Charu Shankar On Essaying Indra Gandhi In Rocket Boys 2, 'It Was A Dream Role But Tremendous Challenge' | Exclusive

Charu Shankar is an exceptional actor known for her dexterity to pull off complex characters with ease and poise. And for that reason, the multi-talented artist has been a part of projects like Zoya Akhtar’s Made In Heaven, television series Siyaasat, Irrfan Khan’s Hindi Medium, period drama The Empire and Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal to name a few. Currently, Charu Shankar can be seen essaying Indira Gandhi in the critically-acclaimed Rocket Boys 2.

In an exclusive interaction with News18 Showsha, Charu Shankar shared the challenge of playing a historical character like Indra Gandhi, her time on the sets of Rocket Boys, her experience working with Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh and others as well as her adulation for Mira Nair.

What was it like to be a part of a critically-acclaimed series like Rocket Boys 2? And of course essaying a legendary character like Indira Gandhi?

Right from the early days of shooting Rocket Boys, we knew this show was going to be special. While shooting there was an intense focus on details and aesthetics, be it in the storytelling, the compelling scenes, the conflicts between characters and their motivations, the cinematography, and of course in the language, sets, costumes and overall look of the show.

I am deeply grateful to have had the chance to play this role. Mrs Gandhi is an icon, well remembered in the popular imagination and living memory of the people of India. That makes this a dream role for any actor, and at the same time, a tremendous challenge. But my directors- both Nikhil and Abhay were very clear about one thing. They told me right from the word go that please do not try and copy her. Imagine what it would be to carry the weight of making decisions that determine the future of your country, imagine the weight of that on your shoulders and then attempt the lines. That’s what I did, and I think in retrospect that was a very good advice. Because we were able to make Indu our own. We were able to portray her in vulnerable moments, in private conversations, in un-documented moments in history.

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Recall some interesting memories from the sets. I heard the one where the gardener mistook you for the real Indra Gandhi. But apart from that, what other things you can recall? Since it seems like you guys really had fun on the sets.

Oh we did we had a lot of fun on the sets! The gardener was really startled! Actually, The makeup and hair team headed by Soama Goswami were so precise in their methods of transformation, that I looked completely different! Even my iPhone face recognition feature used to fail when I was in full Mrs G makeup! And the crew of Rocket Boys- who had only ever seen me in full costume and makeup, couldn’t recognize me at all once I took off the makeup and hair! In the early days, they would often walk past me without a second glance at dinner, or in the hotel lift lobby, even though we had spent the entire day shooting, chatting and eating together!

My husband and son came to see me on set once, and as a prank we video called our family and friends. First Raghav would make some polite conversation, then he would hand to phone to me in full Mrs G look, and they would all be completely tongue tied and stuttering and shocked at the extent of transformation! So yes, early on into the shoot, we knew that the look was working!

How was the experience collaborating with Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh and others?

I’m completely in love with the entire ensemble cast of Rocket Boys! You must understand as actors working on any project, we spend a lot of time together-we eat together, we travel to various locations together, we are constantly talking about the plot, our characters, discussing ways to make it better, we were completely immersed in the Rocket Boys universe together…all this forms deep bonds and lasting friendships. One feels like part of a family. And the Rocket Boys family is very close to my heart.

Jim is an amazing actor, he’s also very friendly and very warm. On my first day on Rocket Boys, I stepped out of the hotel dressed and in full hair & makeup, and I heard a loud “Mrs Gandhi! You are here!” It was Jim and he bounded up with a warm hug- just like that! Ishwak is also a very warm, very focused actor. Unfortunately I did not have any scenes with the girls, though we did meet for meals often. I greatly admire their work on the show.

Most of my scenes were with the actors who populated Teen Murti Bhavan in our show. Rajit Kapoor who plays Nehru, Vivek Tandon who plays Haksar, KS Sridhar who plays the formidable Kamraj, and Harssh Singh, who plays Morarji Desai- all of us bonded between shots, debating history, telling stories of little forgetten tidbits of forgotten history we had come across. We were playing the policymakers and architects of Modern India. What would private conversations between those from whom most people have only heard speeches, what would those be like. What you see on the screen is our version of what we think went on behind the scenes, of the movers and shakers of Modern Indian Politics.

Harssh and I specially bonded over our love of music and singing. We once spent an entire afternoon improvising a Broadway-meets-bollywood version of an intense scene between the politicos, all for laughs!

The entire cast of Rocket Boys is incredibly talented and are so well suited to their roles.

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For the prep of your character, what were your reference points? Since actors have essayed Indira Gandhi previously in countless films and series. So as an actor, there is always this thought at the back of the mind to bring something new to it, that other actors might have ignored. So what were some essential things you did during the prep? That perhaps makes your depiction of Indra Gandhi better than the rest?

I looked at a lot of her speeches and interviews that are available online, it gave me a fairly good idea of her way with words, her posture, her elegant demeanour, and her powerful walk. She had an incredible flair for language, and would often make very compelling arguments, but always in a charming way. She was disarming, and then there was that indescribable, inherent force of character. I tried to keep all that in mind when I did my scenes, rather than try and copy any particular style or accent or pitch of voice.

I also spoke to my father- who had met Mrs Gandhi in his early days of government service, and my uncle, who was a press photographer when she was in office. And they both described her to me as someone who was very dignified even in the most trying of times, and someone who always gave you her full, undivided attention. Raghu Rai’s book of her photographs was also very helpful, and I tried to capture some of the magic of those beautiful photographs. So I guess you can say my prep was a bit abstract. But in retrospect I’m glad we left room for imagination. Because no one really knows what her personal, private moments and conversations were like. We can only imagine. I tried to keep all these things in mind when I was on set.

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Now you played a historical character in The Empire as well. And historical characters in general can be tricky considering one should get all the nuances right else it might end up offending one section or the other. So has that ever been a cause of concern for you when you are opting for a historical character like Indra Gandhi or Kutlugh Nigar?

My only real cause of concern is that I should- at the very least- be able to strike a certain chord of truth every character that I play. With some characters like Mehrunissa from Siyaasat or Kutlugh Nigar from Empire, the pressure is slightly less because there are only written, third person descriptions of what they looked like, what they said or did. In the case of Mrs Gandhi, not only are there many, MANY video recordings and photographs of hers, but also, most of the people in India remember her quite distinctly! So that’s a different kettle of fish. Here, one is trying to strike a truthful note in attempting her voice and language, in attempting her posture, in attempting the dignified way she wears her sari or her hair, with full awareness that this will all be measured against people’s actual memory of her.

Both are very challenging for an actor in their own way, and both are equally fun! It really is delicious when roles like this come along! Something to really sink my teeth into.

You’ve worked with Mira Nair and only a few actors get that opportunity. You’ve acted in Suitable Boy as well as Reluctant Fundamentalist(I personally love both the films). So working under an adept film-maker like Mira Nair, how did it transform you as an actor? And what does it entail for an actor like yourself to be a part of her projects?

Mira is my favorite director, favorite person, all round everything favorite! When I first met her on the sets of Reluctant Fundamentalist years ago, she was so warm, and also so precise in her instruction to her actors. I thought to myself- this is what I want to be when I grow up! I’m very lucky to have had so many opportunities to work with her, and so many opportunities to watch her at work and learn from her. With Mira, it’s all about getting to the truthful core of a situation, of a scene, of a song, of a frame. She’s so particular about that. She’s also very involved in building the visual aesthetics of her story- all her work always has a colour-story going on, simply and simultaneously animating the background universe of every scene, of every story.

She was also my director for the Broadway-style Monsoon Wedding Musical- which had its world premiere in Qatar last year. So it’s been a long (and ongoing) association and a real pleasure exploring both the mediums of film and musical theatre with her!

You have been navigating between OTT and mainstream films. And comparatively, you’ve done more OTT work. So as an actor, what is it about this space that really fascinates you? And do you think OTT platforms are telling better stories than mainstream movies?

OTT has been an absolute game changer for me as an actor. More than anything else, it is a space where you are not restricted by body type, or age, or any of the usual parameters actresses are measured by. OTT throws all of that out the window! It’s a completely eclectic, egalitarian space, where the story is the hero! Everyone else just plays their part. I love that the subplots are so important, they carry weight. And there is that much more time to explore each character, even if they belong to the margins of the subplots. I also love OTT for giving us characters who are various shades of grey rather than the conventional black or white.

I often tell people that good shows on OTT are like a deep dive into a good book! It’s the same pleasure, with vividly colored universes populated with very interesting characters, with varying motives, needs, influences and agency.

Now you’re also a part of Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal which is inarguably one of the most anticipated films of this year. While I know you can’t talk much about the film but for people who have been eagerly waiting for it, what should they be looking forward to before catching it in the theaters? And how’s the experience so far working alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna?

Ranbir and Anil Sir are both effortless and joyful to work with. Rashmika is super affectionate! It’s a joy and an honour to work with them.

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