BENGALURU: From being a fan of Aamir Khan in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak to debuting in Laal Singh Chaddha as the lead, Gitikka Ganju Dhar has come a long way. It’s no surprise that this recent release – a remake of Tom Hanks-steered American film Forrest Gump – is her most favourite.
Dhar plays the character of Manjit, a member of the title character Laal’s family. “In the film, my character transitions from the age of 30 to 70. It has been the perfect debut with such a beautiful film, and an incredible and celebrated production house,” she says.
Having shared the screen with two big names of the industry, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, Dhar says both the actors have two extremely different ways of approaching a role, despite both give a spectacular performance on screen. “Aamir’s process is very focused and determined to give as much as possible. He likes to dive deep into the process, not just his, but also his co-actors.
For example, for my older character, I had to use prosthetics and Aamir was there during my look check,” says Dhar, adding that post pack-up, he was a very chilled-out person and wouldn’t make anyone feel that a big star had just walked in. “Kareena has a spontaneous way of approaching her roles. She is a completely natural actor and the ease with which she slips into characters is phenomenal,” she adds.
Having met Aamir for the first time during an event when one of his films was released, Dhar believes he has come a long way. Being an anchor for so many years, facing the camera or crowd is not a difficult task for her. However, acting in films is a totally different ball game for sure.
“When it comes to stage, it’s different. But for acting, I realised my approach had to be different, it had to be extremely natural. I enjoyed emoting for the camera. It was a pleasant surprise for me as well that I could do what was required. It pumped a lot of confidence into me as an actor,” says Dhar, who was also part of Sushmita Sen-starrer Aarya 2.
Currently busy with onstage gigs and anchoring projects, Dhar will be back on the big screen next year. “There is something that is in the pipeline but I cannot reveal much. But I would love to act in an OTT series too,” she sighs.
Actor Gitikka Ganju Dhar, seen in Aamir Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha and Sushmita Sen-starrer Aarya 2, speaks about her part in the former, her interaction with Bollywood stars and life as an actor