After making her Bollywood debut with The Wife two years ago, Sayani Datta is now part of a biggie. The Howrah girl, who has now shifted base to Mumbai, stars in Baap, which brings together a stellar cast of veterans, comprising Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff, Sanjay Dutt and Sunny Deol, and is being touted as the ‘desi Expendables’. t2 chatted with Sayani to know more.
What can you tell us about Baap?
The poster gives a very Expendables feel.... It’s a combination of comedy and action. Contrary to what people may think, there is a lot of comedy. Yes, it can be called a desi version of Expendables on the basis of the cast of veterans that it has. Ahmed Khan (the film’s producer) was looking for three young actors to play students in the film. There were auditions going on and since I have signed a contract with Zee Studios, they sent me for the audition. The audition comprised eight-10 rounds, which is huge. It didn’t matter that Zee Studios had sent me for the audition, I had to prove my mettle on my own. They liked my initial audition and called me for subsequent rounds in order to perfect that, as well as my look. Then finally, after four-five months of auditions, Ahmed Khan called me and told me that I had been chosen for the film.
What was the experience like shooting this film?
My first scene on the first day of the shoot was with Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Mithunda (Chakraborty). It was such an experience! The superstars who I had watched on screen as a child, I was facing them on camera and delivering a huge chunk of dialogue... it was an unbelievable situation for me. I am a girl from Howrah with a very normal upbringing. From there, I have reached a place where I am doing a Hindi film with such big names! From the first day to the last, they never made any of us feel that they are superstars. Jackie Shroff is a gem of a person, and so is Mithunda. Sanjay Dutt was a little reserved, but he was friendly and spoke to everyone. I am grateful that my career started in Calcutta, and it is luck and destiny that landed me in Bollywood. On my phone, I have clips of 250 auditions! Some things clicked, some didn’t. But I am grateful for where I am today.
What’s the journey in Bollywood been like so far?
I started off with The Wife (with Gurmeet Choudhary). Then I have Baap and Covid Stories. I am really looking forward to Covid Stories. I shot this film before Baap, and it is very close to my heart. We shot the whole film wearing masks. Our director (Abhishek Acharya) told us that we must act with our eyes, which was a huge challenge. The film has a great cast, comprising Richa Chadha, Sumeet Vyas and Gulshan Grover. It was a fabulous experience working with Richa Chadha. She’s so friendly and down-toearth. In fact, most of the people in Bollywood are very chilled out. I have found that in Ritudi (Rituparna Sengupta) in Calcutta... even after achieving so much in her career, she’s one of the friendliest people around. The set of Baap was huge... we had 400-500 people on set almost every day. On set, I was never made to feel, in comparison to the biggies in the cast, that I am a nobody. Everyone gave respect to each other
What did The Wife do for your career?
It was released during Covid19 on Zee5. It came at a time when there were very few films releasing, and it got quite a bit of traction. It was also a genre — horror — which mostly has a lot of takers, and there were no other horror films released then. I was clearly told that I will get the film only if my acting was good enough. That drove me to rehearse every day for the role — this was before Covid hit — and I gave my heart and soul to the film. That translated on screen as well. The Wife was a film that taught me a lot. It also showed me that the Hindi film industry will give you work only if you are good. Most actors, except the highly established ones, give Sayani Datta Sayani with Gurmeet Choudhary in her debut Hindi filmThe Wife Sayani stars in Baap, whose cast comprises veterans like Mithun Chakraborty, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff auditions here. Most people work very hard. I have huge respect for everyone here. In Calcutta, a lot of work happens on the basis of friendship and bonding. Bollywood is very big... bonding doesn’t work or help here. You can perhaps get one project on the basis of bonding, but not after that. It’s relatively easy to get your first work, but landing the ones after that is tough, especially if the first one doesn’t work that much.
What else have you learnt from working in the Hindi film industry?
I attended the Zee Cine Awards this year. Alia Bhatt performed on stage and she gave it her all. She didn’t perform just for the sake of it. The speech she gave on stage was from the core of her heart. There was no pretension. She has become such a huge star, but that doesn’t mean she won’t give whatever she does — even if it’s a stage performance at an awards night — her very best. There is no mentality of ‘I am better than you’ in Bollywood, at least among the people I have interacted with so far. I am also someone who never asks anyone else what work they are doing, or which directors they are getting in touch with... I am not that kind of a person.
What does the near future look like for you?
Covid Stories is slated to go to film festivals. Baap should release by the middle of the year.
