Sai Tamhankar is one of the leading stars of the Marathi movie industry. But recently, with films like Hunterrr, Mimi and the upcoming film Bhakshak, Sai is making her presence felt in the Hindi movie industry. The Free Press Journal caught up with her for an exclusive conversation. Excerpts:
With the success of Mimi and Pondicherry, what phase of your career are you in right now?
I am an actor, and I always want more. I want to play varied characters, explore several people and live their lives. I am never satisfied, but I am really happy with the kind of roles I am getting approached for. When I did Hunterrr, I was a little scared of being typecast since I was offered similar kinds of roles for the longest time. Your work generates work, I feel.
How was it to shoot with Bhumi Pednekar for Bhakshak?
It was really good. It’s something which I have never done before. It was terrific.
Has it been difficult for you to break the tag of Marathi actress?
Yes, but we are in a wonderful space right now, thanks to OTT. Every medium is emerging, and lines are blurring. After a long time, finally, an actor is called an actor, not labelled to their geographical existence. It’s a big step.
Do you agree that Mimi has uplifted your Bollywood career in a way?
I totally agree. No matter how much people say that box office numbers are mere figures, I feel that as an actor, one of your projects needs to have a connect with the common people. Mimi has given me that mass appeal pan-India reach. I am very glad that I got to work with an amazing set of actors like Pankaj Tripathi, Supriya Pathak and Kriti Sanon.
Are you comfortable doing Marathi films, or are you choosy while signing a Hindi film?
To be comfortable in a certain language is a win-win for any actor because, after a certain time, nothing matters to an actor. You just work. I am choosy. I want to be known as a powerful performer. To build that, I have to carefully pick up my characters and that I have been doing so far. The Marathi film industry is limited to Maharashtra, and we have to be standing equally tall beside Bollywood. I still feel, as a part of the Marathi fraternity, that we are still not there.
What kind of scripts are you looking at in this phase of your career?
I love action, and I am a tough girl since I have a sports background, so I would love to do an action-oriented film. I don’t watch horror, but I think it is still underexplored. I really loved Stree and would love to do something like that. Also, I have hardly done any historical stuff, but I don’t have any specifications.
Any particular Marathi film of yours that you want to be remade in Hindi?
I think Rakshas should be remade with a humongous budget. Also, Duniyadari should be remade by Karan Johar. It is very imaginative thinking, but yes, it would be fun if it happens!
