POPULAR actress Abhidnya Bhave started with a couple of cameos in Hindi drama serials, but really made a big name for herself after stepping away from that space and delivering winning performances in Marathi projects.
After a whole host of terrific turns in film and TV shows in the regional language across six years, she made a winning return to Hindi TV recently with the massively popular Pavitra Rishta 2.0, a reboot of the classic drama serial of the same name. She is now looking forward to showing off her impressive range and has multiple paths open to her.
Eastern Eye caught up with the smallscreen star to discuss her interesting acting journey, Pavitra Rishta 2.0 and future hopes.
What first connected you to acting?
In some way we all want to step away from our lives and try new things or make some changes to our personality, which is difficult. But being an actor gives you the liberty to think from the other side and get into another person’s shoes. Then as Abhidnya, I can add something to that, keeping in mind how the character would think and react. So, it changes your perspective as a human being and as an actor. You become more selfless and start thinking about others more than yourself. I love that about acting. It allows me to push boundaries and be different every day.
You started out acting in Hindi projects, but quickly switched to Marathi. Why is that?
The characters I played in Hindi were negligible. I switched to Marathi because I got good opportunities and got to be an actor. In Marathi, good characters were written for me, which I am known for. I got back-to-back projects in Marathi and became very busy. Someday I thought I would get back to the Hindi industry and stay. That happened with Pavitra Rishta.
What led towards Pavitra Rishta 2.0?
I did not choose it, this show chose me. I was asked to give an audition, which I did. I later went for a reading and look test and was selected. I think it was all destined. Pavitra Rishta chose me. The characters remain the same, but this new interpretation of the much loved drama serial Pavitra Rishta is very modern and crisp.
Tell us about the experience of playing your character Manjusha in it?
Manjusha is protecting her husband and brother but doesn’t understand she is harming lot of people around her or unintentionally creating hurdles. I kept that in mind so the intentional had to look unintentional, otherwise the character would be different. I hope that thought reaches the viewers.
Abhidnya Bhave
How does it compare to the original?
You cannot compare the two because the original was unique and so is Pavitra Rishta 2.0. The way the characters are written and portrayed is different. The only comparison would be that Pavitra Rishta then was a brand, and this will also be a brand. Both are individually strong enough to stand on their own.
Did you take any references from the original when preparing for the role?
Yes. I had watched the whole show and knew how Manjusha was in it, but when I started portraying her, I knew I wouldn’t be doing the same thing which she did back then. I wanted to bring my own element and that is what I absolutely tried to do. I got my own thoughts into the character and tried to keep her as real as possible. Even though Manjusha is a little over the top, I did not want to go like that in this series, and so I tried to keep her realistic.
How does this compare to other projects you have done?
In the other projects, I think I could never be this realistic. I have always been attracted to real things, whether it is a film or on television. The biggest challenge was not to wear much make-up on screen, but any insecurities soon vanished. When you present yourself as real, it becomes effortless, because there is nothing between you and your camera, not even make-up.
What is the plan going forward?
The plan is only to do amazing projects and deliver great performances. To let directors and producers know the girl named Abhidnya is ready to take risks. My focus is not to do glamorous roles, but performance-oriented characters audiences will notice, so much so that I would be the first preference for such roles.
What kind of roles do you want?
I have done a lot of grey-shaded characters, so for a change, I want to do something for which I get sympathy. I have never felt or experienced that from audiences because like I said, I usually play characters with shades of grey, and they say ‘you are too bad’. Ultimately, I never keep boundaries and am open for any good opportunity which will challenge and enhance me.
Who would you love to work with?
I always wanted to work with Shaheer (Sheikh). When I got to know that he will play Manav in Pavitra Rishta 2.0, my heart skipped a beat. Thankfully I got scenes with him and I want to work with him in future projects. I also want to share the screen with Ranveer Singh because he is such a versatile actor and I want to learn from him.
What kind of content do you enjoy watching as an audience?
I love watching crime-based shows, horror films, docu-dramas and serials based on real events. I enjoy shows full of drama and relationships, and also enjoyed situational comedy Schitt’s Creek.
What is your idea of happiness?
My idea of happiness is seeing people happy around me, especially those who mean a lot to me. That makes me feel happy and blessed. My world revolves around my parents and husband. When they watch me on screen and feel happy, that makes me happy too. I am happier with their happiness than my own. I work for them, and making them proud are moments I enjoy most in my life. That is what I think I work for.
Finally, why should we tune into Pavitra Rishta 2.0?
You should watch Pavitra Rishta 2.0 because it is Pavitra Rishta. It’s the sweetest
innocent form of what you saw previously. Every actor associated with it has given more than 100 per cent and did it as a tribute to Sushant (Singh Rajput). He had already taken Pavitra Rishta to the next level and set a benchmark for us. We had no option but to live up to that. It is a more realistic version of the drama you were a fan of. Everyone who has worked on it has done a great job. When you watch it, you will know.
The actor’s evolving style from youth to maturity getty images
Aamir Khan embracing vintage looks with classic charmgetty images
Bold and dramatic changes defining Aamir Khan’s careergetty images
From rugged to refined Aamir Khan’s versatile appearancesgetty images
Memorable film moments showcasing Aamir Khan’s unique stylegetty images
Aamir Khan’s blend of classic and contemporary fashiongetty images
Aamir Khan’s dedication to authentic character portrayals getty images
Cinematic milestones reflected in Aamir Khan’s on-screen imagegetty images
A seated Jain enlightened teacherAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Ganesha from JavaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
A Chinese silk painting depicting the BuddhaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
ArdhanarishvaraAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Head of a grimacing yakshaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
NagaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
The Bimaran casketAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Hunia Chawla
A still from rehearsal
Them performing liveNajmuddin Saifuddin Qawwal Group
The cast of Marriage Material in key moments from the play, including Avita Jay, Kiran Landa, Omar Malik, Irfan Shamji and Anoushka Deshmukh
Sathnam Sanghera’s 'Marriage Material' adapted into bold new play on conformity
The play Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera’s novel of the same name, which first came out in 2013.
She is lucky to have Iqbal Khan direct Marriage Material. The play, a co-production with the Birmingham Rep, is set in the late 1960s. Mr and Mrs Bains (played by Jaz Singh Deol and Avita Jay) run a corner shop in Wolverhampton. Their younger daughter, Surinder (Anoushka Deshmukh), is 16, her sister Kamaljit (Kiran Landa) is just a bit older.
They have a neighbour, Patwant Dhanda (Irfan Shamji), who, as we shall soon see, is not a very pleasant man. In fact, he comes across just as racist as Enoch Powell, who represented Wolverhampton South West for the Tories from 1950 to 1974.
It will be recalled this was a time when Sikhs working on the buses were told they couldn’t wear a turban. That was a hard-fought battle that had to be won.
The Bains, meanwhile, simply want to get their girls married off.
Nothing new here, I thought.
What makes the tale different is that the plot twists and turns down the generations. Mr Dhanda, who has the makings of a paedophile, makes a pitch for one of the girls when Mr Bains dies early in the play. “A life with no man in the house is no life,” he informs the newly widowed Mrs Bains.
Mr Dhanda has a wife but she has returned to India so he considers himself to be a free man.
Surinder’s English teacher from school, Miss Flanagan (Celeste Dodwell), who is also head of the fifth form, tells Mrs Bains about her daughter: “I don’t want to embarrass you, but she is bright. Ridiculously bright.”
She adds: “Mrs Bains, I think it would be a pity if Surinder didn’t stay on at school.” The initial response from Mrs Bains is not encouraging: “Too much education makes people’s brains get mixed up, they don’t sleep at night…”
But she is finally persuaded that Surinder should be allowed to stay on for a while longer before being married off.
Mr Bains was very old school. When Surinder confides she would one day like to be “a somebody”, he is amused that “my daughter wants to be a somebody”.
“Like you,” she tells her father.
Mr Bains consoles his daughter: “We will find a somebody for you to marry.”
At the point of a possible marriage, however, Surinder is sweet-talked by chocolate salesman Jim Wilson (Tommy Belshaw) into running away with him. They share a love of literature, and he calls her “Sue Bains”. But the relationship does not end well.
Once she has left, Surinder is written off as “dead” by her family. The story that is circulated is that she was only 16 when she was killed in a car crash. That’s better than to let on that she ran off with a white man.
By the time she is reconciled with her sister towards the end of the play, a great deal has changed. Kamaljit married Tanvir Banga (Omar Malik), a young man who helped out in the Bains’ corner shop. When the two sisters meet again, Tanvir has also died. But he and Kamaljit had a son, Arjan Banga (Jaz Singh Deol doubles up for this role after the death of Mr Bains). He has come home after his father’s death to help his mother who is still running the family corner shop.
Meanwhile, Mr Dhanda’s business has prospered. He now has a son, Ranjit Dhanda (the role is taken by Omar Malik after Tanvir’s death), and he is nearly as unpleasant as his father.
Arjan has an English fiancée, Claire (Celeste Dodwell). In London, Arjan worked as a creative director. But after deciding to stay in Wolverhampton to help his mother, he decides he cannot marry Claire because she is white. In other words, Asians are not free of racism, either. Happily, at the end, the couple are reconciled.
As for Surinder, she parted company with Jim Wilson after realising he was all talk, depended on her for money and had failed to earn a penny from his literary pretensions. She had prospered, though, as a hotel owner and had been transformed in time into a well-groomed businesswoman. After being tracked down by Arjan, she decides to return to her roots in Wolverhampton and help Kamaljit run the family corner shop. Perhaps 50 years had passed during the passage of the play.
Being subjected to racism turned some Asians into racists themselves. The word goreh (white person) is repeatedly spat out with venom. Maybe it is worth remembering the play’s audience isn’t exclusively Asian – white folk are watching as well. And maybe some of the toilet humour ridiculing white people, which always makes me cringe, could be cut out.
In Sanghera’s novel, there is a quote from Enoch Powell’s speech in November 1968: “The West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman. In law he becomes a United Kingdom citizen by birth; in fact, he is a west Indian or an Asian still... he will by the very nature of things have lost one country without gaining another, lost one nationality without acquiring a new one. Time is running out against us and them. With the lapse of a generation or so we shall at last have succeeded – to the benefit of nobody – in reproducing ‘in England’s green and pleasant land’ the haunting tragedy of the US.”
In Marriage Material, where the acting is marvellous (apart from Mr Dhanda’s Indian mannerisms and accent being overdone) we do travel across a couple of generations.
There is a scene when Tanvir rejects Mr Dhanda’s vision of creating a little Punjab in Wolverhampton.
Mr Dhanda wants to take over the Bains’ corner shop and is putting pressure on Tanvir to sign the papers. He says: “In this country, money is the path to freedom.”
“Sign, please,” he instructs Tanvir. “We must make sure our children learn to behave nicely, according to our rules.”
He insists: “We maintain our identity so we can be ourselves.”
Tanvir disagrees: “We can be us here. With the goreh.”
Dhanda warns him: “Then we will be inviting chaos.”
Tanvir’s comment is telling: “You sound like Enoch.”
Kamaljit, who is expecting a baby with her husband Tanvir, says: “I would like my child to grow up knowing the history of the Gurus and to read the Granth Sahib. And to love their culture.”
Tanvir tells his wife: “I would like my child to go to the finest schools, to cheer for England in the World Cup and eat Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday.”
Kamaljit sets out a dream that has perhaps come to pass with many third and fourth generation British Asians: “Maybe our child can do both.” Much, much later, in a throwback to the past, we learn of Surinder’s O-level results: “Biology A, Chemistry A, English Language A, English Literature A, French A, History B, Latin A, Mathematics A, Physics A…”
Kamaljit tells her younger sister: “Never mind about the B.”
And that is quintessentially Asian. Their acting is outstanding.
Marriage Material is at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre until June 21, and at the Birmingham Rep from June 25-July 5