Sara Ali Khan made a strong entry in the Hindi film industry with Kedarnath three years ago. I was mightily impressed by the range of performance she showed. But after a grand first two films, Sara saw a big dip too with her next two releases. Now, as she gets ready for her next outing in Aanand L Rai’s Atrangi Re, I see the same zest and enthusiasm that I saw in her during Kedarnath, which fills me with so much hope for her and the film.
So, when I asked Sara about when it comes to her characters, what does Sara, the actor, brings to the table that she imbibes in them, the actress has a straight answer.
She says:
“The important thing is to marry the character to a point where me, the filmmaker and hopefully the audience cannot see the difference. That’s where we got lucky on Atrangi Re as it started happening on our set. We couldn’t make a distinction if Rinku was doing it or Sara was doing it. And when that happens, it is beautiful. The whole character of Rinku and her background are very different to me, but at the end of the day, she is this fiery, feisty and opinionated girl with a vulnerable interior, which is actually me. So, it’s Sara’s core in a different exterior.”
Sara’s Rinku in Atrangi Re kind of reflects the same energy that Mukku in Kedarnath did. So, when I ask Sara if she feels more connected to stories from the heartlands of India, she ponders.
Sara says:
“Each character is different but I do agree with this, although I don’t know what the reason behind it is. I think Rinku and Mukku have connected to me more. I don’t know if it’s because they are heartland characters or maybe it’s because Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor) sir and Aanand sir made me understand and reach something that I didn’t even realise. Even Dhanush sir is a very helpful co-actor and so was Sushant (Singh Rajput). I don’t know why but I have connected to Rinku and Mukku more than any of my other characters by a huge margin.”
I had been waiting for Sara to give yet another impactful performance like she did in Kedarnath. It has been a wait of about three years, but going by the trailer, I am sure her portrayal in Atrangi Re would prove that this wait was worth it. Her range of emotions is exemplary on screen and I feel glad and proud to see her getting the opportunities to explore that. Just waiting for December 24 now.