Sharmila Tagore: Open to playing a grey role

Sharmila Tagore

Gulmohar was one of those well-rounded Hindi films that boasted of several sterling qualities, from mature performances to competent direction. But to many ardent fans, the biggest highlight of Rahul V Chittella's directorial offering was seeing Sharmila Tagore back on the screen after over 12 years. Fortunately, we'll be seeing more of the veteran actor in the coming months. Tagore has wrapped up the shoot of Outhouse, an adventure drama that sees her as a grandmother who joins her grandson in his search for his dog.

Tell her the premise sounds charming, and Tagore says National Award-winning director Sunil Sukthankar's film has a big heart. "Outhouse also stars my dear friend, Mohan Agashe. All of us loved the script, and made it on a shoestring budget, shooting in a start-to-finish schedule in Pune. It's an independent film that [at the moment] doesn't have any OTT backing, so I don't know what its fate will be. But I have no doubt that it will be liked by people, if and when it is released," smiles the senior actor. In the slice-of-life movie, she plays a graphic designer who, on an occasion, has to babysit her grandson. "Unknown to her, the grandson also has a dog. In the morning when they wake up, the dog is missing, and that's how their [adventure] begins."

A still from Gulmohar; (right) Mohan Agashe stars in Outhouse

With the Hindi film industry telling unheard stories, now is fortunately a good time for female actors as well as senior artistes. Tagore agrees, noting that she is cherry-picking projects and ensuring that she goes beyond the roles of a family matriarch. She is looking forward to playing complex parts. "I am open to playing a grey role. I have stepped out of [that zone] where I'd think about how much business my film has done, compare [myself] to others, or feel the insecurity that comes with a film not doing well. All that angst is behind me. I almost feel like a newcomer now."

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Today, she is doing movies only for her love for the craft. "I don't have any of that competitiveness in me. God has been kind. With humility, I can say today that I don't need the money because my needs are not complex. I don't need fancy cars, houses, or even shoes because I cannot wear high heels. Maybe I have distanced myself [from such needs] because I have so many other things happening in my life that I don't consider myself only an actor."