She is very much a part of the tinsel-town, but very much unfazed by the glam and glitter of the industry. That’s Nandita Das for you. The actress, who has been more involved with social issues and human rights for some time now, is presently busy giving shape to her debut directorial venture ‘In Such Times’. In one exclusive chat with Nandita Das, we found out more about her and her filmy ride so far.

Excerpts:

When we talk of Indian Cinema, its Bollywood that seems to dominate the idea. Do you think that its just Bollywood that adds to the appeal of Indian Cinema?

To begin with, I never wanted to be an actress in the first place. I somewhat stumbled into acting and found it to be one different globe altogether where you could tell stories and be a part of those stories. That’s how I primarily viewed my acting career as. Bollywood was an alien concept and so were its films. It’s not that I’m uncomfortable being related to the industry. But it’s just that I don’t relate to a certain kind of cinema. Bollywood is just a small segment of Indian cinema. Indian Cinema is much much bigger than that.

You started off rather late as an actress. Previous to that you were majorly involved with social causes. Tell us about your big leap from being an active humanist to playing a controversial role in Deepa Mehta’s Fire?

Well, for me, cinema was just another means of expression. As my social work was all about communication, I saw films as a major tool for putting my concerns forward. And hence I agreed to do films. Most of the films I’ve done so far are pretty much on the same wavelength as that of my concerns.

Apparently the film flamed up a lot of hullabaloo. What’s your take on that?

Well, talking about homosexuality in a society that is quite discreet about discussing such issues came as a major blow to all. But I think it was a good thing since it paved ways for debates and discussions on such issues. Fire wasn’t just about lesbian relationship, it was about the entire arranged marriage system, the very few options that women are actually left with at the end of the day. The entire hullabaloo didn’t just help the film but also benefited the society who became much more frank on their takes on such issues.

You were supposed to do Deepa Mehta’s Water. Then why did you opt out of the film?

I think Deepa Mehta is well equipped to answer that. I was terribly upset since I had been a part of this project from the scratch. I expected to be a part of it even around the second time. But Deepa had other plans. I was emotionally attached to the film since it was a part of the large cause I had been crusading for all this while. It wasn’t just a professional loss, but a personal dilemma as well. I truly regret not being a part of it.

You are all set to make your debut as a director with In Such Times. Tell us something about the film and your experience of calling the shots for the first time?

Well In Such Times is just a stand-in title. I’m yet to find a Hindi name for my movie. This film is mainly about human emotions and how violence of any kind takes a toll on human ties and psyche. But the film isn’t a tedious sermon on the issue. Rather it’s a collage of five different stories, which tries to take a dig at the different levels of human experience in a day’s time.

So far my experience goes I had a ball shooting with my team of actors. Its interesting, you see, as you get to pick up a lot from the performances of other actors which I believe is a great thing.

So what do you enjoy the most, staying behind the camera or posing in front of it?

Well, I’m not going to fall for that. Well, if I wanted to do, I could have settled with lifetime acting. But then I enjoy both.

Lastly, how did it feel to be a part of the jury member for the esteem Cannes film festival?

I was like, are you sure you’ve got the right number. It was an offer I couldn’t resist. The temptation wasn’t about walking the red carpet or viewing some great films or all the tom-tom around the event. Rather it was about those excellent sessions with 8 other luminous minds. There was Salma Hayek, John Woo, Javier Bardem, Emir Kusturica and more. I had a great time out there.