Payal Kapadia on Chhaya Kadam: She brings certain lyricism to dialogues

Mumbai, Nov 17 (IANS) Filmmaker Payal Kapadia, who won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her directorial ‘All We Imagine As Light’, has lauded her actress in the film, Chhaya Kadam. She also said that the actress brings her own lyricism to the dialogues and improvises what’s written on paper to make it more sharp and better.

Chhaya Kadam is a phenomenal performer, and boasts of a diverse filmography that cuts across the audience. She has done ‘All We Imagine As Light’, ‘Fandry’, a commercial potboiler comedy like ‘Madgaon Express’, ‘Andhadhun’, India’s Oscar entry ‘Laapataa Ladies’ and others.

Talking about the actress, Payal told IANS, “I have been a fan of her for 10 years. So, when I approached her, I was a little scared. Will she agree? What will she say? But the first meeting itself was really friendly”.

Payal then revealed that Chhaya is actually from the region that her character of Parvati is from.

The filmmaker said, “She is from Konkan, she is from Ratnagiri. And, her father used to work in the mills in Mumbai. So she knew this history very well. So many people came from Ratnagiri. Over the 20th century to work in cotton mills. And so many people lost their houses. After the strikes. And the mills shutting down. So I think she was very well aware of that history. And the connection between the two spaces. So immediately she felt connected. She is a genius”.

Payal further mentioned, “If I had written a line, she would make it her own. She brings her own kind of lyricism. Like, ‘Ekta Jeev Sadashiv’. I had only written that ,’I want to be alone’. Ekta Jeev Sadashiv, I can make t-shirts out of this. She has that quality”.

“There is only one song in the film, Asha Parekh's song. She suggested that, ‘We will dance to that song’ because the lyrics were so funny”, she added.

‘All We Imagine As Light’ is set to release in cinemas on November 22.