CHENNAI : Urvashi is one of the rare female actors in Indian cinema to play titular characters in her 50s. Breaking stereotypes surrounding age and gender in the film industry with each film, the actor who last played the lead in Appatha, directed by Priyadarshan, is back to playing the titular role in J Baby, directed by Suresh Mari and produced by Neelam Productions. Though she is naturally delighted by her success streak, she mentions that it has added a lot of responsibility to her. “When I play a lead character I am shouldering the hopes and hard work of the entire team. So the responsibility is heavier than a supporting role. But I am thankful that God is blessing me with such quality work even after so many years.”
After proving herself time and again in vulnerable and naive characters, Urvashi once again plays a role cut from a similar cloth in J Baby. Interestingly, it is this omnipresent vulnerability in roles that unites Urvashi with Dinesh, who plays the other protagonist and Urvashi’s son in the film. “I have never gone searching for these roles. They somehow ended up in my hands. I try to ensure that each character is different, despite all of them being naive youngsters,” shares Dinesh.
Urvashi, on the other hand, wholeheartedly accepts that she is destined to play these roles. “I am not sure if I chose these roles or if they chose me. I guess it is a mix of both. I didn’t want to play grim, dark characters for the sake of it and end up feeling unnatural. I play different versions of myself through all these characters. I believe this adds a layer of realism to the roles, making it easy for the audience to connect with them,” she says.
The veteran feels her role in J Baby, despite carrying similarities to her previous works, is close to her heart, because of the live setting and the people surrounding it. “J Baby is a real person and I am playing her in the film. It is her biopic. I felt her soul influencing my actions and saw my mannerisms change. Unlike the usual shooting spot, where we return to the caravan after a shot, we were all mingling with the people of the area as they treated us as their own.”
Dinesh seconds that saying magic occurred on the sets when they let their respective characters take over them without thinking too much about the process. “There is life in every character in J Baby. We just had to be flexible and follow the guidance of the director. I don’t think this magic would have happened if we had rehearsed the scenes beforehand.” He adds that he started playing his character Shankar so naturally a few days into the shoot that the director Suresh questioned if that was an extension of Dinesh’s true nature. “However, Shankar and I are very different people. I don’t think I am as impulsive and violent as him. But I was able to reach a point where I was able to feel him within me.”
Urvashi is one of the finest actors the Indian film industry has produced. However, this outstanding performer started as a reluctant entrant to cinema. Starting at the young age of 14, she went on to have a highly impressive record of 16 releases in the very next year (1984). “Until someone points me out these numbers I hardly realise or recall them,” says Urvashi, adding, “Until I reached 20, I always thought I could return to studies. But only when I had to skip my UG entrance exam to shoot for a climax scene of a major Malayalam film, I realised that I had reached a point of no return.”
Though it is as tragic as it sounds, Urvashi very soon started noticing the bright side of cinema. “My mother often reminded me that acting is the only profession that gives money, comfort and fame to a person. Since I got it easily without any effort, I hardly valued it. Performers like Thilagan, Nedumudi Venu, Mohanlal and Mammootty showed me that cinema is precious. Until then, my focus was only on the things I have lost for fame like education, friends, and family. But these actors showed me the greatness of cinema and I slowly started to work towards improving myself and it reflected in my performances.”
Dinesh equates his learnings from Urvashi to hers from her seniors. “Urvashi ma’am performs effortlessly, while most of us struggle to match her. Even in a commotion scene where she is required to hit others hard, she makes sure that the blow looks painful on screen while the receiver would hardly feel anything. This comes from years of practice and dedication. I aspire to be as effortless as her someday,” he shares.
Urvashi was in her early 30s when she moved from playing a mainstream heroine to a supporting character in Panchathanthiram. 20 years later, she is playing a grandmother onscreen now, once again exceeding her real age by a huge margin. She sees these roles as an interesting challenge that she loves taking up. “If I am to play a grandmother after a decade there is no spice or challenge there. So I would rather take up characters that I don’t relate to on a surface level and find a sense of satisfaction in playing them. Back then, I was the only heroine who stayed away from glamour. I was known for my performances back then and I want it to be the same even now. Stardom might come and go, but being known as a versatile actor is something I hold close to my heart,” says a determined Urvashi.