She’s known as a theatre and film artiste but very few know Anubha Fatehpuria is a gold medalist in architecture too. We caught up with the Kolkata-based actress about her recent Amazon Mini TV series Jamnapaar and her upcoming projects.

What is Jamnapaar about?

Anubha Fatehpuria: Jamnapaar is a coming-of-age story centred around a young chartered accountant aspirant who is plagued by an inferiority complex stemming from his Jamnapaar/East Delhi roots. He grapples with the prevalent class and status divide. The show is a must-watch as I believe everyone will resonate with some aspect of it, finding a part of themselves reflected somewhere within the narrative.

You play the protagonist’s mother…

Anubha Fatehpuria: Yes, Pushpa Bansal. She is a homemaker, wife and mother who has had no exposure to a work environment or university education. Her house is her entire world, which she has carefully, painstakingly and silently carved into a safe and loving space for all her family members. In a way, she is generic, making Pushpa very relatable. Pushpa is soft but has the ability to be very firm when needed. She is caring and comforting, yet when the situation demands it she doesn’t shy away from being frank and harsh in a good way.

What about Pushpa prompted you to take up the role?

Anubha Fatehpuria: Several small details were woven into the script for the character, such as Pushpa’s constant 24x7 work with a developing physical ailment, unnoticed by her family. She grapples with the balance between her husband and children, often making difficult choices in various situations. Her emotional landscape, richly written and directed, fluctuates rapidly, transitioning from one extreme to another within seconds.

As an actor, exploring these nuances was thrilling. It is challenging to play a character who is primarily a silent presence, often deemed generic and uninteresting. Making such a character’s presence felt is crucial as it’s time to recognise and celebrate the women who serve as anchors, enabling their families to function well. I meticulously delved into both the written text and the nuances between the lines, drawing inspiration from individuals in our day-to-day lives.

With mothers a lot goes unnoticed, especially homemakers. I wanted to portray all these things that go unnoticed. I wanted to see how people respond. Will people notice it? That is what really grabbed me.

You have been doing theatre since 1995. What is it that you love about theatre as opposed to films?

Anubha Fatehpuria: Nothing has changed for me in theatre. It is still very much a part of me. I still hope to continue to do theatre the way I have been doing it all these last 40 years. With films I just feel another medium has got added in me to explore my craft as an actor.

With theatre I have engaged with the craft for a longer time. Theatre demands that time through making it. We rehearse for months and the process of creating it is exciting. I think that is different from films. In films, you get the script and details about the characters; you work on it in isolation. In theatre all the people who are a part of it come together for three to six months and practise. In a film shoot you engage on a few days of shoot. I am learning how to negotiate with it and I find it fascinating.

The ability to engage throughout the rehearsal of a play is something that I enjoy very much. Being on stage live with your audience is a different experience altogether. In films, you have to create something magical in those 20 seconds of your take, keeping everything in mind, all the technicalities. It is challenging and I am still learning and working on it. Both theatre and films have the power to challenge you and fascinate you as an actor. It is very difficult for an actor to also differentiate between the two.

You are also an architect. How do you find time to pursue both acting and architecture?

Anubha Fatehpuria: In my growing years arts and performing art were a way of life at home. I would ask my dad why I couldn’t go to a party or play. He would say, you have 24 hours in a day and you can decide what to do. You should know that if you spend your time playing, you will not be able to go to your dance or music class. You can’t have it all. That was one of the biggest lessons I had. The decision was placed in front of me and I was asked to make a choice.

Performing arts was never really seen as something separate from studies. That is how I have been brought up. When I finished architecture, a lot of people told me not to go back to Kolkata to practise architecture because gradually nothing exciting happens in Kolkata as far as architecture is concerned. But I decided to come back to Kolkata and it would be the only place which would allow me to do both architecture and theatre. Having trained in Bharatanatyam and Hindustani classical music for a very long time, I thought it would be easy for me to come back home where I could connect to all of these.

I took the risk of practising architecture in Kolkata rather than going to places where architecture was thriving more. I took that leap of faith only so that I could do theatre. Looking back, I definitely do not regret it.

I also keep my work hours restricted in architecture. I don’t follow corporate working hours. I have to manage and balance time well.

You also play an important role in Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Dear Ma…

Anubha Fatehpuria: It is my first Bengali film. I am very joyous as I was born and brought up in Kolkata. It is my second work with Tonyda (Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury) after Lost. It is an important character. He is subtly trying to say a lot with the character as far as the treatment is concerned. I found this very interesting. He is one director who I want to work with again. He is so collaborative.

What is next for you?

Anubha Fatehpuria: There’s a film called Sumo Didi, which is having a festival run. It has not been released yet. Dhadak 2 has been announced and is to be released in November. There’s an independent short film which is having a festival run, Thursday Special.

As far as theatre is concerned, I have directed this play called Beparwa Manto and it’s my second directorial work. I am looking forward to more shows of the play. And I am looking forward to reviving my solo play, Pieces, directed by Vinay Sharma.