Sandhya’s Supportive Club pg1 n ans. ques - Page 5

A fair deal


The play seems to be a unique concoction of deceit, murder and mind games…


Back to Section Stories Posted On Friday, February 23, 2007



Pragya Tiwari


Mahesh Manjrekar and Sandhya Mridul in Double Deal
When Richard Stockwell's Killing Time showed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival there was a reasonable degree of confusion about what a conventional-as-convention-can-be play was doing around radical experimentation and rough edged theatre. Mahesh Dattani and Ashvin Gidvani's Indian adaptation, Double Deal fortunately got its placement right as it opened at the Tata Theatre to an auditorium packed with an audience which dresses up for theatre and would have enjoyed Tudor Gates if they were bred in England. If there is an Indian West End, it must be this.

But a play like this would sit uneasy even at the West End or any stage for that matter because it is more readily material for a TV drama or even a full-length feature. It is the sort of thing that makes theatre look like television and cinema's poor cousin instead of a unique art form.

The play opens and stays within the confines of the realistic set of a modern apartment, which is done up functionally even if not tastefully. Two strangers, Jeet and Rhea, who have recently met at a mall walk into this space to play out a thriller underpinned by deceit, murder and mind games.

Their interaction feeds off their sexual chemistry and soon an uneasy and volatile bond develops. The balance of power shifts between the two as stories from their pasts and present emerge to weave a web, which is to be untangled by the end of the two hours. There are obvious contrivances in the plot and character. For instance despite Jeet's very strange and violent behaviour on several occasions, Rhea does not feel the need to leave the stranger's company and at several points the plot leaps over improbability to keep the story going. The menace is often calculated rather than real like when Jeet (who is more a shrewd operator than a psychopath) uncharacteristically goes ballistic over Rhea adjusting his briefcase to make place on the sofa. The dialogue manages to achieve little more than convey information and the play has to fall back entirely on the plot for the suspense and tension. It also tends to bend over backwards to suggest something is up (for samplers, Rhea has barely met Jeet when she begins asking him whether he has a "dark secret").

The director uses the space well but is let down by a bland set and blotchy even if grand light design. But the play's visible and patchy craft can be overlooked in favour it's clever pacing and quick thrills which keep you sufficiently hooked even if not always at the edge of your seat. The performances contribute in a big way towards the play's narrow triumph over its shortcomings. Mahesh Manjarekar and Sandhya Mridul generate enough energy to keep alive action, which is constantly threatening to sag under the repetition and intensity of a long and still two-harder. They often pack in more menace and conviction than the script affords them. Double Deal may not be a cerebral thriller in content or innovative in form but it is highly entertaining and conscious of this it plays to the gallery which in the end has the power to drown out all debates about relevance and craft with a good round of applause.

Double Deal is playing at the St Andrew's Auditorium on February 25.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?Page=article&se ctid=30&contentid=20070223023927921873ed30f
(Thought it was an interesting coincidence that both Mahesh Manjrekar and Sandhya Mridul were in Jhalak seasons 1 and 2 respectively as well as in a play together.)

Immediate Impact

Sandhya Mridul, actor

The headlines that left an impact on me was Manu Sharma's acquittal.

Sharma was the main accused in the Jessica Lal case. The news that he was off the hook really shook me up.

It made me question the cops, the judicial system, and human nature at large. The thought of a thousand Manu Sharmas getting acquitted made me feel unsafe and unsettled.

(It is nice to see people, who have a social conscience. Of course Sandhya would probably have high regard for the law when her father was a judge for the High Court. I also think another of her elder brothers is a judge too.)
http://www.mid-day.com/yourlife/2006/may/137052.htm

😃 😃 😃
I am in too guyz 😃

Hubahu - kissing 'desi' morality goodbye?

(Posted on 20 April 2002)
CHANNEL: Sony TV
PROG: Hubahu
GENRE: Drama
TELECAST: Thursday-8:30 pm IST

A concept filled with Deceptions, which was a brilliant film from the eighties about identical twin sisters with diametrically different lifestyles switching lives. Deceptions has had only one known Indian clone, a film called Gitanjali starring Rekha. Hubahu is a well-made television serial. The transformation from a screenplay to a teleplay has been well handled. The original plot is very much a part of the serial and the process of adding characters and nuances for an elongated television serial from a film plot without vexing the viewer has been finely done. Still one ponders how the subject would be handled once the original plot has been juiced out. The serial has it all - drama, romance, caviar and champagne lifestyle, modern nuclear family, investigation, possibly action and 'not to miss' passionate kissing shots probably for the first time since Tara.

Sandhya Mridul is a fine actress and is performing the roles of both the sisters with emotions succinct to the script, but viewers commented on the difficulty of differentiating between the sisters. She can take a leaf out the original exceptional performance by Stephanie Powers. The other aspect one can use is the background score with different signature tunes to each sister. The casting has been well thought out as most of the actors etch well with the serial characters. Rajat Kapoor seems apt in the role of 'jaded' husband. Aly Khan's negative character has forced him to give a varied performance from that of his usual restrained roles. Suchitra Pillai is her usual self and is carrying it well.





When compared with television products such as Dastan etc, the presentation with oriental locales could have been better. In general terms the production values seem fine. Better music could instil more depth to the characters.


The promotion of the serial, especially the launch has been apt with a good mix of promos and a strong advertising campaign. But one did not see any coherent PR activity in the press, which was possible by promoting the programme to a target audience of an age group of 20 to 40 years. The profile and lifestyles of the characters are of a similar age group who seem to identify themselves with the storyline. One hopes the paparazzi picks up the passionate kissing shots in this drama, if not, reports around it should be suitably planted in a few choice publications.



Originality Picked from the film Deceptions but the metamorphosis to a teleplay is well done
USP Great storyline backed with good performances.
Profile Dramatic playing with diagonally opposing lifestyles.
Production value Upmarket but international look could be presented better as the story talks about a Caviar and Champagne lifestyle.
Artists Apt for their roles with good looks to match their character profiles. Performances can be rated highly.
Promotion/Hype Good promotion campaign, which has not been backed by planned PR. Promotion can be targeted to a 20-40 age group to match the profile of the story's characters.

Producer Parvati Balgopalan
Writer Ajitabh Menon
Director Nupur Asthana

Koushik Saha has been associated with television for the last 18 years from Bhimsain's hit comedy Choti Badi Batein in the eighties, to television projects of Pritish Nandy Communications and as a Strategist with Sahara TV. Now as an independent analyst he looks at present television programming with wide perspective, with studies from different focus groups of TV viewers. Saha has drawn his conclusions from discussions with around 80 people, all of whom reside in Mumbai but represent as wide a cross section as he could manage.


Rating
Excellent *****
Good ****
Fair ***
Average **
Poor *

http://www.indiantelevision.com/progpro/y2k2/ppapr20.htm

(The views expressed in this article are purely those of the author and indiantelevision.com takes no responsibility for the same).

(I know this article is really old, but it makes me realize what an interesting show I was missing. Haven't seen much of Rajat Kapoor and Sandhya Mridul in mainstream films, but whenever they are there, they do perform well. Unfortunately my family did not even get Indian channels until 2005.)

Off course!

All these TV actors all trained for the boardroom. So why have they chosen the shooting floors?

Posted On Wednesday, October 31, 2007



Sandhya Mridul

Qualification: B.Sc (Maths), MBA (Marketing)

I worked with KLM Airlines and later I was heading the Cargo Division. I always had a creative urge and certain restlessness. That's why I consciously decided to quit and see what came along. I am generally a risk taker. I bumped into Tony and Deeya Singh, producers of the show Banegi Apni Baat, who offered me a major role in it. There are times when I have no work and I think of the job security at KLM and feel like getting back to it. Five years from now, I don't know what I will be doing.


Vineet Raina

Qualification: A 3-year-Advanced Diploma in Computer Software, Hardware, Telecommunications and Network Engineering in 2003

I worked for Maruti Udyog in Kashmir. But alongside I did a few serials for Doordarshan Kashmir. I moved to Mumbai armed with two degrees and applied for jobs in companies like Wipro, ICICI etc. I was offered Mulk on Zee TV but after that I had no work for eight months. I again gave job interviews, but then Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai came along. I still update myself constantly with technology, in case my showbiz career does not last!


Manav Gohil

Qualification: MBA, Marketing (1998)

After completing my MBA in marketing, I marketed everything from credit cards, magazines, travel and tourism etc for six years. I even opened my own marketing consultancy firm. I was a model in Baroda. I came to Mumbai for modelling Contrary to other actors, I was never offered much work. In 1999, I hosted a travel show called Patli Galli for Channel V. My first big break was in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki in 2001.


Mini Mathur

Qualification: MBA. Worked with Hindustan Thompson Associates for two years.

I hadn't planned to be in television ever. Television just came my way and every show was through a knock on my door. Even when MTV happened in 2000 I was in Delhi and they asked me to go straight for the VJ Hunt finals. I didn't even audition because I was happy with my work in Delhi. When I got through, however, I decided to come to Mumbai and see how I would fare here. I think I never really witnessed a struggle because I always had a backup career."


Mandira Bedi

Qualification: Post-graduate in advertising. Joined O & M as a copy writer and trained under Prahlad Kakkar for 4 months.

I come from a background where nobody is into acting so it was understood that I would do my MBA and get into a corporate job. But after appearing for all the competitive tests I realised that MBA was not for me. I was never a corporate professional, but my first job offer was as creative writer in an ad agency … but I did not take it up. And while I was working on a project with Prahlad Kakkar, director-writer of Shanti, Adi Pocha, saw me and offered me Shanti."


Anuj Saxena

Qualification: MBBS from Grant Medical College in 1991. A practising doctor for five-and-a-half years

One day in 1993, on our way to Shirdi my friend Viveck Vaswani asked me if I would like to act. Viveck had completed Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. My friends and I had a hearty laugh as I couldn't speak one word of Hindi, acting to duur ki baat… I did Sar Aankho Pe in 1993 opposite Shruti Ulfat. My TV debut was with Viveck's show Aasmaan Se Aagey opposite Amrita Singh. And then I got a call from Balaji Telefilms for Kkusum at the end of Jan, 2001. The rest is history…"


http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?Page=article&se ctid=12&contentid=200710312007103102265462feeb42f#

This was sad to read, but there is so much truth to what she says.
'What option did Shayan have?'
Monday, February 27, 2006 21:24 IST

Jessica Lal's friend, actor Sandhya Mridul, in a no-holds-barred mood over the miscarriage of justice.

I knew Jessica Lal because I too have grown up in Delhi. Over the course of time, we both grew extremely fond of each other. People used to always tell Jessica that you are not fit to live in this city because you are so blunt and straight-forward .The truth of the matter is that a courageous girl is not allowed in Delhi.

You are bound to meet with violence, especially if you are woman with a voice because every other person is a politician's son, nephew or a relative. It's all about showing your power and might in the capital. In fact, when I was living in Delhi, there used to be general talk that the last people you should go to if you are in trouble are the cops!

Jessica was a no-nonsense girl who had the guts to stand up for what she believed in. Quite often if two people were fighting she would get involved in the situation and try to mediate peace. Jessica was that kind of woman and I guess she paid a heavy price for it.

Now that police has botched up the investigation, I'm glad that the Ministry of Home Affairs wants to re-look at the case. It's okay to send billion SMSs, light diyas and candles, but the verdict that has come out raises a big question mark about the judiciary and police force of the country and sends out the wrong kind of message.

Okay, what Shayan Munshi did was not right but are we going to make this just about him? The only people gaining from the hate SMSs about him are the cellular companies and not our case. But tell me, what option did Shayan have? How could he have expected the same police, who botched up the investigation, to protect him?

Do we even have a proper witness protection programme in this country? I am sure he must have felt threatened. I am not saying what he did was right, but let's not just get after him and drift from the main problem. If you look at him as a human being you will understand what he did. Let's not just blacklist him.

It's really sad that a man pulls the trigger in a room full of people and still gets away with it. It should not have happened, but now we need to take a stand.

(As told to Faheem Ruhani)
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1015205

Still from Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part 2 starring Sandhya Mridul and Arshad Warsi

Sandhya and Suchitra at Hrishikesh Kannan and Anchal Saxena's wedding

Pairing up to lead the way, waise hi

11 Nov 2003, 0635 hrs IST,Amit Agnihotri,TNN

Not quiet the jack-of-all-trades she used to be at the Lady Sri Ram College in Delhi, Sandhya Mridul, the girl with that cold demeanour in the forthcoming film Waisa Bhi Hota Hai, still lets the little girl within her peep out. "I love to play pranks and crack jokes when my friends are around," she says animatedly. And in the next breath adds, "Films are certainly not going to hold my interest for long. I might end up being a social worker." The popular telly actress graduated from playing a double role in the serial Hubahu to a supporting character in the film Saathiya, along with Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukherjee. It was this film that made people sit and take note of her. "But again till Waisa Bhi ... came I tried hard not to get into the groove. Most of the offers I was getting after Saathiya were the same elder sister types. In this film I am the hero as the male lead is running for cover most of the times. But I do not want to get stereotyped," says Sandhya who plays an encounter-specialist cop in the film. Has she lost out in the rat race then? "Maybe. I have been called arrogant by some people; but then I am not in the rat race. I have enough financial security which allows me not to bother about a lot of things. In this industry you do need a godfather to move up the ladder," she says hinting at the casting couch syndrome prevalent in Bollywood. Meanwhile, Arshad Warsi, the hero of the film maintains that he still misses being in step with dance, something he excels at. "Yes, dancing is my passion but acting is my profession and often in life the former takes a backseat. Still, I think I have grown as an actor since my first film Tere Mere Sapne which was a comedy. "The worst thing in the industry is to get labelled," he adds. "People wanted me to be Govinda and thay themselves David Dhawan. But it did not work out," says the actor who has been a lot off-screen lately. On his role in the new film he says that it is the portrayal of an ordinary man stuck in strange circumstances. Though he does not exactly feel like the character who wants to move out of Mumbai, he says, the hustle and bustle of the city does bog one down at times. Waiting for their forthcoming films – Strings on the Kumbh Mela for Sandhya and Zamanat for Arshad – both feel it takes no time to get adjusted to a first-time director if he happens to be good one. "The only difference in an experienced director is that he is sure of whatever he is doing," they chorus. amit.agnihotri@timesgroup.com http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/276947.cms

I can't be a fence-sitter, says Sandhya
12 Nov 2003, 0233 hrs IST,SANGEETHA DEVI K ,TNN


Sandhya Mridul is nothing like Dina of Saathiya . In reality, she's pure dynamite. Almost a year after Saathiya , she's back, in a new avtaar, as a tough cop in Waisa Bhi Hota Hai .

"I'm here to act, not to make hay while the sun shines. If money was my top priority, I'd have acted in 10 films by now as a good sister, bhabhi and so on. I made things tough for myself and waited for tough roles, like the one that Shashank gave me in this film, which a dark comedy," says a confident Sandhya.

At the prime of her television career, with successes from Hubahu and Koshish, she shifted to cinema just to avoid being typecast. "I'm scared to touch another serial now," she says throwing a surprise at you. "Most serials begin well but don't know how to end. They meander aimlessly. I did Choti Si Aasha directed by K Balachander where the audience knew the beginning and ending. And yet, it was gripping. I thought that was a better serial."

Post Saathiya, Sandhya took centre stage as part of the TV crew for the World Cup Cricket coverage. But again, she's moved on. "I love sports but didn't see myself becoming a part of the regular cricket coverage. At a short term, I look for satisfaction in whatever I do but in the long run, I want a portfolio that I'd be proud of."

The bottom line is, routine stuff bores her. The uncertainty of the future doesn't induce fear, but challenges her. "I'm fearless, speak my mind and follow my heart. My gut feel has never let me down. I'd rather take up challenges than be a fence-sitter."

In her acting career, she will push the envelope and take up hatke roles. "When I knew that I'd have to sport short hair and change my look for Waisa Bhi Hota Hai, I was game for it." Sandhya has also signed up a film with Parvati Balagopal of Hubahu fame. And sometime in future, might try script writing. "Now I only write drafts," she laughs.

On her personal front, she's put marriage on hold. "Ali Khan and I were seeing each other and planned to get married. But somehow, I felt this was not the right time and we took a tough decision. I'm not thinking of marriage now."


hyderabadtimes@indiatimes.com
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/278660.cms

Straight Answers
15 Apr 2006, 2036 hrs IST,Nandini Shah,TNN


Sandhya Mridul, Actor on doing off-beat roles in films.

Do you make a conscious decision to do the off-beat roles you usually take up?

Not really; I usually see a good thing and take it up if I see substance in the role. A character with substance is my sole demand.

I abhor roles where I am just a decorative piece and the hero gets to do all the pivotal acting. I am selfish that way; I feel I can be the hero, too!

However, I don't usually discriminate between film genres and enjoy acting in off-beat films as well as commercial ones, as long as the role excites me and the script is good.

In fact, lots of films that were touted to be off-beat are doing well commercially, nowadays.


How much input do you believe in putting into the character outlined by the director?

I believe that everyone takes something to the role they portray. For me, the director's narration of the plot and of my character is all that's required before I reach the sets.

Then, I try to act according to the character outlined for me based on my own abilities.

Have the off-beat roles you have done satisfied your creative energies?

Not entirely; I believe I have lot more to give where acting is concerned and I haven't been suitably exploited on-screen. But, it's understandable that this is taking longer because I am quite selective in choosing roles.

What, according to you, is your image on-screen? Would you want to explore other avenues?

I enjoy breaking the image the audience tries to categorise me into. In fact, I have a particular aversion for fixed images as I believe they restrict versatility and I get bored easily doing the same things.

People like me are in this field only to be able to act in different roles and in the process hone their skills.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1491561.cms