After receiving much flack for casting Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar for the roles of 60-year-old sharpshooters in the upcoming film Saand Ki Aankh, the movie’s makers have finally broken silence.
On why they did not cast older actresses, the film’s co-producer Nidhi Parmar told Mid-Day that they approached about 15 senior actresses but everyone declined the parts. Though she took no names, Parmar told Mid-Day, "We approached actors in the age bracket of 55 to 60 since we felt the portrayals would be more convincing. However, most declined the role as they didn't want to be seen in an unglamorous avatar, or felt that they weren't ready for the physical preparation that the film demanded."
It was only after being turned down by the older actresses that the makers decided to cast younger heroines and that’s how Pednekar and Pannu came on board. "Even younger actresses had the same concerns. Bhumi and Taapsee have shown a great deal of pluck in essaying a role that's almost twice their actual age," Parmar added.
Talking about her casting, Pannu said, "I have played a college kid after turning 30, and no one questioned me then. Instead of making an issue, people should be surprised that we took up these roles, as there are few actors who take the risk of ageing on screen unapologetically."
Agreeing with Pannu, Pednekar added, "In the past, people have played characters older than their age successfully. Anupam Kher in Saaransh (1984) and Nargis ji in Mother India (1957) are great examples. If we can play characters younger than our age, why can't we play older characters as well?"
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, Saand Ki Aankh is slated to release on October 25.
Follow @News18Movies for more.
Comments
0 comment