After winning hearts as the iconic Anita Bhabhi on television and making a mark in Jab We Met, Saumya Tandon has surprised everyone with her intense and nuanced performance in the recent hit Dhurandhar. Currently trending on OTT, the film stars Saumya in a role that is worlds apart from her previous work.
In an exclusive chat with Filmfare, Saumya opens up about her chemistry with Akshay Khanna, working with director Aditya Dhar, and why she is choosing quality over quantity.
On the positive response to her “Silent” role
Despite having a shorter run time, Saumya’s character has left a massive impact. She shares, “It was primarily a silent part, yet it had a huge amount of screen presence. The actress admits she was surprised by the social media reaction, specifically the memes. She reveals, “My Instagram feed was full of memes of me and Akshay. People loved our chemistry, which was a surprise because we didn’t have much to do together.”
Working with Akshaye Khanna
One of the most talked-about moments in Dhurandhar is the hospital scene where Saumya’s character slaps Akshaye Khanna’s character in a moment of grief and rage.
Recalling the intense scene, Saumya reveals, “For the final take of his face, it was a real, strong slap. My director told me I had to go for it. I felt the pain, the slap was real. I was imagining how a mother would feel when her son is shot dead because of her husband’s gang wars.”
On working with Akshaye, she adds, “He is a man of few words, but when you are in a scene with him, it suddenly feels very real. It always helps to work with someone who does such realistic work.”
Aditya Dhar’s brilliance as a director
Saumya was all praise for her director, Aditya Dhar, noting that he doesn’t follow formulas or trends. She said, “He is very invested in his story and doesn’t care about who he is casting or who is coming from where. Good cinema is never made on trend, it’s made with conviction.”
On Ranveer Singh and breaking the mould
While she didn’t share many scenes with Ranveer Singh, she was highly impressed by his performance. She mentioned, “I genuinely feel it was his best work. He is a high-energy person, but in this film, he was restrained and held back. He gave the platform to Akshay Khanna to do all the nuances.”
For Saumya, Dhurandhar was an opportunity to show a different side of her craft. She explained, “People have always seen me in a happy space, whether it was Jab We Met or Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai. This intense role was a challenge to let people see that I can do comedy and serious roles alike.”
What’s next?
Saumya is currently filming for Sooraj Barjatya’s next project, Yeh Prem Mol Liya, alongside Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari. She said, “I’m absolutely blessed to be working with another great human being like Sooraj ji. It’s a family drama, emotional and lovely.”
As for her future goals, Saumya has a specific wish list: “I would love to do a complex, mature love story. In Indian cinema, we haven’t explored much beyond college romance. I want to do a deep, intense story of people in their 30s.”
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