‘On the governmental level, we are saying all the right things, like beti bachao, beti padhao.’
‘Just giving lip service is not enough, the general mindset has to change.’
There’s something about that smile that makes you fall in love with her instantly on screen.
But there’s more to her than just that million-dollar smile.
Renuka Shahane has played so many different and layered characters, investing them with a certain maturity, emotional intensity and dignity.
Her latest avatar, Pushplata Yadav in the Amazon Prime Video series Dupahiya, is a sweet village politician with a strong spine.
Speaking about this much-loved character, Renuka tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya that she can’t see herself in politics: “I have been governed by strong principles and don’t want to sacrifice them by becoming a spokesperson for somebody making random misogynous statements.”
Dupahiya is such a refreshing series. What was your first reaction when you read the script?
It was refreshing for me too because there was not a single gaali (abuse), which is rare to come across these days.
The makers had initially sent me the character profile and I liked Pushplata Yadav’s trajectory.
She represents a small percentage of people in politics at the grassroot level. Wherever you have a power structure, there are forces pushing and pulling you into doing things which are not exactly honest. But Pushplata carries a lot of integrity.
She is trying to make a space for herself in a world of men, after inheriting the responsibility of a small village in Bihar following the demise of her husband.
She genuinely wants to improve Dhadakpur and keep it crime-free while aspiring to be an MLA herself.
She also plays a part in her daughter’s life. It’s not always a smooth relationship but the bond is strong and she supports Nirmal at every step.
There are a lot of traits in Pushplata that I really liked, but I felt I must read the script first.
Sometimes, even when strong on paper, a character can end up not integral to the narrative.
They sent me the first few episodes and I was hooked by the writing. Avinash (Dwivedi) and Chirag (Garg) are so talented!
IMAGE: Renuka Shahane on the sets of Dupahiya. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
In case you were offered a ticket, would you stand for elections?
(Laughing uproariously) No, I don’t see myself in politics, ever.
The moment you become a part of a party, you have to, very often, support certain things which may not be in line with your values.
I have been governed by strong principles and don’t want to sacrifice them by becoming a spokesperson for somebody making random misogynous statements.
Also, I feel that as a citizen, you are bigger than any party.
You know what is good for the country and can be truly objective, bash or appreciate anything across party lines.
IMAGE: Renuka Shahane with Ashutosh Rana. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
After marrying Ashutosh Rana, you have seen life in the rural interiors from up close. If you had a chance to set something right, what would it be?
Well, I feel there is still a marked discrepancy between genders, particularly in rural India.
You can’t even imagine the work women put in, working in the fields while also doing the housework and raising children without any help.
It is just too much work and the difference between men and women is stark.
On the governmental level, we are saying all the right things, like beti bachao, beti padhao.
Yet, a high court judge in Prayagraj, who is highly educated, has studied the Constitution and its laws, says breaking the naada of a pyjama or touching the breasts of a minor girl is not rape.
Just giving lip service is not enough, the general mindset has to change.
We are getting there, slowly and steadily, but along the way, the dreams of several generations of women have been stifled.
You’ve been married for almost 24 years. Any positive changes that make you happy?
Well, at least within our family, certain structures which were very rigid earlier, have eased.
Most of my jethanis (elder sisters-in-law) are mothers-in-law now and the way they treat their daughters-in-law is completely different.
It is a very open atmosphere with the bahus (daughters-in-law) choosing the way they want to be without it being imposed on them.
That, I think, is a positive change.
But I have to admit that our family is very educated and modern in its thinking.
Women have always had a voice and a say, so perhaps it is not representative of the norm though I see an easing out of a certain rigidity viz-a-viz the men in the next generation.
We have more working daughters-in-law now.
I see the men in our family sharing responsibilities at home.
Since the family is our foundation, when changes happen within it, the changes are long-lasting.
IMAGE: Renuka Shahane in Dupahiya. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
An important issue that the series highlighted without preaching is dowry. We may well argue that daheej has been abolished, but it exists, and not just in the rural interiors.
Of course, it does.
I have heard that IAS officers even have a kind of a list.
In fact, this was raised in an earlier series, Made In Heaven, where even though it’s an equal match, the parents of the groom ask for a hefty dowry.
When the bride objects, he tells her casually, ‘Arrey, but it is meant for both of us and not me alone.’
He doesn’t even realise what an imposition his demands are on the girl’s parents.
Eventually, the bride walks out, saying she doesn’t want to be a part of this practice, taking the boy and his family by surprise.
Dowry demands are made so naturally that it is usually taken for granted that the parents of the girl have to pay up because they are lesser.
There is no fighting back which is what is underlined in Dupahiya.
The resolution at the end of the series is satisfying.
Yes, that is real change because the people of Dhadakpur were committing a crime all these years without even realising that giving and taking dowry is a crime.
So the village was never crime-free for 25 years.
The resolution is a reflection that things are changing with Pushplata as the driving force.
(Smiles) I’m glad the resolution was made by a woman.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
Normally when we think of dowry, it’s money and jewellery that comes to mind, but in this case, it was a motorbike.
It’s a status symbol and gives a man a macho feeling to be sitting astride a Bullet.
(Chuckles) It makes for a very powerful entry and has been used very effectively in the series.
When you look back on your first meeting with your husband, what do you remember?
Well, back then, we were just starting our journey together, and there were so many doubts because we came from two very different cultures.
Marriage was anyway a huge gamble and you have to keep working on it to make it work.
In our case, it was a bigger risk, but fortunately, it paid off.
I never thought that over the years, we would get so comfortable that being together would become a good habit.
We are blessed that we not only have each other, but also two lovely children.
It is a close-knit family that makes us believe we can take on the world.
If you have a strong and secure relationship at home, you can face all the challenges from outside.
IMAGE: Renuka Shahane with Ashutosh Rana. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
In a post, you tell your husband in jest that you never thought the marriage would last even two months.
Actually, it was friends of ours who knew us well and secretly thought so because we are so different.
We ourselves took the vows wanting the relationship to last.
(Laughs) Our respective families were a bit, I won’t say sceptical, but definitely hoping for the best.
When you were on your way to this little hamlet in Madhya Pradesh to get married…
It was scary, very scary!
Your mother, writer, journalist, translator and critic Shanta Gokhale…
(Cuts in with another laugh) Was even more scared.
Today, being a mother myself, I know how much mothers worry for their children because we want the best for them at all possible times.
So, those doubts were understandable now.
Not only was their culture so different from ours, they were also a large, joint family.
The only thing that was reassuring and made her hopeful was that despite having so many different members, it is a loving, caring, close-knit family with mutual respect for each other.
Dushman and Sunghursh had been released by then, right?
Yes.
IMAGE: A young Renuka Shahane. Photograph: Kind courtesy Renuka Shahane/Instagram
So how did your family feel about you marrying this ‘bad man’?
To tell you frankly, they hadn’t seen either film.
They are not huge film buffs, they are more into alternate cinema and theatre.
In fact, I hadn’t seen Dushman myself but I had seen Sunghursh, so I knew what I was getting into.
I also knew for a fact that this was acting and he is not like that in real life which many find hard to believe because Ranaji is such a fabulous actor.
(Laughing) He can create horror on screen without being a horror himself.
In the early years of marriage, is there anything your husband did jo dil ko chhoo liya (melted your heart)?
One thing we both decided was that I should forge my own relationships within the family without him interfering.
There are some members one is close to and others we don’t care for which is okay.
But we both agreed that even if there were some whom I wasn’t too fond of, he wouldn’t have to fall in line, and because of that, I got to really know and understand my family without him reminding me of his relationships with them.
We may have different favourites, and by default, I may be closer to the women with whom I share so much.
I don’t have a sister of my own but there is so much I share with my jethanis.
(Chuckles) Even Ranaji‘s brothers would rather tell me certain things, maybe because I am easier to deal with, and this comes from having the freedom to do things my way without anything being forced on me.
My mother had wanted a smooth journey for me and marriage is anything but smooth.
You have to consciously make certain changes, invest a lot of time and effort in it.
(With a big smile) But the pay-off too is huge!
