Priya Bapat on City of Dreams 2: Had to do 17 takes of the first shot

Priya Bapat

Priya Bapat's effortless acting and charm have made her a star in the Marathi film industry. As she tries to gain a foothold in the Hindi industry, it's quality over quantity for the actor - she would rather be part of memorable projects than "do 1,000 films for the sake of it". For now, she is focusing on her two latest releases, MXPlayer's Marathi series, Aani Kay Hava and Disney+ Hotstar's City of Dreams 2. In a chat with mid-day, Bapat talks about her work and being picky about her projects.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

With three seasons of Aani Kay Hava under your belt, it must have been a fulfilling journey.
After working together from 2010 to 2015, Umesh [Kamat, husband] and I took a break to work with other people. In 2019, the producers of Aani Kay Hava, who are our close friends, told us about this script by Varun Narvekar. We were blown when we read it. It was a simple story about a couple dealing with day-to-day things. We jumped at the opportunity. Since the first season garnered a tremendous response, MXPlayer decided to follow it up with subsequent editions.

Stills of Aani Kay Hava

Doesn't the show seem similar to Netflix's much-loved Little Things?
If you put them next to each other, you will see some similar [aspects] as both revolve around a couple. But the issues, equations, and the relationship we explore in this show through an arranged marriage set-up are different. Aani Kay Hava has a strong Marathi flavour to it. Even though the situations could be universal, the references we use - say, making a puranpoli - would change if it were made in some other language. Culturally, [the two shows] are different.

Also Read: Priya Bapat and Umesh Kamat to explore new phase of their relationship

What were some of the memorable praises and criticisms you received for this show?
Luckily, there hasn't been any criticism. The biggest compliment I received was that we could bring a smile to people's faces during the pandemic. We got messages saying, ‘We survived the pandemic because of Aani Kay Hava. We watched the three seasons on a loop'.

City of Dreams 2

You had another big release in the second season of City of Dreams.
We had started shooting in January 2020 and were 20 days away from wrapping it up when the pandemic happened. We resumed the shoot in October 2020. Eijaz [Khan] was in Bigg Boss then, so we initially shot without him. We could complete the shoot once Eijaz returned, and finally wrapped it up in February 2021.

How was it to return to a character after a long gap?
Going back to Aani Kay Hava was not tough because it's a simpler structure. However, with City of Dreams 2, it was a challenge. Remembering everything you did in the month of January, and recreating those moments was difficult. It took an entire day to come back to Purnima Gaikwad [her character]. I had to do 17 takes of the first shot. After a few takes, Nagesh sir [Kukunoor, director] started saying, ‘I don't want Priya Bapat, I want Purnima.' You tend to lose the rhythm after a gap, especially since Purnima is different from the real me. We managed to pull off the first scene somehow, but after that, I survived.

Has your career panned out as per your expectations?
It has not gone beyond my expectations, but I would expect more after the second season of City of Dreams. In fact, I was expecting a drastic change in my career after the first season, which unfortunately didn't happen. However, I don't lose hope. I have always been hungry for good work. It was a conscious decision to say no to a few projects. Sometimes, it is difficult [to reject work] because you end up sitting at home. But I know I would have been unhappier had I taken up projects [only for visibility]. I don't want to do 1,000 projects of which people will only talk about one or two. I would rather do 20 brilliant projects.

Also Read: 'City Of Dreams' Season 2: Makers unveil trailer; release date announced too