Pratibha Ranta: He said, I can’t believe what you did in last scene

A still from the film

Over seven years ago, when the then-teenaged Pratibha Ranta had watched Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra's maiden film Dangal (2016), she wondered if she would ever debut in an Aamir Khan movie. The universe was listening. Today, the actor fronts director Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies, backed by Khan. For Ranta, who shifted from Shimla to Mumbai in 2019, the film is that point where her dreams and reality converged. "My dad has been a film buff, so I grew up loving movies. But it wasn't easy to convince my family about my acting dreams. While leaving for Mumbai, they had given me a year's deadline, and if I had failed to secure anything in that period, I would have had to go back," she says.

Thankfully, she bagged the lead role in the popular television show, Qurbaan Hua. While she was flirting with the small screen, she got an audition call for Laapataa Ladies. Multiple screening rounds later, she found herself face-to-face with Khan and Rao for the final audition. "I thought, ‘This is such a high-pressure situation. I can't even fangirl over Aamir Khan,'" Ranta laughs. "Both him and Kiran ma'am made me so comfortable. Aamir sir asked me about my life, what my parents did. When a superstar asks about you, you feel special. By the time I reached home after the audition, I got a call that I was on board."

In the delightful feminist comedy - also starring Ravi Kishan, Nitanshi Goel and Sparsh Shrivastava - Ranta plays a new bride who inspires women around her to empower themselves. Shooting with Rao at the helm was the best experience a newcomer could've asked for, she says. "Kiran ma'am's set is the healthiest I have ever been on. Nobody shouts at anyone. People are supportive and warm towards one another. Generally, newcomers are ignored on sets, but there was no such hierarchy here."

Laapataa Ladies released last week to unanimous critical acclaim. Even as she soaks in the love coming from the audience and critics, the praise that she holds the dearest is the one she received from Khan. "After watching the film, Aamir sir called for me and said, ‘I can't believe what you have done in the film, especially your last scene. It's so delightful to see you on screen.' I couldn't hold back my tears."