SUDHA CHANDRAN was just a teenager when she found success with her debut 1984 film Mayuri.
That magical first step kick-started a magnificent acting journey filled with memorable performances in multiple languages. Although she has added gravitas to a huge number of movies since the 1980s, the versatile actress has been at her best on television and starred in some of the most popular drama serials of the modern era.
Iconic shows she has starred in include Kaahin Kissii Roz, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kashmakash Zindagi Ki, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, Bepanah Pyaar and four seasons of smash hit show Naagin. She has also appeared as judge on various TV shows and done multiple projects at once. The unstoppable star is currently being seen in Naagin 6 and Telugu serial No. 1 Kodalu.
Eastern Eye caught up with one of India’s great TV icons to discuss her action-packed journey, magic of Naagin, secrets of a good performance, passions away from work and biggest inspiration.
How do you look back on your long and distinguished career?
My career has been full of ups and downs. I started with Mayuri and unexpectedly got stardom. After that my films didn’t do well and some thought I’m just a one-film wonder. Then magic happens when you believe in yourself and the almighty. And that’s when I got a call from Balaji Telefilms for the iconic role of Ramola Sikand (in Kaahin Kissii Roz), which changed everything. So, it’s been a beautiful, hardworking, dedicated, professionally committed journey.
Which roles have been closest to your heart?
I don’t distinguish between roles, and they all have been very close to me. In terms of popularity – the film Mayuri and Ramola Sikand, which gained huge popularity and became a style icon on TV. Then Yamini in Naagin 1, 2 and 3. There was also a wonderful serial in Tamil called Deivam Thandha Veedu, where again I got the Best Actress award consecutively for two to three years. My current character on Zee TV Telugu, Vaagdevi (No. 1 Kodalu), believes every girl in this country should be educated; this role is very close to what Sudha Chandran is.
Which character challenged you most?
Ramola Sikand and Yamini in Naagin. I come from a very middle-class family, so didn’t know how an entrepreneur like Ramola Sikand would behave, walk, and talk. It took me some time to get into the skin of the character and I’m thankful to all the hard work I put in with the help of my directors. Yamini was a very positive character, who suddenly becomes hard-core negative. (Laughs) People loved to hate both these characters.
I never say no to any character. If you see my journey, it’s been positive, negative, emotional, comedic, and more. I see each character as a challenge. I’m thankful that producers and directors have faith that Sudha Chandran can always deliver. So, I have always loved doing different roles and my body of work reflects all genres.
Does your approach change between film and television?
No, I’m an actress. My job is to perform and deliver. Whether it is film or TV, I just focus on connecting with audiences on an emotional level. Ultimately, as an actress, I am always guided by my director because every character demands a different approach. I place myself in the hands of my director and use the platform given to get into the skin of that character.
Does your approach change between the many languages you have worked in?
I’ve been blessed to have done different roles in almost all the languages, be it Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam, or Telugu. For me, each set-up is a different learning process. I’m, of course, most comfortable in Hindi, having been born and brought up with it, so with other languages I have to work a little harder to get into that zone of acting. Once I understand what the language needs, I am able to perform to perfection and to the satisfaction of the audience, producer and director.
What has being a part of the Naagin franchise been like?
I remember shooting in Chennai and my husband telling me he had seen a beautiful teaser of a new series called Naagin. Somewhere, I manifested and wished to be part of it. Thanks to the almighty, I got a call from Balaji Telefilms saying Ektaji (Kapoor) wanted me to play the role of Yamini. So, it’s been a pleasure, absolute honour, and matter of pride for me. Like I always say, returning to Balaji Telefilms is like a homecoming for me.
Why do you think Naagin is so popular?
We all believe that there is a naagin. Somewhere this belief makes us watch Naagin. We have been very lucky that India is the only place where ichhadhari naag and naagin can shape-shift and become human beings. So, it’s a part of our Hindu culture. The popularity is because somehow people believe in the concept of naagin.
What has the experience of acting in Naagin 6 been like?
I have just got into Naagin 6. The character has just begun. I’m just playing a nice mother so far. Knowing Ektaji and Balaji Telefilms, I’m still waiting for those twists and turns to happen. So, I’m just going with the flow of Naagin 6.
Do you prefer to play positive or negative characters?
I prefer all characters. I don’t want to get myself pushed into one genre and say that I am only comfortable doing positive or negative roles. There’s something much beyond positive or negative. There is comedy, being positively negative and something called negatively positive. There are so many genres still left to be explored. I simply love to act irrespective of the character being positive or negative.
You have done an incredibly wide array of work and are one of the most versatile actresses working today, but do you have a dream role?
There are so many roles left to explore. I am only praying that God gives me such good health that I still continue to be part of this industry, do fantastic roles and keep winning unconditional love from my audience and fans.
What is the secret of a good performance according to you?
The secret is simply that I always go on set and follow instructions from my director. I personally feel the project is his baby, which has been conceived with the producer. Once you have those all-important instructions, you start performing and putting in your inputs, and experience as an actor. Then the director keeps correcting you. The secret is simply to be on time, get into the skin of the character, get guided by your director and respect the production house enough to work hard.
What are your big passions away from work?
My big passion is getting back home immediately after work. I love going back home to my family. I truly miss them. I have been working for so many years that quality time with my family is important. I love to see movies, read up on dance and come up with my own ballet concepts.
What inspires you as an actress?
My roles definitely inspire me. Like I always say, I’m born to dance, act and entertain. This is what pushes me to give my best as an actress and if a good opportunity comes along, I don’t believe in letting go of that because they don’t arrive often. I’m very privileged and honoured that people still believe in me, and good roles still keep coming to me, which is inspiration enough.
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