00:00 I was 18 years old, and I was literally picked up from the football ground in front of the camera.
00:05 At that time, there was no grooming and all that.
00:08 So after the narration, I felt so emotional and I was in tears.
00:13 No one ever plays the dream role.
00:15 Because after doing it, it feels like this is my second dream and this is my dream role.
00:19 Papa used to be very strict earlier.
00:21 But now, we have a different friendship.
00:23 The bond between us is very strong.
00:26 Papa used to be very strict earlier.
00:28 Now...
00:29 Namaskar, you are watching Lehren and I am Rehan Hussain.
00:32 Recently, the National Film Awards have been announced.
00:35 And all the artists have been awarded for their hard work.
00:39 One of these films is 'Ek Dua'.
00:41 Although, it is not a film, it is a short film in the non-feature category.
00:45 Which has been produced by Isha Deol Takhtani.
00:48 And she has also acted in it.
00:50 Isha ji is with us.
00:52 We will talk about her journey in this film.
00:57 Isha ji, welcome to the show.
00:59 My first question to you is...
01:01 As a producer, this is your first film.
01:04 And you have also acted in it.
01:07 So how challenging was it to work in a film like this?
01:10 See, this film...
01:12 The story of 'Ek Dua' is based on the topic of female foeticide.
01:20 So that is why I said that I don't want to just act in this film.
01:26 Because I was brought the script to be an actor in.
01:29 But I said, I want to produce such a topic myself.
01:34 I want to make it and share it with people.
01:37 Because it is a small contribution for me.
01:40 Taking such a big topic.
01:43 And this film...
01:46 You know, as a producer, when we used to go on set...
01:54 Before the shift, we used to be a producer.
01:56 After the shift, we were a producer.
01:58 But when we used to be on set, I used to be just Abhida in character.
02:03 Because our team has done a lot of homework.
02:08 We have done a lot of pre-planning.
02:10 So that we don't go on set as a producer.
02:13 With stress.
02:14 So all the requirements of the shoot, the next day...
02:17 We had done all that homework many days before.
02:21 So when you got the offer to act in the film...
02:25 You decided to produce it later.
02:28 Yes.
02:29 Ram Kamal Mukherjee has become a great director.
02:35 He has made films with good stories in a short time.
02:40 I had worked with him in Cakewalk earlier.
02:43 So once we were just sitting and talking.
02:45 He said, I have a very good script.
02:49 With this topic.
02:51 So when he said the topic, I said, you tell me now.
02:56 So after the narration, I felt so emotional.
02:58 And I was in tears.
03:01 So this script touched my heart.
03:06 So I said, I don't just want to act in this film.
03:10 I want to make it and do something more in it.
03:13 Like I said, he made this film for me.
03:17 I have acted in it, but to make it and deliver it to the audience...
03:21 It is a big thing for me.
03:23 Because as a human being, I have made a small contribution to this cause.
03:30 And it has received a lot of appreciation internationally.
03:34 But now, it is getting a lot of respect at the national level.
03:39 It is a big thing for me.
03:41 Because it is our country.
03:42 Yes, absolutely.
03:43 And the National Award is the biggest award for me.
03:50 So you thought that this short film can be elaborated on.
03:54 It is neither short nor long.
03:57 It is of a different length.
03:58 But we could neither reduce it nor increase it.
04:01 Because if we would have made the story, it would have been draggy.
04:04 And we could not even reduce it.
04:06 So the length of this is not even the length of a short film.
04:09 Nor is it two hours.
04:10 This film is something in between.
04:12 That is why we have got it in the non-feature category.
04:16 With regard to women empowerment,
04:18 like Gangubai Katiyawadi, Alia Bhattji, Kriti Sinhan and your film,
04:24 the women leading films that are coming out,
04:27 what would you say about that?
04:29 The women empowerment that is being talked about,
04:33 are the actresses playing their roles through the films?
04:37 Absolutely. We represent them as actors.
04:41 And we should do it.
04:42 Because our audience connects with us.
04:45 And if we can give an important message through a film,
04:49 then why not represent it?
04:51 Like Alia did or Kriti did.
04:54 In Ek Dua, the topic I played the role of a mother,
04:58 many people can understand it.
05:01 The pain of Abida, the pain she has gone through,
05:05 many people will be able to understand it.
05:07 So we are acting as an actor by representing it.
05:11 We are not that, but we get into the character and play it.
05:17 If there is an offer to produce a film,
05:21 or a big feature film,
05:26 would you accept it or would you like to take it further?
05:31 Yes, I would definitely do it.
05:33 But I don't want to be a producer who makes two films a year.
05:39 I am an actor and I am working for other people too.
05:44 In other production houses.
05:46 But when I do something, I want it to be something
05:50 that I like from the bottom of my heart.
05:55 That I am making something and why I am making it.
05:57 There should be a reason for that too.
05:59 So there is a script, we are working on it.
06:03 It will take time.
06:04 You have another film, Pipeline,
06:07 which is called Mai. Can you tell us about that?
06:10 It is a psychological thriller.
06:12 Amit Saad is the hero in it.
06:14 It has a good story and a good message.
06:19 We have just finished shooting.
06:21 So post production and dubbing is still pending.
06:25 If we talk about your career,
06:27 when you started this film,
06:30 Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche,
06:32 it was a different kind of film.
06:34 It was a challenging role.
06:36 You are a top actor,
06:38 but you are not in that role.
06:40 So how challenging was it?
06:42 My producer, Boney Kapoor and Sridevi
06:48 were also there.
06:50 They all worked on me.
06:52 And my director, Vinay Shukla,
06:56 they all worked on me.
06:58 I was 18 years old.
07:00 I was literally standing in front of the camera
07:04 and I was not that grooming.
07:08 I knew I had to act,
07:10 I had to play this role.
07:12 But there was a rawness in it.
07:14 I really like that rawness.
07:17 People don't show that rawness nowadays.
07:20 It was there in those days.
07:22 Many actors used to come with a rawness.
07:26 So as an actress,
07:28 did you want to start or as a dancer?
07:30 I dance.
07:32 You do mimicry?
07:34 Yes, I do mimicry.
07:36 I did mimicry a lot in my childhood.
07:38 I used to entertain my family members
07:42 and my grandmother.
07:46 So I was fond of dancing and singing.
07:50 You worked with Hrithik Roshan
07:54 and Saif Ali Khan in your second film.
07:56 You signed two films together.
07:58 But I feel it was released first.
08:00 So did you have the experience
08:02 of working with Hrithik Roshan
08:04 or Saif Ali Khan?
08:06 That's when Hrithik and I...
08:08 It was the opening.
08:10 We were both starting at the same time.
08:14 Saif was already established.
08:16 We don't work by looking at it.
08:20 Saif was already established.
08:24 Hrithik and I were working together.
08:28 He had his first film.
08:30 But we know each other
08:32 at the comfort level.
08:34 So it was fun on set.
08:36 What kind of films do you like to do?
08:38 Female-dominated films?
08:40 Action films?
08:42 Romantic films?
08:44 As an artist,
08:46 it's a different kind of fun
08:48 to experience every genre.
08:52 Whether it's action, comedy, romance,
08:54 or thriller.
08:56 I've done a lot of them.
08:58 But I think the main thing,
09:00 the hero of any film is a story.
09:04 Whether it's a web series or a film,
09:06 if the story is good
09:08 and the characters are fun,
09:10 and sometimes an artist
09:12 feels like,
09:14 "I've just finished a comedy film.
09:16 I want to do some action."
09:18 I think we like to fluctuate.
09:20 At least I like to.
09:22 I had an incident
09:24 where you did a real action.
09:26 You were so passionate
09:28 that you did a real action.
09:32 You got a head injury.
09:34 I made a mistake.
09:36 I didn't know.
09:38 I was new.
09:40 It wasn't real.
09:42 It was made of fiberglass.
09:44 Sanjayji likes to joke.
09:46 I didn't do it on purpose.
09:48 If we look at your career,
09:50 after you got married,
09:52 you did a web series,
09:54 Hunter,
09:56 and Rudra.
09:58 In the film,
10:00 TV, and web series,
10:02 how much freedom
10:04 does an artist have?
10:06 There are so many OTT platforms.
10:10 So many stories are being written.
10:12 New directors,
10:14 scriptwriters,
10:16 actors.
10:18 There's a lot of variety.
10:20 But for us,
10:22 when we go on set,
10:24 we don't think
10:26 whether we're shooting
10:28 for a web series or a film.
10:30 We're playing a story.
10:32 We reach the work
10:34 according to that.
10:36 Did you ever regret
10:38 not signing a film
10:40 if you had signed it?
10:42 There were some films
10:44 that I couldn't do
10:46 for some reasons,
10:48 but there are some films
10:50 that I did.
10:52 But those who did it later
10:54 did a great job.
10:56 Have you fulfilled
10:58 your dream role?
11:00 No one does a dream role.
11:02 After doing it,
11:04 you feel it's your dream.
11:06 After that,
11:08 there's another dream role.
11:10 An artist is always dreaming.
11:12 Every artist is a dreamer.
11:14 Tell me about Khuda.
11:16 You worked
11:18 in the direction of
11:20 your mother,
11:22 and your father was also there.
11:24 How was that experience?
11:26 It was a sweet experience.
11:28 We dance with my mother
11:30 on stage
11:32 and do interviews.
11:34 But for the first time,
11:36 I had to speak
11:38 in a dialogue with my father.
11:40 I was like that from inside.
11:42 I used to show
11:44 that I was fine from outside,
11:46 but I had an emotional
11:48 feeling that I was
11:50 doing it with my father.
11:52 Who is more strict
11:54 between your mother and father?
11:56 My mother.
11:58 My father used to be very strict,
12:00 but now we have a
12:02 very strong bond.
12:04 So,
12:06 my father used to be very strict.
12:10 Now, not so much.
12:12 Rakhi is coming up.
12:14 How will you celebrate?
12:16 Like everyone else,
12:18 it's a beautiful time
12:20 for brother and sister.
12:22 We get a day to celebrate.
12:24 We all
12:26 wear nice clothes,
12:28 eat sweets,
12:30 tie Rakhi,
12:32 and wait for pocket money
12:34 from our brother.
12:36 Devol family is very happy.
12:38 We have won the national award,
12:40 and we have won the
12:42 Best Actor of the Year award.
12:44 We have also won the
12:46 Best Actor of the Year award.
12:48 We have also won the
12:50 Best Actor of the Year award.
12:52 We have also won the
12:54 Best Actor of the Year award.
12:56 We have also won the
12:58 Best Actor of the Year award.
13:00 We have also won the
13:02 Best Actor of the Year award.
13:04 We have also won the
13:06 Best Actor of the Year award.
13:08 How hard are you working?
13:10 Do you have the same level of recognition?
13:12 Everyone works hard.
13:14 Everyone works hard.
13:16 We won't stop working.
13:18 We won't stop working.
13:20 We won't stop working.
13:22 Whether we get it or not,
13:24 we all work hard.
13:26 We take our work seriously.
13:28 Work is a very important thing for us.
13:30 Work is a very important thing for us.
13:32 Work is a very important thing for us.
13:34 Like a prayer.
13:36 Life's purpose is to do good work.
13:38 Life's purpose is to do good work.
13:40 Gadhar 2 has got such a big success.
13:42 What would you like to say about it?
13:44 I am very happy that Gadhar 2
13:46 has got such a solid response.
13:48 has got such a solid response.
13:50 Gadhar 2 has opened up
13:52 single screen theatres with full energy.
13:54 Gadhar 2 has opened up single screen theatres with full energy.
13:56 Audiences are liking the film so much.
13:58 I also liked the film a lot.
14:00 Sunny's work,
14:02 Amisha's work,
14:04 and the new couple also.
14:06 and the new couple also.
14:08 and the new couple also.
14:10 (upbeat music)
14:13 you
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