Accepting that everybody has their own career path, Bollywood actor Ira Dubey on her connection with Fatima Jinnah as she gears up for Freedom At Midnight 2
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; February 18, 2025)
In the last decade-and-a-half, Ira Dubey has largely concentrated on acting, be it in a wide range of plays or in shows like Potluck and Scoop. But now, the actor is ready for the next step in her career—writing and direction. Will wearing multiple hats be overwhelming? Maybe. But Dubey is excited about the road ahead that will see her not only direct her first film but also return to the new season of Freedom At Midnight where she plays Fatima Jinnah, a leading women’s rights activist in Pakistan. In conversation with mid-day, she talks about life of an actor on stage, films and OTT, her love for writing, and battling self-doubt. Edited excerpts from the interview.
Does juggling writing, acting and producing a show get overwhelming?
One has to try and find [the time]. I have been a stage actor for almost 20 years. Theatre is close to my heart. I won’t ever give it up. If you had the good fortune of having theatre in your life, I don’t think you’d ever give it up for that very reason. Whether it’s Naseer [Naseeruddin Shah] sir or late Om Puri or Shabana ji [Azmi] or my mother [Lillete Dubey], some of our finest actors come from theatre and still go back to it. That’s because it’s an actor’s medium more than a film.
Are you planning to foray into direction as well?
I’ve been a festival director and I’ve directed [plays] for stage, but I haven’t helmed anything on film yet. I’m writing something that I would like to direct. The journey of writing and directing films began last year. Every time you want to try on a different hat, you become a student. I didn’t go to film school to learn directing, I haven’t assisted any directors. But then, some of the most successful directors never studied film. It can be overwhelming, but you have to strike a balance. When you live in a city with rent and bills to pay, [it becomes difficult] to sustain your writing career and enjoy yourself. I have to balance that now with finding the time to write and research.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
I don’t even know if I have experienced writer’s block. I used to enjoy writing very much when I was younger. I used to write poetry, I was a voracious reader. I used to read a book a day up to my 20s. Then, life took over and I focused more on my acting career. I moved away not only from reading, but also from writing. So, it’s like I’m opening a very old door. Writer’s block is something that you have to [go through]. It’s like that famous Robert Frost quote: The best way out is always through.
Do you battle with self-doubt?
I think all of us do. I think self-doubt is healthy in a way, and in some ways, it’s not. Again, it’s about finding out how you walk that line. I’m a perfectionist. I was an overachiever in school. It has taken me 15 years to find that part of myself. You don’t have to be the master at everything you do. It’s more about coming into your own, knowing that a lot of it is about the process, and is not result-oriented.
When did you start asking yourself these questions?
Some of it began after I lost my dad in 2015, and some I’ve always had. I went through a dark period in my 20s. It’s something I may talk about in a film someday. There are certain low periods in everybody’s life. How you deal with those and emerge out of them teaches you so many things in retrospect. Going through [a dark phase] in my late teens and early 20s, and then losing my father at 31 propelled me towards this self-awareness.
How do you view your film career?
I don’t know where I am in my film career, to be honest with you. I always quote this example—my mother started working in films in her 40s. Clint Eastwood started directing in his 70s. People’s careers have turned around in their 50s and 70s. Life is unpredictable. When I look back, there were moments in those 15 years where I have been very frustrated, wished things were different, been envious of other people and wondered why things were happening for them and not for me. I have friends who started out around the same time as me, but they’ve raced far ahead of me. I felt the pinch. But at the end of the day, the belief in yourself, your ability, and your talent are far more important because those will carry you forward.
What is the status of Potluck season 3 and Freedom At Midnight season 2?
We were hoping there will be a third season of Potluck. The second season of Freedom At Midnight will be out in August. In 2017, I was asked to do a reading of a book called Mr And Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage That Shook India. I completely fell in love with the book and acquired the rights to develop a two-season show that didn’t ever get made. I remember meeting Nikkhil [Advani] and Mira Nair [for it]; she was quite interested, but she needed time as she was working on a couple of things at the time. Just before COVID hit, I had to give it up because somebody wanted the lifetime rights and I couldn’t afford that. In 2022, Nikkhil offered me Fatima’s character in Freedom At Midnight. Nikhil’s partner, Madhu Bhojwani, had watched me in three plays and loved me in them. The role just made perfect sense. I didn’t give a damn about the fact that she had grey hair or that she was older. Fatima is an absolutely fascinating character.