![\"'After](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131142797,imgsize-54856,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/e5d4e73f-6e80-432f-977d-cdcffd519524-1.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nAfter spending nearly 15 years immersed in theatre, Ranjana Aanjjan has finally stepped into the world of screen acting with Chand Tara \u2014 a project that has already earned the distinction of having its trailer screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. But for Ranjana, the journey has never been about glamour or overnight fame. Raised in a deeply rooted theatre family and mentored by stalwarts like her father Aanjjan Srivastav alongside legends from the Indian People\u2019s Theatre Association fraternity, she grew up believing in craft, discipline, and the process more than the outcome.In this candid conversation with ETimes, Ranjana opens up about the overwhelming transition from stage to screen, her father\u2019s unwavering support, the financial struggles that shaped her middle-class upbringing, and the life lessons she learned from icons.<\/p>\n Very overwhelming. In fact, we started shooting around February 9, and I was locked for the part only on February 5 after multiple rounds of auditions and screen tests. That left me with just four days of preparation because the shoot was already planned, but there were several logistical issues and uncertainty around the casting before things finally worked out.I remember spending those four days crying because imagine doing 15 years of work and then finally getting your first opportunity in films. Although I wasn\u2019t looking at it as a \u201cbig break,\u201d I was looking at it as another project. It was a small-budget film made largely by theatre people. We weren\u2019t dealing with massive budgets or anything extravagant; we simply wanted to tell a story.But after all those years of work, the fear was that if I finally got this chance and messed it up, what then? I was genuinely considering stepping back because I felt I had too little time to prepare. I had to pick up a Hyderabadi Urdu accent, understand the style of a singer from a period drama, and deal with heavy lines. Memorising lines was the only easy part because theatre trains you to remember entire scripts.It was highly overwhelming, but at the same time, when you\u2019re in the process, you don\u2019t think too far ahead about the film eventually releasing or becoming something bigger. After 15 years of constantly doing stage work \u2014 three or four plays every month, rehearsing five to seven hours a day \u2014 acting had become a way of life for me.One of the best pieces of advice I got came from the director himself. He told me, \u201cDon\u2019t panic. Treat it like a play.\u201d Since we were all from the same theatre fraternity, that advice really calmed me down. I eventually approached the film exactly the way I would approach a stage production.Those 15 years in theatre prepared me for a moment I never imagined would actually happen.<\/p>\n No, not at all. Until Covid happened, I never really thought about entering films or screen acting.I was deeply involved with my theatre group. I was acting, managing productions, handling lights and sound, figuring out ticket sales \u2014 basically doing everything. I was even my father\u2019s proxy actor when another actor would be absent, and I also helped him with his screen-related work as a secretary of sorts.I genuinely believed screen acting was something I might not be prepared for. I wasn\u2019t sure if I understood its grammar because screen acting is very different and very difficult in its own way.Then Covid happened, and suddenly there was no stage to perform on. Theatre took a very long time to recover economically, while screen auditions slowly started resuming. I became desperate to start acting again because acting was such an integral part of my identity, my upbringing, and my home environment.When that was suddenly taken away, it created a huge identity crisis. Thanks to Covid, ironically, I started trying for screen work in 2021. I finally managed to break in last year with an OTT project that will release this year, but it took me four to five years to make the transition from stage to screen.People often assume theatre actors can easily adapt to screen acting, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s true at all. Both mediums are extremely different and vivid in their own ways.<\/p>\n It was probably the most frustrating period of my life, though of course it was difficult for everyone.Until Covid, I never felt the need to do anything else because theatre gave me complete satisfaction. On stage, you live an entire story and receive immediate gratification through the audience\u2019s response. I think I was very comfortable in that world.Validation-wise too, my father was happy that I was involved in theatre because he himself loves theatre more than any other medium. I grew up around theatre legends like Rakesh Bedi, Sulabha Arya, Ramesh Talwar and others who had known my parents even before I was born. They saw me grow up. Theatre was home and comfort for me.Everything after leaving the stage and entering screen acting has been a challenge because this is unfamiliar territory. Here, you\u2019re really on your own. It doesn\u2019t matter who you\u2019re related to \u2014 you may get an opportunity, but survival depends entirely on your own merit.That\u2019s why while I feel excited, I\u2019m also constantly worried. Will I continue getting opportunities? Will I always deliver? Will I be able to adapt to the grammar of screen acting? Those insecurities exist.So this moment makes me very happy, but it also keeps me extremely alert about what comes next.<\/p>\n As actors and directors, we ultimately create work for the audience, so their response is extremely important. If the audience doesn\u2019t connect with you, you are nothing. Their feedback is a very valid form of criticism and should absolutely be taken seriouslyBut during the process of filming, my director becomes everything. My instincts and the director\u2019s vision matter the most in that phase because the director understands the complete picture. They know where my character fits into the larger universe of the film.At the same time, audience feedback is equally important because that is ultimately who we perform for, even in theatre.The irony of acting is that regardless of what instructions a director gives, the actor ultimately bears the burden of the performance. Nobody will ask after a bad performance whether the director instructed you to do it that way. So while I follow the director\u2019s vision completely, I also believe actors must always listen to audience feedback carefully.<\/p>\n No, not pressure at all. The trailer is getting screened there, so honestly only good can come out of it.For us, it feels like a small pat on the back \u2014 an acknowledgment that we worked hard and somebody appreciated the work enough to send it to such a prestigious platform.The film has a lot of heritage value because it is backed by Telangana Tourism and revolves around the iconic Taramati Baradari. Most visitors don\u2019t even know who Taramati was or the significance of her music and story during the Sultan\u2019s era. The film attempts to preserve and tell that story.When we made the film, nobody was thinking about Cannes or prestigious screenings. We were simply trying to make the best film possible. I was trying to act to the best of my ability, and they were trying to tell a meaningful story.Of course, it\u2019s a pinch-me moment. But after May 18, once the trailer screening is done, we\u2019ll all go back to work. Most of us will return to theatre and continue our lives.Still, I must admit that I never imagined I would ever see my face on a screen associated with such a prestigious platform. Even though my father is part of the industry, I never dreamt of something like this because both he and I have always focused only on the process, not the outcome.This experience has taught me that in this profession, anything can happen at any time. Life can change completely when you least expect it.<\/p>\n I think he\u2019s as happy as if he himself were going there.He\u2019s usually a very composed person, and honestly, so am I. But the last time I saw him this happy was when I first stepped on stage, and before that when I scored well in my Class 10 exams.This time, he is genuinely overjoyed. And for me, the real \u201cpinch-me\u201d moment is seeing my parents this happy.Imagine someone who has spent more than 50 years in the industry watching their child follow the same path and finally achieve something meaningful. That joy is indescribable.Even now, his biggest advice to me is to stay patient and not become anxious about getting work \u2014 though I am very anxious. Whenever I\u2019m sitting at home without acting work, I become restless. But he always tells me, \u201cBe patient. It will come.\u201dI think this moment feels like a shared success for both of us. Honestly, I\u2019m happier seeing my 78-year-old father jumping with joy than I am about the trailer launch itself.<\/p>\n There are two aspects to that.First, while trying to find work \u2014 yes, he did try to help me, but honestly it didn\u2019t work that way. Whenever I asked him how to enter the industry, his answer was simple: \u201cThrough screen tests.\u201d That\u2019s the norm today.People constantly ask why I wasn\u2019t already acting or starring in projects because my father is from the industry, but I don\u2019t think things work like that anymore \u2014 at least not for us.I got Chand Tara because the director saw one of my stage performances in a play written by the legendary Marathi writer P. L. Deshpande. That led to a screen test and eventually the role.We tried approaching the industry, and honestly we failed miserably at times. The industry has changed a lot. You\u2019re largely on your own.My father would often tell me not to put 100% of myself only into acting. He advised me to divide my focus \u2014 50% into acting and 50% into a technical skill. I\u2019m also a graphic designer professionally, so he always encouraged me to maintain that technical backing.He strongly believes this industry is volatile and that survival is important. We come from a very middle-class family, and we\u2019ve seen both very difficult and very successful periods in life.In 2002, my father suffered an accident while performing on stage but continued performing despite barely being able to move. After that, we went through financially difficult times because in this industry, if you\u2019re not physically fit and active, work can suddenly stop.We\u2019ve genuinely experienced days when we had to worry about how we would manage financially. That\u2019s why he always says you should never allow your bank balance to collapse and should always have another skill to rely on.I\u2019m grateful for that advice because I\u2019ve never been completely out of work. Whether through theatre, design, or now acting, my creative energy has always remained active.As for acting guidance, I constantly seek his feedback, even without his permission sometimes. Whenever I get confused or overly criticised, I cross-check things with him. I feel extremely lucky to have what is essentially an institution at home.For this project specifically, the only thing he kept telling me was: \u201cHave confidence in yourself.\u201d Since I had only four days to prepare, I had completely lost confidence. At one point, he even snapped at me and said, \u201cYou cannot keep losing confidence every now and then. Just have faith in yourself and go do it. You want to do the film or not? You want to do the lead or not? Just go do it. That was the only advice I got. But I always run every single script by him, always, to understand his inputs because people like him are institutions.On the set, I also had Mohan Agashe sir. He joined me on the third day of the shoot. The first two days were tough and I was very puzzled. But the moment he came on set, suddenly I had all my answers. Just one or two lines of exchange with him and I understood what I was missing, why I wasn\u2019t doing certain things.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why people like them are called institutions. They have such a vast body of experience that simply talking to them gives you clarity. You just watch Mohan Agashe sir act and you\u2019ll understand everything. He is a brilliant powerhouse of acting. Looking at him, you feel there are miles to go before you can even reach a speck of what he has achieved.<\/p>\n My father was very neutral. He was quite strict with my siblings, but I was born almost 10 or 11 years after them, so things were different with me.People assume I must have been pampered. Maybe a little as a child, but not excessively. He has always been very collaborative with me.I believe parents are only as old as their children. Before children are born, they\u2019re just husband and wife. So when you\u2019re 20, they\u2019re also 20-year-old parents in that sense \u2014 they\u2019re learning too.By the time I was born, my father was around 55 and my mother was almost 40, so they had already matured a lot. As I grew older, especially in my early 20s, I became more of a collaborator with them. They would ask for my suggestions and opinions.I really bow down to my father for being so flexible. Even after crossing 70, he could have become rigid or adamant, but he remained open-minded and collaborative. He would ask me, \u201cDo you think we can do this show? Can we make this happen together?\u201dSo honestly, he became more of my co-actor than just a father because I\u2019ve shared stage space with him for 15 years. We\u2019ve done so many shows together. After my teenage years, he stopped being just \u201cfather-father\u201d and became my co-actor.Even our fights are about theatre, organisation, economics of productions \u2014 that\u2019s our animosity and also our friendship.Now I\u2019m also the sole caretaker for both my parents because they\u2019re ageing. So the relationship has evolved even more. I\u2019ve become the parent in many ways now.<\/p>\n Yes, absolutely. Earlier, when he advised me not to completely depend on acting, it came from practicality. He always said I should have a backup because we\u2019ve seen struggle very closely as a family. We\u2019ve seen terrible days and very good days too.Earlier, I never fully called myself an actor because I wasn\u2019t giving myself entirely to it. I only thought of myself as a theatre worker or theatre-maker, and proudly so.But when I finally started believing that I could actually do screen acting and truly wanted to pursue it, when I started telling myself, \u201cI am 100% an actor. I have 15 years of training, what else will I be after all this?\u201d \u2014 that\u2019s when he also started believing in me more deeply.The moment I showed belief in myself, he supported it with even greater confidence. Whenever I felt weak or uncertain, he stepped in and reassured me. So I think I had to take the first step for him to take the next one. Again, it\u2019s a very co-actor relationship between us.<\/p>\n In every actor\u2019s household, if there\u2019s work, it\u2019s a good day. If there\u2019s no work, it\u2019s a bad day. When an actor gets work, the whole family becomes happy. Everyone becomes their secretary, assistant, everything. We also function like that.My mother has played a huge role too. Without her support, I don\u2019t think many of us would have survived theatre life.My father has always remained very rooted, even during horrible financial phases. After his theatre accident, we saw extremely difficult times. But he never panicked because he always believed good days would return. I think that comes with experience.I, on the other hand, get very anxious. We\u2019ve seen days where my brother had to take up a call centre job just so we could make ends meet. We are not some flourishing star family. We are very middle class.These experiences taught me that good days and bad days are the most constant feature of this industry. One day you have work, another day you don\u2019t. One day you\u2019re in the news for good reasons, another day for bad reasons.So the best thing to do is not obsess over outcomes. Just keep your head down and continue working. That\u2019s the advice I constantly give myself. Whether it\u2019s a big project or a small project, just work. Don\u2019t keep looking left and right. My father always says: put horse blinders on and keep working.One thing we practice as a family is complete detachment from outcomes. In theatre, sometimes there are barely any ticket sales because there\u2019s a cricket match happening. But even then, legends like Sulabha Arya or Rakesh Bedi always say that even if there is just one person in the audience, we must perform with the same sincerity.I think the same principle applies to screen acting too. Forget the outcome and perform honestly for even that one viewer watching you.<\/p>\n Actually, people don\u2019t know much about Taramati, which is exactly why the film was made. There\u2019s very little information available about her. Some records say Taramati and Premamati were singers, others say dancers. History hasn\u2019t documented them properly.The director, Mohammed Ali Baig, has always focused on woman-centric theatre and wanted to preserve Hyderabad\u2019s theatre culture through this story.I personally had very little time to prepare. So I completely depended on the director and writer because they knew the world they had created. My only focus was getting the emotions right.The one thing common between people from centuries ago and us today is emotion. That was my anchor \u2014 the thought and feeling behind every line.With just four or five days, what more could I really do? Of course, I had been preparing during auditions too, but even that was limited.The production itself had budget constraints because they were shooting at heritage and government locations with limited permissions and time. So considering everything, my only responsibility was understanding the emotional subtext behind the lines.Costumes, look, sets \u2014 all of that was the team\u2019s department. They transformed ordinary rooms into beautiful period spaces with very limited resources, and I was honestly shocked seeing their precision.The most difficult part was the Hyderabadi Urdu dialect because it\u2019s very different from standard Urdu. Luckily, dubbing helped us perfect it later.So my preparation was entirely focused on my walk, my emotions, my lines, and the subtext. The rest was their expertise. I simply approached it like theatre, just as the director advised me to.<\/p>\n Yes, coincidentally my first OTT project also happened around the same time. It\u2019s called Pyramid Scheme.The funny part is that the director had come to watch a play in which my father and I were performing. He saw me there and later approached me for an audition.I can\u2019t reveal too much because of NDA restrictions, but it\u2019s a project by The Viral Fever for Amazon Prime Video. It\u2019s my first OTT project and, interestingly, it also features my father.It\u2019s a small part, but it became our first screen project together.<\/p>\n Honestly, I had already experienced that for 15 years on stage. We\u2019ve always been co-actors first.But yes, seeing both of us share screen space made my parents extremely happy. It felt like another milestone achieved.When I finally got locked after multiple rounds of auditions, we were so elated that I can\u2019t even explain it in words. Both of us discussing our call times, preparing together for the set \u2014 it was a beautiful feeling.It was different because it was a new medium, but emotionally it felt very familiar because we had already lived that experience together on stage for years.<\/p>\n I think it is well deserved. In fact, I feel he should have gotten it much earlier too. Someone from stage deserves that recognition. But I also think there is a misconception that theatre actors do stage only to become famous on screen. That\u2019s not true.He is a powerhouse performer, and we all feel very happy because this is our IPTA family. Indian People\u2019s Theatre Association has people like Rakesh Bedi, Sulabha Arya, Akhilendra Mishra, and many others whom I\u2019ve been watching since childhood.I genuinely feel we would not be even half of what we are if we had not seen them perform. A lot of acting is observation. Watching their rehearsals, which we were allowed to sit through, taught us so much.I feel all these stage actors deserve bigger opportunities on screen. The only reason I say that is because screen reaches a much wider audience, whereas theatre reaches a limited audience at one time. People who cannot come to theatre should still get to witness what brilliant actors these people are.I spoke earlier about Mohan Agashe \u2014 I exchanged just one line with him and I was blown away. These are people with immense substance and experience.<\/p>\n It was beautiful. I lived with that little cherry on the cake all the time.The most common reaction I would see from people \u2014 whether police officers or ordinary people \u2014 was deep respect, because they had grown up watching them. That is much more beautiful than blank stardom. There\u2019s a difference between someone saying, \u201cOh my God, I saw you on TV,\u201d and someone saying, \u201cI grew up watching you.\u201dI hear that kind of respect for Rakesh Bedi, for Anjanji, for Sulabha Arya and so many others. These people were part of Nukkad and theatre culture.Because of them, I also got opportunities to interact with people like Kundan Shah and even show him a documentary I had directed at one point.All of them are deeply rooted people. They value respect more than fame. And honestly, that makes me worry sometimes whether I will ever be able to reach that level, because it is a very difficult place to reach.<\/p>\n Honestly, I don\u2019t think I can \u201ctake forward\u201d their legacy. I can only work alongside it and try to do justice to it.They created their own place in a very different era and under very different circumstances. I don\u2019t know if I can match that. I will just try my level best and give everything I have. That\u2019s all I know.I definitely feel pressure to earn that kind of respect. Being respected is much harder than just becoming famous. It requires immense grit and determination, and I\u2019ve seen these actors work through sickness, through difficult conditions, through everything.Sometimes I genuinely feel they are made of different material. All of them.The pressure I feel is not about fame or getting work. Even if I continue doing stage, I wonder whether I can ever become even half as good an actor as they are. Can I stand in front of them on stage and justify my presence there? That pressure is always there.<\/p>\n They never, ever give up.And I specifically mean theatre actors. They are always willing to fall down and get back up again. I have never seen them give up, and I have never seen them stay disappointed.All of them are kind enough to give advice whenever I need it, but the biggest lesson is that giving up simply does not exist in their dictionary. That kind of mental strength comes because they are all self-made.Even today, if I am in doubt, I can take my script to my father and ask him. But he did not have anyone to go to. He didn\u2019t come from FTII or NSD or any formal institution. He built himself entirely on his own. That makes him mentally very strong. His confidence is unshakable.That is the lesson I take from them \u2014 if you are doing your work honestly and genuinely, there is no reason to stop.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t completely know yet. But I definitely know theatre will always remain a part of my life.Right now, I\u2019m working as a joint section chief director, so I know I will continue making plays, directing them, acting in them, and collaborating with younger directors as well, which I\u2019ve already started doing.As far as screen work is concerned, I just hope I get more opportunities. I\u2019m not going to give up \u2014 that\u2019s the biggest lesson I\u2019ve learned.Whether the goals are big or small, I want more chances to practice this craft in this medium now. I spent 15 years working before reaching here, and now I want the chance to become 15 years old on screen too.<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After spending nearly 15 years immersed in theatre, Ranjana Aanjjan has finally stepped into the world of screen acting with Chand Tara…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":86544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[104499,104501,104496,104495,104498,104493,104494,104502,104500,104497],"class_list":["post-86543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-41","tag-aanjjan-srivastav","tag-aanjjan-srivastav-daughter-ranjana-aanjjan","tag-chand-tara","tag-mohan-agashe","tag-rakesh-bedi","tag-ranjana","tag-ranjana-aanjjan","tag-ranjana-aanjjan-interview-etimes","tag-ranjana-aanjjan-srivastav","tag-taramati"],"yoast_head":"\nAfter spending nearly 15 years in theatre, you are now making your screen debut with Chand Tara. How are you feeling right now? Was stepping onto a film set emotionally and creatively overwhelming?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Were you always looking to make a transition into films and screen acting?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
What was going through your mind during the Covid period when theatre had completely stopped?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Do you look for validation more from the audience, the industry, or directors?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Your very first film is already connected to Cannes. How are you processing that? Is there pressure?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How did your father react to your first film and this Cannes moment?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"a8205753-c63f-43bf-beb3-12fa69462f20\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131142902\/a8205753-c63f-43bf-beb3-12fa69462f20.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDid your father help you professionally during this project or while trying to enter the industry?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"1b2f5773-4df0-4553-bee4-752874c7c084\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131142915\/1b2f5773-4df0-4553-bee4-752874c7c084.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nGrowing up, was your father a strict parent or more of a quiet observer?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Maybe he started believing in you more over the years?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve spoken about your family\u2019s good days and bad days. How did you and your father deal with those phases? What did you learn from them?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How did you prepare for a character like Taramati in your film?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
![\"76da1d8f-1465-4101-b638-6e629ba1da4d\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131142920\/76da1d8f-1465-4101-b638-6e629ba1da4d.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nYou\u2019re also doing an OTT project now, right?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How was it sharing screen space with your father as both a daughter and an actor?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
You also mentioned sharing the stage with Rakesh Bedi. And now after Dhurandar, he has gone viral everywhere, with brands and media talking about him. How does it feel seeing someone from theatre reach that position?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Growing up around all these legends, what was that experience like?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Do you feel pressure about taking forward that legacy?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
What is one life lesson that has stayed with you while working with all these stalwarts?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
What does the road ahead look like for you now?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n