Srivathsan Nadadhur
With her debut in Nadiya Ke Paar, Sadhana Singh, a teen then, brought an everyday-quality to the persona of a heroine that was vastly different from the larger-than-life image that most of her counterparts had exuded – someone who looked charming, relatable and not necessarily ethereal. She was a perfect fit for the ‘girl next door’ image and it’s a matter of another discussion that it was difficult for the Varanasi-born to escape that stereotype ever since.
Sadhana worked in a few popular films like Sur Sangam, Tulsi, Parivaar, Sasural and tried her hands in television before her long sabbatical from the arc lights. Super 30, Jugni, Mukkabaaz came her way after a nearly two-decade break. Her latest release is Regards & Peace, on ShemarooMe Box Office, her first in the digital medium and also the only film where she has acted alongside her daughter Sheena Shahabadi. Klapboardpost.com catches up with the actress over a telephonic conversation.
You were hardly 17 when Nadiya Ke Paar had released and opened to terrific responses as all over. What was it like to taste success at such a young age?
I was very naïve and the success didn’t affect my mind. I was humbled with the film’s reception because I never expected Nadiya Ke Paar to become a huge hit. I was more worried about bouncers and cops whacking film freaks when they came a bit too close to the actors; I used to tell them ‘chod do unko’ and they used to reply me ‘yeh log kha jayenge aapko’. People treated me like God, children and elderly women had welcomed me with their pranaams, like how an angel had arrived; such wholehearted love moved me and I remember sitting and crying with them, telling that I am as human as them. I came from a simple middle-class family and I never let the fame get to my head. Today’s kids, even after making a debut in a popular serial, transform into something else when they taste success and thankfully, I wasn’t like that.
It’s a well-known fact that the Rajshri banner noticed you on the sets of Payal Ki Jhankaar where you had casually accompanied your sister, dancer Surinder Kaur on the sets. Tell us about the bond you share…
She has been like a mother-figure to me and I have always looked upto her. She was a great Kathak dancer and I remember looking at her with awe wondering how beautiful she had looked. She used to be my idol in every way possible, I wanted to imbibe her sense of style. I was like a kid to her. Over the years, we’ve become friends and a pillar of support. Anytime, any help and I don’t have to think twice to reach out to her; she’s always there for me. She’s my guide, mentor and anchor and many more things!
How do you look at Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, the film inspired by your debut release..?
Both the films were identical and yet Sooraj Barjatya had made Hum Aapke Hain Kaun with such conviction that it looked beautiful. I saw it upon six months of its release and I enjoyed it thoroughly, it was perfect the way it was. I am a big-time movie buff, there were so many songs and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Your social media presence introduced us to a facet of your personality that not many know of – your singing abilities and that you do a terrific job of it. Did you ever consider it a career option?
Surprisingly, I only considered playback singing as a career option for me when I entered Bombay. There was nothing else in my mind and I thought I would make for a great singer. It was my passion and first love. Everything changed after Nadiya Ke Paar; my singing took a backseat and I had come to terms with it. A time came when I really regretted the decision; I couldn’t make it big when I really wanted to sing after a gap. My husband didn’t even know that I could sing but it was he who pushed me to sing again.
You’ve always told that you were tired of being offered the role of the hero/heroine’s mother time and again. Isn’t it sad that male counterparts, characters of your age get a wider range of roles to play? Who’s to blame for this disparity?
It’s the mindset basically. It’s still a male-dominated industry and our films largely revolve around male protagonists. The change has been very gradual and writers are now conceiving a wider variety of roles for female actors too. Slow, yes, but the change is certainly happening.
Were you happier with the roles that you got on television?
Initially, television was very different and it gave us a chance to do many things we could have never dreamt of doing on the big screen. We got a great kick out of it. My comeback serial was Trikaal; it was a very satisfying experience. It was the first time I was introduced to the three-camera setup and their clarity with the execution was amazing. Everything was right about the serial but for the channel in which it was telecasted. I played a journalist in it and I later got many serial offers, did comedy with people like Satish Shah, Mandira Bedi and the experience was fulfilling. Not many know that comedy is my forte; they didn’t take my strengths seriously. People only felt I was good with roles where I had to weep endlessly. (laughs)
Are you a funny person behind the camera too?
Yes, I’m a funny person off the screen. I’ve kept the child in me very much alive; I tend to act foolishly at times and do things that annoy my children. My health hasn’t been great in the past few months but I will soon bounce back to being the happy go lucky person I’ve always been!
It was pleasantly surprising to see you being cast as a cop for Regards & Peace…
It wasn’t only different, but shocking (laughs)! Nobody has ever offered me a role like this in the past. When Sanjay Amar, the director came to me with a narration and asked me to play a cop, I was pleasantly surprised and equally shocked. I literally asked him ‘are you sure what you’re talking about?’ I was baffled but he was very convinced about it. I love the reaction of people when they hear that Sadhana Singh is playing a cop and ask the other ‘are you sure?’ I’ll give 100 marks for Sanjay to conceive that role keeping me in mind; he had full faith in me. I was used to getting the same ‘rona-dhona’ roles and I questioned myself if I could really pull this off. The director put all my fears to rest as we went to the sets.
The preparation for the role must have been special…
I worked on my role well – the gait, the way I walk, stand and I saw to it that I don’t become loud because the director was very specific on what the character was about. I didn’t have to shout and yell that I was a cop (but for a couple of instances). My role demanded me to be a very calm, composed officer who has a sharp pair of eyes, with an ability to decode anything with a mere gaze. I had to be very wary of things and it was very satisfying that finally a role had got me thinking. This wasn’t my forte but I was more than up for the challenge.
How do you look at the advent of streaming platforms now and is it any similar to the days when you had entered television?
It’s a different ball game (streaming) and you won’t believe when I say that I haven’t watched any web show to date. My son and daughter try hard to convince me to watch them. The digital content may really be good though it doesn’t compel me to make time for it. My kids are very excited when they watch it and they keep telling me why it’s way more interesting than a film. Television in the times of Hum Log, Banegi Apni Baat was very refreshing and they were a welcome alternative from the typical ‘do bhai bichad gaye and villain aaya’ templates in formulaic films filled with fights, songs. It was a breath of fresh air to begin with, but it has only degraded with the times. It is now over-the-top in the truest sense of the phrase and I can’t stand the saas-bahu rivalries, the gaudy jewellery, makeup. When I got to do a few such serials, I remember telling stylists, ‘who wears such jewellery while sleeping?’ They tried to convince me into doing that though I find it very shallow and artificial.
Did your daughter Sheena Shahabadi always aspire to act? What was it like to share screen space with her for Regards & Peace?
We got to know that she was interested to act in 7th or 8th grade; she was too scared to tell us about her interest in entering the industry. The principal of Jamnabai Narsee School had called us to suggest that she should be allowed to pursue a career of her choice, but we had to tell her that we didn’t even know about it. She joined an acting course and the faculty called to inform me that Sheena was such a natural in front of camera; I didn’t believe their words until I saw the footage and was left amazed. My husband was finally convinced and she got a film from Satish Kaushik (Teree Sang) though we never wanted her to act so early in her life. The role was such and Satish ji was very keen. It all started there. She and I don’t get to share much screen space together in Regards & Peace; I was so much in my role that it didn’t register that she was my daughter. I did the scene as if somebody else was sitting in front of me, but I guess my daughter was slightly conscious about acting with her mom.
Are you happy with the way her career has shaped up?
Not much, frankly. Her debut film didn’t do all that well and she never got great roles in Hindi films later. Her Telugu film Bindaas was a super hit, but she wasn’t recognised much there either. Her film career is not something that I am exactly happy about. That’s the thing about being in the entertainment industry – it works for some and it doesn’t for a few.
You’ve completed 38 years in the entertainment industry. Does it all feel surreal?
Let me remind you 20 years of those four decades, I didn’t choose to work. My first film is so fresh in my mind even today. I’ve never felt that I have been left behind; people love me the same and identify me with Gunja and still talk to me about Nadiya Ke Paar. Seeing the goodwill that has come my way, I always wonder if I could have planned my career better with a better platform and facilities. Kahin na kahin thoda falter hua, it doesn’t kill me or make me sad. It’s just life.
A few words about the experience of working with a new generation of directors for Jugni, Mukkabaaz and Super 30…
The generation has a lot of unique directors, but we’ve lost the human touch which we used to have earlier. We used to sit together, have lunches and stay on the set even if the scene of another actor is being shot. We were curious to watch scenes where we weren’t a part of and how the story unfolded. People these days just give their shots and run to their vanity vans with their phones. I don’t want to generalise this though. In Jugni, the atmosphere was very light, harmonious and family-like – we used to get together, sing together even as the shoot was done. Mukkabaaz was a chilled out environment, Super 30 was also extremely professional but I’m someone who wants to converse, talk to people. Everyone is in a hurry these days. There’s a great focus on the making yet at the cost of the human touch.
At last, you’ve made your digital debut and you’ve had a release (Regards & Peace) in the middle of a pandemic…
I am very happy and excited about the film’s release. I’m keen to listen to people’s reactions. It was interesting to book a ticket for the movie and watch it online. I’m hoping for the best and really looking forward to it because they’re releasing through a known name like Shemaroo.
