Anushka Kaushik has come a long way from her debut in 2019 Jimmy Shergill starrer S.P Chauhan. After playing a brief role in the film, Anushka took on some exciting parts in Ujda Chaman, Maharani, Thar, Boys Hostel, Ghar Wapisi, Crash Course, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s maiden series Garmi and the latest one Lust Stories 2. The actress who actively prides herself for choosing characters that represents the ethos of India in it’s truest form got into the skin of a challenging character in Amit Sharma’s segment Tilchatta and not only that, she had to perform alongside the stalwarts of acting Kajol and Kumud Mishra.
While Anushka Kaushik continues to climb the ladders of success with her upcoming film Patna Shukla, the budding actress got candid about her role in Lust Stories 2, how she navigated playing a complex character like Rekha, her stirring portrayal in Crash Course and more in an interview with News18 Showsha.
Here are the excerpts:
Yours and Konkona Sen Sharma’s segment have received great reviews. How does that make you feel?
The time when I got to know about this film, and the kind of love the first Lust Stories got from the people, from that time onwards, I was very excited. But again, it’s important whenever we are tackling the legacy, it comes with a lot of responsibility, that people are looking forward to it and we need to deliver a good product. These two films have specifically won the hearts of people and honestly being a part of a stellar star cast, we had a good time and I am very sure that even people enjoyed watching it. First of all, I read the script on paper and I was like What?? And the climax. Even I was so surprised and I had to read it twice and I was like wow!
So yours was a very bold character for a very bold story. I am sure there must have also been a certain level of hesitation on your end. So how did you decide to overcome those thoughts and what helped you to ease into the prospect of this story?
I’ll be very honest with you. A lot of projects have been coming to me and due to some specific reasons, I have been saying no to a lot of them. Even when I did Thar, there were some specific scenes that were difficult. So for me, what is important is whatever script I want to be a part of, I want to be really sure how much of it is required. Whether it is contributing something to the message and secondly how it’s going to be choreographed. Because I am someone, being an audience also, and someone who feels like that is the beauty of cinema, that how you really
want to put it. Even if it is a dark thing, it is happening in the world and we are just showing the image of the society of what’s happening. So it’s important how you are conveying something out there through your story. And I think I was very much inclined to the idea of my director. I think more than me, he was very conscious about it. I was so comfortable doing that so that’s the beauty of it. But even after saying yes to the project, I was very skeptical. But after having multiple meetings, I was sure that I gotta do it. And I enjoyed it and I am glad that I did it.
What were your reference points for Rekha? How did you go about preparing for the same and what were some of the things that instantly connected you with your character?
Specifically the character of Rekha, when I started reading it, that time itself I understood the desires at her age but I am definitely very far from the psyche of this character. Because I had never experienced what all she had experienced, her life, the place she was coming from. Though I had been in that age, I have never experienced an inch of what she had gone through. So definitely understanding the psyche of that character, her day-to-day activities were very different from mine. I lost weight for the character and I had to learn the Bundelkhandi dialect. So these were some of the big things that I picked up and it was an amazing experience. And even I want roles like these because I want all my characters to sound very different. The body language of Rekha was very different so I had to learn that as well. But the most difficult part was definitely understanding the psyche of this character as it was very different from Anushka.
To share screen with two legends Kajol and Kumud Mishra is certainly not an easy task. How intimidated did you feel on the first day of your shoot and how did they help you to get comfortable on the sets?
I’m glad you used the word intimidated because when I did Thar with Anil Kapoor Sir, to a certain extent, I was prepared about the space these people were coming from. I have seen these people on screen. I think back in our 5th class, we all have vibed to Kajol’s song Koi Mil Gaya and even today whenever there is a show or a programme and it has 90s music, it’s incomplete without Kajol’s songs. And I have been imitating her ‘Rahul’ line. But one thing I have to say about Kajol Ma’am, she is very considerate. From Day 1 she’s there. If I am giving any takes, she’ll be behind the camera, behind the monitor and she really used to go ‘wow’ and appreciate me.And I had this thing in mind that she is Kajol but it was just like actors doing their thing. So it was she who gave that space and I was very much comfortable. As for Kumud Mishra Sir, he is pure love, not only as an actor but also as a person. He used to play these sorting games. He would play Ludo and he used to tell me how his journey has been and what next play he is working on. I have also worked in the theatre so having those theatre conversations was also very insightful.
In terms of learning, what did you learn from these two actors?
Kumud Mishra taught me how important it is to make sure to be aware of yourself. That person is very much aware about himself and that’s very much visible in his performances. Like how honest that person is with himself. And from Kajol Ma’am, the importance of understanding people around you. I think that makes the product better and genuine. She taught me it’s the two actors performing in the scene and not the characters. And that will help me with my craft.
I see that you like to play characters that are different and that presents you with a challenge. Whether it’s Lust Stories 2 or Garmi or Ghar Wapisi. So is it a conscious decision on your end to portray a variety and range in your craft or is there some other reason?
I think it’s definitely a conscious decision. I started from theatre and then I did digital space in the form of YouTube where I was doing one kind of roles majorly i.e urban roles, rom-coms. So I did a lot of rom-coms and mini shows and after I point I had to make a conscious decision to say no to a lot of projects through the lens that how these projects can contribute to my journey and how I can contribute to these projects. I think that was a very conscious decision and I’ve been lucky enough to get different characters from different spaces. I want my characters to sound different. India is so rich that every few kilometres, you’ll see a change in culture, language, sociology. That’s the flavour I want to present with my characters as well. Comfort zone is the place that scares me. I feel my growth will be hindered if I get too comfortable with anything.
People were impressed with the kind of maturity and realism you had brought in for your character of Vidhi in Crash Course. And I don’t think any Indian movie or any web series have depicted suicide so poignantly. Recall something about that scene or the day you shot that scene. Did it mentally impact you?
We read about such topics in the newspapers with coffee in our hands. But I don’t know the intensity and the gravity of these topics. I think parents are the best people we have in the world but I think sometimes we don’t understand that because of societal pressure or other reasons around us, they also become a part of that viscous circle where it becomes pressure on the students. I have not seen the afterlife of that character and there’s a point you feel like there’s no one for me. So one has to understand that nothing is the end and this character has told me that this decision I really don’t want to take in my life ever. There are people who’ve come to me and they have shared their personal stories. Perhaps that’s why the creators gave that space where you can talk about these things. I think it’s very important. We all were looking forward to that scene.
Tell us something about the whole ‘Garmi’ experience with Tigmanshu Dhulia
This is the project that I did not pick for the character but only for Tigmanshu Dhulia. I have never been in any of the acting institutes so I wanted to work with someone who is an institution in himself and be a part of his vision. Because there were scenes where I was not there but I used to be present on the sets. But there’s a beautiful thing I noticed about Tigmanshu Dhulia was that all actors come with their perspective. For example, when I am reading a part, I feel like this scene should be performed this way but it’s the beauty of the director how he wants to put it in his narrative. So he does that amalgamation of thoughts so nicely that it liberates an actor.
What’s next on your plate?
I’ve done a film for Arbaaz Khan’s production house. So blessed to have Satish Kaushik Sir in this film and this was one of the last projects that he did. There’s a Maddock film that is on the way.
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