Madhur Bhandarkar cannot find an actor to play a homosexual alongside Konkona Sen Sharma
Ram Kamal Mukherjee
Madhur Bhandarkar finds himself confronted by a different kind of a problem. He is unable to find an actor who will play the character of a homosexual alonside his lead actress Konkona Sen Sharma in his forthcoming The Signal.
The director's search continues and he has even approached several film and television actors. But most have been sceptical about taking on such a role. Incidentally, Bhandarkar needs to shoot the scenes in a day or two. "I am extremely tense at the moment," he says.
The scene demands that the homosexual character stand at a signal with Konkona. "Konkona plays a prostitute, on the lines of Sharmila Tagore in Mausam," says Bhandarkar. "Konkona has a terrific role and I need someone to deliver an equally power-packed performance. I don't know why actors are scared of playing a gay on screen," he says.
Moreover, Bhandarkar needs the character to be well built. "I don't want an effeminate-looking actor. It is unfortunate that most of the filmmakers portray them in such a way," he says.
Even while the shoot deadline nears, Bhandarkar has no intentions of rushing into a wrong decision. To start with, he does not want someone on the lines of a Bobby Darling to play the role. "I don't want something obvious in my film," he says.
So will he stall the shoot if he does not get an actor? "That's scary," he says. "We have erected sets and need to finish the shoot within a limited period of time. I have also blocked Konkona's dates," he says.
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