I crave to be put in a situation where I need to work on the character, says Priya Bapat

As Costao released this Friday and to favourable reviews, its lead actress Priya Bapat was having a major FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) sitting at San Jose, USA, where she is touring with her Marathi play! Reluctant to accept the role of a mother of three to begin with, the casting of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the long meetings with director Sejal Shah sealed the deal for Priya, who is happy she chose the film.

Costao’s story

It has never mattered to me how big or short my role is. Everyone knew its Costao’s story, it’s his struggle and family is just one part of this. The crime and investigative part of the story aside, how one decision can affect the dynamics in the family and how that affects the man and woman, brings the human aspect and drama in Costao. I am so grateful to Shivam (casting director) and Sejal (Shah) ma’am for taking me on board.

Becoming Maria Fernandez

Readings do help. I crave to be put in a situation where I need to work on the character. Playing a Marathi wife is a little easier for me as I am familiar with the culture, how they think, react and respond. This was set in Goa during the 90s. Before approaching any character, I try to get a distinct body language and approach to dialogue delivery. Keeping the script in mind, I have given my best and hope it fetches audience’s love.

Sejal as director

In my very first meeting, I knew she knew exactly

what she wanted. So, shooting was fairly comfortable because her vision was crystal clear. We would come on set, do the marking rehearsal and then the shot. I don’t think we did many retakes! Any retakes that were there were on technical account.

Nawaz as co-star

One of the biggest highs of this project was teaming up with Nawaz sir. He is so simple that this honesty reflects in the characters that he essays. His journey as an actor so inspiring. Whenever I feel really low, I look at his brilliant graph. To have come such a long way only on basis of his talent is huge. Sure the industry took long to realise his potential, but when it did the results are there for everyone to see. He is so amazing that he never overpowers you on screen. Rather, he offers all his support.

Roller-coaster life

I did my first film in sixth standard. It was National Award-winning movie Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, in which I played young Ramabai. It was only after my post-graduation that I decided to pursue acting full-time, but what a journey it has been. Marathi cinema and theatre has been my mainstay. I started with City of Dreams when OTT just started. As an actor, life is a constant flow of highs and lows. With a release and all appreciation, when it doesn’t translate into new opportunities it is quite heart-breaking. But I am happy that my journey, even if slow, is steady. I am working with great people, amazing teams, living one day at a time. Still trying to carve my own place.

Lifestyle