‘I Get To Shoulder An Entire Film’

‘I’m
there
in
every
frame
of
this
film.’
‘The
film
is
named
after
the
character
that
I
play.’
‘It’s
about
a
feeling
like
you
are
capable
of
shouldering
a
film
entirely
on
your
own,
which
is
a
belief
that
I
may
not
have
in
myself
always.’

Shahana
Goswami
is
“thrilled”
about
her
film

Santosh
being
the
United
Kingdom’s
selection
for
Oscars
2025.

Helmed
by
British
Indian
Director
Sandhya
Suri,

Santosh
tells
the
story
of
a
young
widow,
who
inherits
her
husband’s
job
of
a
police
constable
and
then
gets
involved
in
a
young
girl’s
murder
investigation.

The
celebrations
have
started,
but
Shahana
tells

Ronjita
Kulkarni/Rediff.com:
“I’m
also
enjoying
the
process
of
clarifying
to
people
that
we
are
not
going
to
the
Oscars
(yet).
It’s
just
been
submitted
as
a
selection.
I
hope
I
have
*that*
news
to
share
at
some
point
as
well,
but
as
of
now,
I’m
still
very,
very
happy
that
we’ve
been
chosen
in
a
position
to
be
selected.”

You
have
done
so
many
beautiful
films
like

Firaaq
and

Zwigato.
But
this
is
the
first
time
your
film
has
been
selected
for
the
Oscars.
And
it’s
not
even
sent
by
India.
Do
you
feel
bad
about
things
like
this?

Yes,
not
specifically
with
this
film.
It’s
harder
in
terms
of
selecting
a
film
from
India
because
you
have
so
many
films.
Basically,
every
film
we
make
qualifies
for
the
nomination
because
all
our
films
are
in
a
foreign
language,
right?

But
there,
it’s
a
smaller
pool
that
you
have
to
select
from
—
a
British
film
that
is
not
in
English.

You
play
a
young
widow
in
rural
India,
who
becomes
a
constable.
It’s
so
far
removed
from
your
world.
How
did
you
get
into
that
character?

I
had
a
meltdown
the
day
before
the
shoot!

I
get
this
Imposter
syndrome;
I
feel
it
in
almost
every
project
where
I’m
playing
a
character
that’s
very
far
removed
from
who
I
am.

Besides

Santosh,
I
felt
it
very
strongly
in
films
like

Firaaq
and

Zwigato.

What’s
the
best
part
about
being
in
a
film
like

Santosh?

The
quality
of
writing
and
story-telling.

When
I
read
this
script,
it
really
drew
me
into
it.

I
like
that
kind
of
narrative,
which
is
not
beating
something
into
your
head
or
overemphasising.

Zwigato
was
also
a
lot
like
that.

For
me,
personally,
it’s
the
fact
that
I
get
to
shoulder
an
entire
film.

I’m
there
in
every
frame
of
this
film.

The
film
is
named
after
the
character
that
I
play.

It’s
about
a
feeling
like
you
are
capable
of
shouldering
a
film
entirely
on
your
own,
which
is
a
belief
that
I
may
not
have
in
myself
always.

You
started
your
career
with
commercial
cinema
like

Rock
On,
Honeymoon
Travels,
Ra.One
and

Heroine.
But
you’ve
almost
stopped
doing
commercial
movies.
Is
that
a
conscious
choice
or
is
Bollywood
finding
it
hard
to
give
you
good
roles?

I
have
never
consciously
done
commercial
films.
Even

Rock
On
and

Honeymoon
Travels
weren’t
exactly
commercial
films.
They
are
popular
films.

I’ve
done
very
few
commercial
films
like

Ra.One
and

Heroine,
and
that’s
been
a
conscious
choice.

Usually
what
happens
is
if
you’re
in
an
industry
for
that
long,
people
tend
to
have
an
association
with
you
for
so
long
that
there
is
a
sense
of
aging
and
predictability.

Hollywood
still
finds
joy
in
taking
different
actors,
sometimes
unknown
actors,
who
they
believe
in
and
push
it
and
make
it
work
because
they
are
good
for
the
part.
Then,
they
push
the
film
to
its
success.

They
create
stars
out
of
people
or
have
existing
stars
choose
to
do
non-glamorous
parts
or
non-glamorous
actors
ending
up
doing
these
really
glamorous
parts.
They
take
a
chance
and
give
that
surprise
element
to
the
audience.

I
wish
one
would
see
more
of
that
here.
We’re
not
there
yet.
I
think
we’re
getting
there,
but
we’re
not
there
yet.

Have
you
ever
felt
like
a
misfit
in
Bollywood,
with
your
unconventional
looks
and
choices
and
their
conventional
heroine
roles?

To
be
very
honest,
no,
because
I
feel
like
if
I
were
a
misfit,
I
wouldn’t
have
done
the
amount
of
work
that
I’ve
done.

I
wouldn’t
have
got
the
kind
of
welcomeness
and
warmth
that
I
get
from
everyone
across
the
board.

To
me,
that
is
a
sign
that
I
have
always
been
appreciated
for
whatever
I’ve
done.

Whether
that
translates
to
direct
work
or
not…I
am
a
realist.

It’s
a
huge
privilege
that
I
have
been
able
to
do
work
that
resonates
with
me
and
still
be
a
consistently
employed
actor.

To
have
had
the
choice
to
say
no
to
projects
because
so
far
in
my
life,
I
have
never
not
had
work.

I
may
have
chosen
not
to
do
work
for
a
long
period
of
time
but
so
far,
I
have
not
had
a
period
when
nothing
was
coming
my
way.

So
for
somebody
who
doesn’t
conventionally
fit
any
bill,
who
is
not
consistently
around
and
advertising
themselves
or
reminding
the
world
or
the
industry
of
themselves
and
to
still
keep
getting
work
and
the
kind
of
work
that
I
feel
like
saying
yes
to,
it’s
great.

It’s
really
all
on
my
terms
and
a
dream
come
true.

v>

Are
you
happy
with
the
roles
coming
your
way?

I
still
have
that
faith
that
at
some
point,
there
will
be
that
opportunity
to
feel
challenged
differently
and
do
something
that’s
not
expected
of
me.

Like
even
in

The
Suitable
Boy,
for
me
to
play
a
part
like
Meenakshi,
nobody
would
ever
dare
to
think
of
me
in
that
part,
not
even
myself.

I
don’t
know
why
I
auditioned
for
it.

I
was
like,
I
don’t
know
what
the
hell
I’m
doing.
How
will
I
do
this?

But
it
just
happened
when
you
channel
some
part
of
yourself
that
you
have
never
tapped
into.

Would
you
like
to
be
a
Rani
in
a
film
like

Rocky
Aur
Rani
Ki
Prem
Kahani?

Of
course!

It
has
great
storytelling,
I
like
the
messaging,
I
like
the
way
it
is.
I
really
love
that
film.

But
you
will
never
see
me
in
a
film
like

Rocky
And
Rani
because
big
productions
like
that
need
big
names
to
sell
them.

I
know
that
the
day
I’m
—
suddenly
for
some
reason
—
viable,
famous
or
saleable,
it’ll
all
shift.
That’s
just
the
nature
of
things.

It’ll
happen
if
it
has
to
happen,
but
not
everybody’s
course
might
be
that.

I’m
very
clear
on
not
short-changing
myself
or
selling
myself
short
on
my
own
dream.

I
know
what
my
appetite
is
as
an
actor
and
what
I
would
like
to
do
and
not
do.

I’m
not
interested
in
playing
a
small
part
in
a
big
film.

I
want
to
feel
like
a
head
of
the
department.

I
want
to
take
more
responsibility
and
shoulder
more.

I’m
being
able
to
do
it
in
films
like

Santosh
and
I
can
see
that
I’m
good
at
it.

I’m
capable
of
it.

I
can
hold
a
film.

Do
you
feel
like
you
have
been
given
your
due?

You
mean,
am
I
hungry
for
more?
Of
course!

Every
creative
person,
every
artist
is
always
hungry
for
more,
especially
when
you’re
in
a
medium
which
is
collaborative.

I’ve
always
said
I
am
ambitious,
but
in
a
different
way.

I’m
not
ambitious
about
being
famous
or
making
lots
of
money,
or
being
known
commercially.

For
me,
my
ambition
is
about
working
with
people
that
I
admire.

I’m
ready
to
do
big
projects.
Like,
I’d
love
to
be
part
of

Dune.

I
think
I’ve
got
a
lot
more
than
what
I
could
have
hoped
for
or
imagined.

What
are
you
working
on?

Currently,
I
have
not
said
yes
to
any
new
project.

Santosh
is
doing
the
rounds
now.

I’m
doing
an
Australian
television
series
called

Four
Years
Later,
where
I
play
the
central
romantic
lead.
It’s
about
a
couple
who
are
separated
immediately
after
their
wedding
and
then
their
paths
cross
again
four
years
later.

I’m
hoping
that
this
becomes
a
kind
of
catapult
for
me
and
for
projects
like
these
to
be
made
across
the
world.