‘It’s always the men who are going crazy, barbaad. They never show a woman going crazy like that.’
‘A woman has to be very proper, sitting on a swing, crying.’
hotograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
Since her parents were associated with the film industry, Anjali Anand always knew she wanted to be a part of that world.
Television became her launching pad before she seamlessly moved to the next level with the Dharma Productions film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
She came into her own as one of the leads in the slice-of-life drama Raat Jawaan Hai and continued with another solid role in the crime caper Dabba Cartel.
Anjali is proud of her unconventional looks, and tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com, “I have never thought of myself as something different. Who wants to be standard beautiful? Nobody. Standard beautiful is not even beautiful anymore. I have not come here to break any beauty standards; I believe it will happen on its own.”
In your last three outings, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Raat Jawaan Hai and Dabba Cartel, you play different shades of a feisty woman. How similar is the real Anjali from these recent characters?
Now that I’m looking back, I’m thinking, oh, they were quite feisty.
They’ve been rebellious.
They would enter the room and command the room. I think that is one quality that maybe I have because that is what even Shibani (Akhtar, co-creator and co-producer) told me when she cast me for Dabba Cartel.
I just recently spoke to David Dhawan sir and he told me I saw you on screen and there was a spark.
It is like you find yourself in a character and the rest is just keeps happening on its own.
IMAGE: Anjali Anand with Dabba Cartel gang Shalini Pandey, Jyothika, Nimisha Sajayan and Shabana Azmi. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
Dabba Cartel marks your third collaboration with screen legend Shabana Azmi after Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and the yet unreleased Bun Tikki. How is she as a person?
I don’t think there is someone luckier than me to be able to work with her for so many years continuously.
We still meet for promotions and she has been wonderful.
We were not so close during Rocky Aur Rani because we didn’t have scenes together. But whatever time we spent, it was really nice.
Then I met her at Dabba Cartel‘s reading and then, at Bun Tikki‘s reading. It was so beautiful to have a familiar face.
She’s like a buddy to me.
She doesn’t seem like she’s older or senior, she makes you feel so comfortable.
But once you start acting with her, you get scared again. She looks into your eyes and I don’t think anybody else can do anything. You can just be frozen and try not to make a fool out of yourself. (Laughs)
IMAGE: Anjali in Dabba Cartel. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
Apparently you were the last one to join the cast of Dabba Cartel. What’s the story there?
The show was in the works since the lockdown.
Everybody was on board. Workshops were done, readings were done, and they were ready to go on floor in four days. I was brought at the last minute.
Shibani saw me in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and felt she needed to cast this girl in this part.
She secretly auditioned me. Everybody was telling her she’s crazy for changing one of the main actors just four days before the shoot.
But she said, ‘No, this is the right girl.’
I remember I went for the reading and obviously Shabanaji was there, and the entire cast was there.
I read from the fifth episode. I had not even read from the first episode.
The first day of shoot was my scene.
IMAGE: With co-star Shabana Azmi. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
You once said that you always had this vision to do movies. How do you look back at your journey from TV to the big screen?
The transition happened naturally.
Right before lockdown, my television show got over.
After that people said you have to wait for a big break to happen. I didn’t listen to that.
Whatever work comes to me, I take it up.
I don’t worry about the size of the role.
If it’s good money or a good part, I will do it.
The more I work, the more people see me, the more people know me, the more work I will get. It’s just as simple as that.
If I keep waiting for the better part, it’s not going to come sitting at home.
I was in Bell Bottom for a passing shot.
Bell Bottom was shot in the lockdown and they said that you will have to stay in Scotland for two months in a bubble.
I said, happily.
Rather than staying in Bombay, I would rather stay in Scotland for two months.
After that, the television calls stopped and I was getting approached for Web series and movies.
There was obviously a plan that I will do films but it was to do it much later, after I turned 30. But it happened when I was 28.
When I got back from Scotland, I got a call for Rocky Aur Rani.
IMAGE: Ranveer Singh, Anjali Anand and Kshitee Jog in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
You have done a bunch of interesting things as actor. From daily soaps to reality shows and Web series, films…
It’s like being in a candy shop. Why should I not do all of it?
You once said that you want to play ‘Lady Devdas’. What makes it such a fascinating character for you?
Yes! You see Guru Dutt as Devdas and you see all of these men being aashiq, premi in the movies.
It’s always the men who are going crazy, barbaad. They never show a woman going crazy like that.
A woman has to be very proper, sitting on a swing, crying.
Why can’t women be crazy in love?
We went there a little bit with Cocktail, with Deepika Padukone’s character.
Women are put in this box.
I want women to be out of that box and be seen in a different light.
That we also are crazy in love and we also have that passion.
IMAGE: Barun Sobti, Priya Bapat and Anjali Anand with Director Sumeet Vyas on the sets of Raat Jawaan Hai. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
What empowers you as an artist?
I like to observe people.
Right now, I’m at my best friend’s wedding and last night we saw someone dancing and I just wanted to imbibe what he was doing.
You have to be aware of your surroundings and love people and just accept people the way they are.
In Raat Jawan Hai, I put a lot of my brother in me. The way he talks and the way he is.
IMAGE: Young Anjali with her parents. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
Your Instagram has some lovely posts dedicated to your father. How old were you when he passed away?
I was eight. I was too young, so I have really spotty memories of him.
In the past, there were no phones, so no photos or videos.
I’m just happy that he was an actor and I get to hear his voice and see him in motion.
He used to be a junior artist and my mom a dancer. He used to earn 10 rupees, she used to earn 20 rupees.
She used to tell him, ‘I will never date you.’
He bought a bike just to impress her.
He would not leave her during shooting days. If she’s gone for a song shoot, he’d be sitting on the pavement outside waiting for her.
It’s very cute, how aashiq he was.
IMAGE: Anjali with her mother Purnima Anand. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
You have spoken about how actors are often labelled as ‘plus size’. In the industry that thrives on unrealistic beauty standards, how difficult was it to find your path?
I have never thought of myself as something different. Who wants to be standard beautiful? Nobody. Standard beautiful is not even beautiful anymore.
I have not come here to break any beauty standards; I believe it will happen on its own.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Anjali Anand/Instagram
Does this noise bother you sometimes? Say social media for example, where anyone can say anything.
It does get overwhelming sometimes.
I feel people are so stupid that they have so much time to think about other people and what they are doing, how they are looking…
People should just let people be.
Social media is like a monster that just keeps growing and not in a good way.
But I think negative 2 per cent, 98 per cent is good only. The idea is to concentrate on what’s good and block the rest.
Do you think there is a positive change when it comes body inclusivity?
I don’t know about body inclusivity but people still say I look dusky.
But it’s not their fault, it’s how they’re conditioned.
We are told not to play outside otherwise it will turn our skin dusky. Our own parents tell us that.
This generation being so aware, I think they have a very big responsibility of how they will teach the future generation. If we do that, there will be a lot of change in society. Otherwise, we will go backwards.
I cannot end this interview without asking you about the second season of Raat Jawan Hai. Any update?
(Laughs) It is already being written.
I hope Dabba Cartel and Raat Jawan Hai have second seasons too.
Raat Jawan Hai is such an underdog show. That show has given me a lot.
It didn’t get that popular but people who watched it have absolutely loved it.
