said Khan. While Rai Bachchan will cherish her experience of working with Khan, she claims that she was always dropping hints to filmmakers about casting them together.
“He’s that bad habit,” said Rai Bachchan with a laugh. The beauty queen is a picture of poise, until the word ‘comeback’ comes up. Jazbaa is being touted as her comeback vehicle after the birth of her daughter. Her last film was Guzaarish in November 2010 in which she played an alluring nurse.
Is there a gender bias attached to that word?
“I am not here to start a procession or hold placards to discusses biases... I am thankful for the experiences I have had in my journey and I need to stick to my own story and my life. As far as my take on [a] comeback, I haven’t gone anywhere. I have been interacting with you through my social work and brand endorsements. When Aaradhya was three-and-a-half, I was there in Dubai for a brand endorsement. So I have been interacting with film technicians, directors and all,” said Bachchan. She believes that artists should be allowed to work at their preferred pace without any kind of pressure.
“Whether you want to work five shifts a day or make a movie once in five years, it should be your choice as an artist. Ideally, people don’t go around questioning whether it’s your comeback. There are actors who have made films release once a week or once in five years. Each to his or her own. But I always knew that Jazbaa would be my film and I ain’t fighting it.”
Don’t miss it!
Jazbaa is out in the UAE on Thursday.
Did you know?
Jazbaa’s dubbed Arabic version — the first Bollywood film to be dubbed in Arabic — will hit theatres on October 15. “The Arab market is receptive to this kind of cinema. It’s time to explore the non-traditional markets and regions for films now,” said Mukund Cairae, CEO of Zee Entertainment Middle East.
Quote/Unquote
“Hollywood is curious and eager to incorporate our talent. It’s great the way Priyanka Chopra has made her presence felt [with Quantico]. These two industries, Hollywood and Bollywood, are going to interact in [the] future and they are going to benefit each other,” Khan on the Western entertainment world embracing diversity.
