Veteran actress Ila Arun, who recently entertained the masses with her role as Revati Maa in ZEE5’s latest film, Haddi, believes that a good script and a well-defined character are the fundamental pillars of any successful film. The actress said, “I glance through the script first and see what my character is all about. I believe a good script and a character sketch are two important ingredients in any film. For instance, even if my character is small, if it has an impact, I will say yes to it. If it is contributing well to the script, nothing like it. It feels good to be a part of remarkable scripts like Haddi.”
Talking about her movie Haddi, she shared, “The storyline of Haddi is very interesting. First and foremost, the script is detailed and speaks about this community of transgenders. Essaying the role of Revati Maa was very special as she is an important character in the film. Accidentally, I am also the only female artist in the film. The rest of them are either males or in transgender roles. Generally, these maa’s (mother figure) are looked up to as group leaders or gang leaders. You will get to see how Revati maa emotionally handles them, fights for their rights, and stands as a huge support system to the community.”
When asked how critical she is of her own work, Ila mentioned, “I was told by my mother to be always “Nindak nihare rakhiye aangan kuti chhaway”, which means always keep the critics around you. So, we have too many critics in the family. Before I criticize myself, they criticize me for my work. Haddi is a unique film. It has become a fashion/fad to make films on transgender or on such kinds of subjects. But this is coming from Shyam Benegal’s family, in the sense when I say family, I have been a part of many of his films. So, Shyam Babu always believed in doing detailed research and was a fantastic documentary person. He came from an advertising background and then excelled in making documentaries. So, he doesn’t just put a subject, like let’s make a film on this because it is controversial or make a film on gay, transgender, or lesbian, he always believes in his detailed research and then makes a film.”
The actress added, “Haddi is just the same and it is not fiction. It’s a docu-entertaining film. It is action but this action also happens to be the reality. It’s based on reality. So, the whole process of why they become, what is their psychology, how they survive, what is in their mind, their relationships, their personal relationships, and above all fighting for their right and having the gang fights between them for power and money – all of this is true to the reality. I always like cinema which is true to reality, but full of action and engagement as well. If a film engages you then it is entertaining.”
