Friendship first

AFTER JANNAT 2 and Raaz 3, Esha Gupta is back with a serious, non glam, role in Prakash Jha’s social issue-based film Chakravyuh.

This two-film-old girl is slowly turning into someone to watch out for. Here she talks about the film, her bonding with her costars on set and more in a candid chat.

 

After playing this de-glam role in Chakravyuh are you game to play more such roles in future?

I’m game for any kind of film and role. A script is the main thing for me but I would love to do films where I’m doing nothing but just dancing and dressed in beautiful outfits with lovely sets and I’m looking absolutely gorgeous! I would like to do that too.

 

Did you have any crazy moments on set?

We only had light moments when we weren’t shooting. There was this scene where we were on a big bridge at night. One side had the Naxalites with a bunch of extras and we were standing on the other side. There is an exchange happening with Manoj on a stretcher. It’s a long shot and I can’t move but all I can hear is someone saying ‘Ram Ram’ in the background. I’m a person who, if I laugh, I just burst into laughter; I don’t smile. I controlled myself so much but the next thing I see is Manoj getting up from the stretcher and saying, “What is going on here, who is saying that?” And Arjun was smiling in the background and quickly getting into character. &The moment we found out that it was Arjun whispering, everyone burst out laughing.

Whom did you bond with the most on set?

I bonded with all of them. We stayed in this small resort where all our rooms were close to each other. So we had every meal together. Even on set, we would go to either one of the vans and eat together. We would share food at times. Being an outsider, I never thought these are the kind of people you meet.

Prakash Jha is perceived as a task master. What do you think?

He is not at all strict but has a strong personality. These people are not expressive initially but they’re trying to get who you are. But on set he is very strict; reason being, every frame has over 500 to a 1000 extras. There are so many movements and he can’t afford to be lenient because if one person goes wrong everything has to be re-shot. Otherwise he is a darling and an amazing person.