JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Renu Desai Exclusive Interview: 'Having him as an ex had definitely taken a toll'; opens up on Tiger Nageswara Rao and more
In this candid interview, Renu Desai opened up about her incredible journey, the struggles she's faced and more. She plays the role of social activist Hemalatha Lavanam in Tiger Nageswara Rao.
In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Renu Desai, an actress and former model, opened up about her incredible journey in the industry, the struggles she's faced after parting ways with ex-husband Pawan Kalyan, and the triumphant return to the limelight with Ravi Teja starrer Tiger Nageswara Rao, that has hit screens today in Hindi and Telugu.
During our conversation, Renu Desai also expressed feeling lucky Abhishek Agarwal as a producer. "He has become like my brother now," said Desai who further added that she initially had feared how they would treat her as a newcomer on sets. "They took really care of me. I had zero complaints but only gratitude. I'm happy being associated with this project in all manners," Renu Desai opened up about her incredible journey.
EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW
After a hiatus from acting, your return to the screen in Tiger Nageswara Rao has generated a lot of excitement among your fans. Can you tell us what drew you to this particular project and how you prepared for your role?
First of all, post, sort of like when I did my first production as a producer in 2013, my first Marathi film, from that time itself has been asking, why don't you come back to acting as like, I never thought of myself as an actress. I've always thought of myself as a director or filmmaker. So I think three things are very important for me, the role but obviously the script, like, which includes the totality of the film, then is the director. And then is a producer. So these are three things that come together and aside, I have been getting offers and some people have been a little offended by me when I've said no to the project. So Vamsi (director) approached me for this role into this was in early 2019. So I read about Hemalatha Lavanam and I was like, wow. And then once he sent me the scene, and I just fell in love with it, that's how I decided to do the film or take the ruler.
What challenges and opportunities you've encountered in making your comeback?
Because it's a real person, we don't have fictional liberties? So what I did was I asked a couple of my reporter friends and one of the friends she knew her real niece, and coincidentally few days a few weeks later, I was shooting in Vijayawada, I met her. She gave me all the photographs and gave me a lot of material. So I got a clearer picture and that's how I prepared myself for the role. Hemalatha Lavanam wore white sarees though she was happily married just to remove the stigma of widowhood. In fact, they had to make me two shades a little darker. So if you see the film casing and you see me in real life, it's not matching. In a way, I'm tried to go as close to the character as possible.
What do you hope the audience to take away from your performance and the overall narrative as as Hemalatha Lavanam?
My character has a special appearance, but it is a very strong rule. In the second half, she challenges the hero. So the takeaway is that in the '70s or '80s, there could be such a strong lady out there to be, today's woman or women should definitely take inspiration from her because she has worked on decorator formation. Nowadays what has happened is feminism is more typewriter warriors but this was a lady who was out there
Can you tell me about your journey from modeling to acting and eventually into film production and direction? What inspired these career transitions?
I never wanted to be a model or an actor, I always wanted to either be a neurosurgeon, or I wanted to get into space science. Without auditioning, I got my first advertisement and I have never auditioned to date for movies as well as I was an established model. I was one of the rare ones who didn't have to go and say like, oh, please take me. At the age of 17, I became an assistant director on my own and skill sets. I was the production designer for Johnny, I was never supposed to act in the film but due to some mess and the heroine didn't turn up, I ended up being the actress for Johnny.
Many people know you for your association with Pawan Kalyan. How do you manage the public attention and scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye?
They will associate me with him because my films have been with him. He was my husband, he is still the father of my kids. I would have given them a politically correct answer maybe three or four years ago but it has been very difficult. This is a fact there are times when I've sat and cried because there was some role that I wanted to do. I was told by the filmmaker in messages, that they wanted me but after internal discussions, they thought there would be a problem. Like there is no issue but people have assumed that they would be an issue and I have not been a part of a lot of projects that I wanted to be a part of. So it has Yeah, so having him as an ex had definitely taken a toll.
How difficult it gets to keep your kids away from all these happening around you?
I can't tell my kids you can't be on Instagram or you can't be on social media they get to see they get to see memes...they get to see comments...they get to see the reactions of people
Can you discuss the role of women in the Indian film industry and how it has evolved during your career? What changes would you like to see in the industry to promote gender equality?
When I started in 1995, there were hardly a few females in the team but now, 50 per cent is women's force, and it is a significant change in my 28 years of journey.
During the interview, Renu Desai also expressed an inspiring tale of a comeback and that she has no regrets about her career decisions. "I could have done much more work but it has been a very conscious choice. Today when my daughter comes from school, I'm at home, she sees me at home and doesn't come to an empty house. Now, I can start taking up more work. Now I can do more work where I don't have to keep my kids aside. They always will be my priority. It hurts and I wish I could do more films but my kids will always be my priority. I have sat at home in my prime years of life but there are no regrets but it was conscious decision," concluded Renua Desai in a deeply personal and candid interview.
Latest Articles
