Bollywood actress Yami Gautam, who is fresh off the success of her recent film ‘Haq’, has recollected an incident from her early days in theatre when she went horribly wrong with the lines yet made a solid impact. The actress spoke with IANS during the promotions of ‘Haq’, and shared how she delivered a line in a very unusual way that left the room in splits.
She told IANS, “I remember there was a new theater teacher at school, and theater was just being introduced. There was a line that I still remember, ‘Keep still, you little devil, or I will slit your throat’. Now there were 35 of us, the students, and everyone had to say their lines in their own way, and then it would be your turn again.
I said it in such a weird way once that everyone burst out laughing. I was being very serious on my part. She was like, ‘You sounded like a street, like a pocket man’. I said, ‘I don't know what else to do, but at least you remember my lines. I gave it a shot’”.
She also spoke about how a director streamlines the story, and keeps the narrative on track. She feels actors are the means to achieve the vision of the director. She said, “The director is there to hold you back. You can perform a character in 10 different ways, and there’s nothing right or wrong in those 10 different ways.
But, we are in the director’s world, we are an illustration on screen of the director, so we as actors have to follow their vision, and that is the fun”. Talking about ‘Haq’, the film is inspired from the landmark case of Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum.
Shah Bano, a 62-year-old Muslim woman, sought maintenance from her husband after being divorced through triple talaq. The Supreme Court ruled in her favor under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code, stating that maintenance applies to all citizens irrespective of religion.