EXCLUSIVE Interview | Meet the craftsmen of Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan’s Laapataa Ladies cast: Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, Nitanshi Goel

Laapataa Ladies is about women who get lost and the story that follows. Set in 2001 in a fictional state called Nirmalpradesh. It is a comedy of errors, where two new brides Phool and Jaya with their ghongaats reaching below their noses end up losing their husband. In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost’s Lachmi Deb Roy, the actors of Laapataa Ladies, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, Nitanshi Goel talks about getting the roles, cinema changing and most importantly when the story is the new hero.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Tell us about how you all got the role for _Laapataa Ladies_ and how did you prepare for it?

Nitanshi Goel: We all auditioned for this role, so when I got this film project, I wasn’t even aware that Kiran Rao was directing it and it was Aamir Khan’s production. I just had three scenes that I was supposed to do. But the script and the whole story of the film moved me so much that I wanted to be part of the project.

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I began my preparation with the audition itself and I watched a lot of movies back in the era like _Sui Dhaaga_ and Balika Badhu and I also watched some of the Bhojpuri women videos that helped me in understanding how they talk and her body language because my character doesn’t speak much, but it is the body language that mattered and to get that and fit into the 2001 era because I am 2007 one, so these videos helped me a lot.

I sent a YouTube link because it was COVID time and I was continuously checking if the director has seen it or not. By evening itself I got a note that Kiran Rao liked the audition and Aamir Khan wanted to meet me. Then I performed in front of Kiran Rao and I met Aaamir Khan. That’s how the role happened.

Sparsh Shrivastav: My process was a little different, though it was as organic as Nitanshi’s. When I saw the script, I was really triggered to play this part. Once I got selected, my aim was to catch hold of Deepak, my character. My idea was to look for Deepak inside me, not outside me. I went around observing people.

One day when a boy came to my house to deliver biryani to me. He was wearing a mask and I just saw his eyes. There was innocence in his eyes and I wanted that expression in Deepak. So, we roamed, spent time with each other and even talked on calls. He was a little scared because he was from a small town.

I would like to mention that our preparation was so strong and more than the preparation, we got a chance with camera testing that doesn’t really happen in a lot of films. Kiran Rao really helped us in this process.

I see all of you here and I see all of you in the film. How did you all get yourself transformed into those characters of 2001?

 Pratibha Ranta: The shift was actually very organic. There were certain things that the story demanded and if you are not fulfilling that you are not conveying the right message, wearing a saree and looking a certain way, not applying too much makeup and working on your dialect, all these things were planned well in advance.

It was very important that the place that you are narrating, you should look as if you belong to that place. In fact, I agreed to that because as an actor you are challenging yourself and that is helping you grow in your craft.

I am sure you all must have watched movies of the 90s and the recent ones, what do you have to say about cinema changing?

Nitanshi Goel: I see a huge difference; I will tell you why? My mother and I have this thing … Every Saturday, we have a movie night. It’s like one week it is my era movie and the other week it’s my mother’s era movie.  So, I watch both old and new films. But there is a difference in the stories. Today’s films are much more relatable, but yesteryear films were magical and had its own charm.

What do you have to say on women’s role changing?

 Pratibha Ranta: Women’s role in today’s cinema is evolving with time and in a very beautiful way. There is no hero heroine concept. Sometimes there are films which just have a woman as lead. There are many who have asked me how do you feel accepting the character you are playing in Laapataa Ladies.

 Sparsh Shrivastav: Now story is the new hero. However big the star is, if the story doesn’t have potential, it will not do well. Aagar story main daam nahin, toh kuch nahin. Now actors are playing different roles, they are willing to take up roles where they play a gay character. They are playing anti-heroes and heroes are playing the role of villain and that is the lead.

Women are accepting deglamorized roles now. Now stories are evolving, makers are evolving and makers are evolving. Most importantly there are so many new writers who think differently and come up with unique stories.