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INTERVIEW: Vidya Balan on Sherni and the climax: I am an eternal optimist, so I see hope even in this ending
In a candid chat with Pinkvilla, Vidya Balan discusses Sherni and informs that if not for the pandemic, the climax of the film would have been a little different. Detailed Conversation
Vidya Balan’s much awaited film, Sherni, recently hit the digital world on Amazon Prime and it has evoked conversations around multiple issues. Given her presence and track record, one always expects the best out of Vidya Balan. When asked, if this adds onto the pressure and the actress smiles, “I don’t feel any kind of pressure. Decision to do a film has to be very personal because I have to live with the character and go through the entire process. It’s a lot of work. I only do what I feel like doing and I am grateful that people have expectations and faith. But no, I don’t take any kind of pressure.”
The actress believes that over the last 2 decades, she has changed as a person and also as an actor. “I have just learnt from every character that I have played. I only try to do my best. Sometimes, you do a film that connects and sometimes, it doesn’t. I just try to do my best,” she informs. There have been conversations about the climax of Sherni. While some are bowled over by the realistic portrayal of forest officers, some believe that the makers killed the hope towards the end. Vidya insists that if not for the pandemic, the end would have been different. 
I have to admit that even I wanted the film to have a more hopeful end, but I completely buy why Amit did this. He wanted to make a point.
Vidya Balan
“This wasn’t the original end and I am not too sure if Amit (director, Amit Masurkar) would want me to speak about the original climax. The pandemic forced him to rewrite. But, it’s not just the Sherni in the jungle that’s an endangered species, but it’s even the officers like Vidya Vincent, who have become endangered. She was an idealist, trying to do the right thing in the right way,” she explains, adding further that she understands the reason why Amit opted for this version of the story.
“I have to admit that even I wanted the film to have a more hopeful end, but I completely buy why Amit did this. He wanted to make a point. A lot of those faceless people who are doing their job sincerely remain unappreciated, and also get punished at times. This is the reality of the system. The ones who challenge it, are often punished, though in the larger scheme of things, truth prevails. I am an eternal optimist, so I see hope even in this ending,” Vidya admits. She is happy to have found appreciation from the audience and critics alike for her performance and that’s what matters the most. “I never think about awards,” she sets the record straight adding further, “I am happy that my director liked my work and secondly, the audience is appreciating it. Receiving an award will be an icing on the cake, but I never think of it.”
ALSO READ: INTERVIEW: Vikram Malhotra on Sherni and Vidya Balan: ‘You can’t make a forest where Tiger’s reside’
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