Spruha Joshi Interview: “Theatre Nurtures You As An Actor”

Spruha Joshi is a well-known actress who predominantly works in Marathi film and television industry. She made her full-fledged Hindi debut with ZEE5’s web0series Rangbaaz Phirse. Also starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Gul Panag and Sushant Singh, the webseries is helmed by Sachin Pathak who happens to be a friend of Spruha Joshi.

Recently, STARBIZ sat down with Spruha Joshi and tried to know more about her role in the nine-episode webseries, how was it to work with friend Sachin Pathak and cast members, how her theatre background helped her in performing before cameras and much more.

Was it working with your friend easy or difficult?

For me, it was very easy because I knew him for a long time so there was no discomfort. Another thing was that the other people were all very new, the unit was very new. If the director was also new then maybe I would have been a bit nervous for such a big project or would have been intimidated. But all that did not happen and it was a very homely atmosphere because Sachin was there. It was very easy. As a director I was so glad to see him grow because the last I remember we had worked together for intercollegiate play where he had played my hero. After that it has almost been 10 years and now, he has grown into a certain accomplished director and he was controlling the whole unit, and giving orders and everybody including Jimmy sir and Sushant sir. You must have heard, everybody used to follow him and I was so proud that his debut in Hindi is with such a big Hindi project and I am a part of it. So, it was also something very special for me.

Was Rangbaaz Phirse your debut in Hindi?

You can say that. I had played a very small part in a Hindi webseries Office, you can say a cameo. But Rangbaaz Phirse is my debut in a full-fledged role.

What attracted you to the project?

Honestly, I can’t go that way as to what attracted me, I am glad they liked my audition. So, I think I have to thank a few people. One, of course, is ZEE5, then, of course, is my director, then it’s my casting director Parag Mehta who really believed in the fact that I could play this character. So, I am a Marathi person, from Maharashtra and then I am playing a Rajasthani. So, for them to believe in me that I would be able to perform well in this character, I think that’s something very interesting.

When you are cast opposite phenomenal male actors and there is Gul Panag as well, at any point of time you were intimidated that though the director is a friend of mine but I have to work with them?

No, I was never intimidated. I think that credit goes to them rather than me because they didn’t make me feel that I am out of place or the people they work with regularly as I am not from that industry, they never made me feel so. So, I think, that credit must go to them but then as an actor I was never intimidated because honestly, the story, the screenplay is so tight and Sachin knew exactly what he wanted from his actors and he was very particular about our performances, until and unless he liked the take, he will make it sure that he will keep on taking it until and unless he gets it, he will keep on asking us that we will do one more, this can be done in a much better way. The roles of everyone were quite defined, so I don’t think there were any issues.

You have done theatre, did that help you? The procedure of theatre is very different when compared to films? What kind of learning from theatre did you imbibe for your show?

If it had been an opposite journey then it would have been very difficult. So, theatre is the most satisfying medium for an actor. But then I started off from theatre, of course, it is a great learning when you belong to theatre. I will be always grateful to whatever roles I have been offered in theatre. Definitely in some or the other way it helps you, it nurtures you as an actor, I guess.

What aspects of theatre did help you a lot in acting?

You know, I will tell you one thing very honestly that I had to unlearn in fact. Because I belong so strongly to theatre. So, for me also it’s a learning process, all these years I have been doing. One good thing happened was that, I did not only do theatre or films, I was simultaneously doing Marathi television and theatre and films. So, I was working in different mediums but then when I came here. In theatre you know that you have to perform for a large set of audiences and the person sitting on the last row also should be able to see and listen to it. If you can see, I am very animated. So, I had to unlearn that fact and to realise that the camera is here and the mike is here, you cannot talk so loudly you know. You have to curb your hand gestures, any gestures for that matter. So, it was a great learning experience for me because almost all my scenes were with Jimmy Sheirgill and those in which he is not there, I am on phone, talking to him on phone. He has such a command on his medium, his craft that even just watching him was fun on sets. Even when I had no scenes, I used to visit the sets and watch Jimmy Sheirgill or Sushant Singh or Amit, so I used to just sit and watch them perform.