Her very first film was a super hit in South India and first two films were shortlisted for prestigious Academy Awards.Yes, she is none other than our very own Tamil crime thriller Vazhakku Enn 18/9 fame Assamese actress Urmila Mahanta, who is all set to sizzle Bollywood with her new upcoming movie Pareshaanpur directed by Dilip Mukharaiya and have star cast of Ameeet Dawar, Shakti Kapoor, Asrani and Sunil Pal.
We talk to this brilliant actress from Assam about her childhood, films and future projects.
How long have you been an actor? And from where did you start?
Ans. The acting bug caught me somewhere in school and it never let go of me. I remember attending my first acting workshop when I was in the sixth standard. That was to be my first brush with the world called acting and it sparked a passion in me that continues to rage till this day.
My professional career as an actor has been started when I got into FTII (Film & Television Institute of India) holding the 2nd rank in all India entrance exams. I beg my first feature film (Tamil) as main lead in the first year of FTII with UTV Movies . Before getting into feature films, I did various nationally- internationally acclaimed short films, plays and TV series.
How did you bag this film?
Ans. One of my seniors from FTII, introduced me to our director Dilip K Mukharaiya and he must have visualized the character within me so he took a week-long audition and selected me for the main female lead for this film.
So far all the four films that you have worked in are in different languages. What was your experience?
Ans: My experience was very remarkable, because as an actor I got the opportunity to learn and explore various cultures and different styles of filmmaking. One thing I have learned after doing films in more than 5 languages is that the language is not a bar for an actor whereas it actually expands the horizon of the actor.
What made you say yes for ‘Pareshaanpur’?
Ans. The storyline of the movie and my character in the film are what appealed me the most along with the way of narration by Mukharaiya Sir. I found him as a man with clear vision and sense of Humor to recreate a comic situation in serious atmosphere.
Did you relate to your role in the film? If yes, then how
Ans: It was quite different from real me, I have never associated myself with such background or atmosphere in which my character dwells.
What was your experience while working with Mr. Dilip K. Mukharaiya?
Ans: It was really a wonderful experience to work with Dilip Mukharaiya. His sense of humor keeps the environment lively & positive. All the actors get the liberty and space to explore their respective characters in his direction. He offers his support and motivation whenever required. He is one of the coolest directors I ever worked with.
What are you expecting from this film?
Ans: This is supposed to be my first Hindi feature film, so I am eagerly waiting for the release of the movie. I am expecting this film will also turn as a big hit in the box office like my other regional films.
Share your experience as an actress.
Ans: As an actor I enjoyed the journey of my character, as I already said the character was different than me, so it was quite challenging to portray. I hope I did justice with the character. I am very happy to share screen space with my renowned seniors (FTII) like Asrani, Shakti Kapoor and Pitobash along with Manoj Joshi, Raj Zutshi,Ramesh Goel, Sunil Pal and many more veteran actors in my very first Hindi film itself.
Share an anecdote from the shoot of ‘Pareshaanpur’?
Ans: Okay…It was while we were shooting for a romantic song for the movie. As daylight was going, our director instructed us this shot has to be one take ok. The location was very nice full with flowers and plants. It was a slow motion shot and I had to run to my hero with a romantic look and smiling face. While running, my one leg was badly hurt by the sharp broken brunch and started bleeding which was quite painful at that time but I had to delivered smile and romantic expressions !!
Pareshaanpur movie is an independent feature comedy film directed by Dilip Mukharaiya and presented by Oorjafilms Creation scheduled to be released in June 2015. The film features Urmila Mahanta and Ameeet Dawar in the lead role. The movie features Shakti Kapoor, Asrani, Pitobash, Manoj Joshi, Sitaram Panchal, Sunil Pal and Shakti Mohan in supporting role.
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