'One doesn't necessarily have to cry to t

'One doesn't necessarily have to cry to tell a serious story'

Actor Supriya Pathak tells Dhaval Roy that seriousness doesn't always have to be agony

You are entering Baa, Bahoo Aur Baby. What's your role in the show?
I play an NRI from the US, who is about 50 years old. She's basically from a middle class family and from a small town like Jamnagar, who's not exposed to a big city. She gets married to an NRI and suddenly takes off to the US. The character is on a lighter side, and talks about issues that are close to her. It's fun to act for this show.
Did you choose this role because your character of Hansa in Instant Khichdi, with the same production house, was a big hit?
That's not the only reason why I took the role up. I have been working with J D Majethia and Aatish Kapadia for the last three years, and they are aware of my time constraints because of my children. Since timings in the industry are very erratic, I have always been very clear that I wouldn't be working long hours. I couldn't possibly pack my bags and just walk out if I were getting late. Aatish and J D know that I work only 10 to 12 days in a month. In fact, they offered me the lead role, that is Baa, in this show, but I knew that doing the lead role would require me to shoot for long hours, so I didn't take it up.
Hansa was a very flamboyant and over-the-top character. How was the experience, considering you have a very sober and serious image?
I loved playing Hansa without feeling embarrassed about her flamboyance, because she is a childlike woman and I think there's a child in everyone of us. So, that role was of a woman catering to a child within us, and I think that's what got across to people.
When it comes to films, you do serious roles. So, why are you doing only comedy on TV?
I would love to get into drama in TV as well. But I don't believe too much in the kind of drama that's being made these days. I believe one doesn't necessarily have to cry to tell a serious story. Like, Baa, Bahoo Aur Baby is not an out and out comedy. It has its share of drama and emotions, yet there is a very light vein that it maintains all the time. Seriousness doesn't always have to be agony. There has to be entertainment if you are telling a story for months and years. I don't think shows should be categorised only as comic or tragic shows. If I find a good balance of these two, I would definitely take it up.
What's your take on TV as an industry today?
I'm so glad that TV has such an immense reach now than what it used to. It reaches the smallest town of the nation and there are so many millions of people tuning in. Only, I wish we had better content, because TV can really have a great influence on people and do something about the complex situation that the nation faces a lot of times.
You did an episode in Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai with your sister Ratna Pathak Shah. How was it acting with her?
We enjoyed working together. We gel very well as actors, even though we have distinct styles. I remember we did a show called Idhar Udhar many years ago, and we were very naive and raw then. We had lesser understanding and we had yet to develop our personalities. From then to now, there has been a vast change in Ratna as well as me. Now were were constantly improvising and completely enjoying working together.
What about acting with your husband Pankaj Kapur in Mohanlal BA LLB?
Working with Pankaj is always a high point in any project that we do. He is such a tremendous actor and there is a lot you can learn from him. Very soon we are going to be doing a film called Dharam, in which I will pair opposite him.

Source: Bombay Times,Mumbai

thanx...........supriya as baa...intresting 😉