The TVF collection for SonyLIV, Gullak 2 narrates the story of a median middle-class family. Like any middle-class household, their home can be managed by a mom who’s loud but loving. Actor Geetanjali Kulkarni who essays the position of Shanti Mishra, feels the housewives in middle-class Indian households “have to be at the top of their voice to be heard by the society and their families which, otherwise takes them for granted.”
After a profitable season one, Kulkarni is elated to see a optimistic response from the critics for Gullak 2. In a dialog with indianexpress.com, Geetanjali spoke in regards to the relatability of the present, taking part in the position of a housewife and the significance of house whereas taking pictures.
Excerpts from the interview:
Gullak could be very relatable for any middle-class household. How nicely may you relate to the present and your character Shanti Mishra?
The conditions proven in Gullak are skilled by each middle-class family. Even although I’m a Maharashtrian from Mumbai, I’ve grown up in a middle-class household and I may utterly relate to the story, characters, psyche, feelings and all the setting. The solely distinction was that the present is ready in North India.
How did you deliver the nuances to the position of a middle-class housewife?
We have all seen such conditions in life. I’ve grown up in a middle-class household, so I’ve these traits. The solely factor is, I’m not only a housemaker. I are likely to channelise my emotions by my work as nicely. But, housewives keep solely in a single part and are continually doing one thing for others. Most of them don’t even get their due which might be why they need to be on the prime of their voice to be heard by the society and their households since everybody takes them as a right. I’m very lucky to symbolize such a personality as a result of I’ve acquired messages saying ‘we could understand our mother better because of your character’. We need to painting such characters so that folks empathise with ladies and the form of feelings they undergo as housemakers, as wives and as moms.
The final scene of the second episode hits onerous for anybody who has intently watched the lifetime of a housewife. How was it so that you can painting that?
As a working skilled, I hardly face such form of state of affairs as a result of I earn and spend my very own cash. But in a patriarchal society, we’re programmed in a means that earlier than shopping for a costume or something, I seek the advice of my husband. I feel we must always elevate ladies in such a means that they’re conditioned to take their very own choices. I just like the second episode as a result of Shanti Mishra takes her personal determination of shopping for a mixer, decides its model and pays for it herself. It’s such a small factor on the floor, however it’s such a giant step if checked out in a bigger perspective. The scene was so emotional for me that even at the moment whereas I discuss it, I’ve tears in my eyes.
A nonetheless from Gullak 2.
The present is light-hearted but, it makes you ponder by the tip of an episode. How did you handle to showcase the 2 feelings: certainly one of a bickering mom and one other of a housewife who’s lastly realising her wants as nicely?
The entire credit score goes to our author Durgesh who has written it so nicely. Also, that’s the USP of Gullak. It has all form of feelings. It’s light-hearted but has incidents which make you cry. It’s a heartwarming, slice of life form of a narrative.
You are a Marathi and the present is ready in a city of north India. Was it a problem so that you can get that dialect of Shanti Mishra?
I’m not solely totally different from Shanti Mishra. Of course, there are some similarities. But I’m not shouting at individuals on a regular basis. (laughs). In this season, I used to be not apprehensive in regards to the accent as a result of I had practised so much within the first season.
You had talked about that the home during which Gullak has been shot was a giant aspect. Can you elaborate on it?
In theatre or the cinema, house is essential as a result of they’re a visible medium. If we might have shot this present in some studio, it might have been solely totally different. But the home during which we shot it had that heat. There have been challenges to shoot there as there was a crunch of house, however the nostalgic feeling that home had with that odor of the partitions and the general color palette, clearly helped in our efficiency. The kitchen was so small that it jogged my memory of a kitchen in each middle-class family. I consider house provides the artist or an actor the much-needed motivation and helps him to play the state of affairs.
Gullak season one got here out in 2019. How was it getting again to the character for this season?
You know what, I keep in mind my dialogues from the primary season at the moment as nicely. When you study by a course of, it actually seeps into you and it’s very tough to neglect that. All the characters that I’ve performed till now, some a part of them are in me even at the moment. I don’t depart my characters simply and credit score for it someplace goes to my theatre coaching.
