Amruta Khanvilkar
Actress Amruta Khanvilkar, who is best known for her roles in "Raazi" and "Satyameva Jayate", says she feels lucky to be in a phase in her career where she is being offered varied roles. The Marathi star has won critical acclaim for performances in movies such as "Katyar Kaljat Ghusli", "Malang" and "Welcome Zindagi". As an actor working in Mumbai, the home to Hindi cinema as well as the Marathi film industry, Khanvilkar said she is enjoying the "best of both the worlds".
"I think actors from any medium are just actors. We are very lucky as many of my friends tell me that Mumbai is a place where you have both the Hindi film industry and Marathi as well. So, we get the best of both the worlds. I am lucky to be working in both the industries, be it Hindi or Marathi, or in television or OTT.
"When I go for an audition, people say that she is a Marathi actor and Marathi artistes are really brilliant. They have a good hold on their craft. People close to me feel proud that I have been part of movies like 'Raazi', 'Satyamev Jayate' and 'Malang'," the 36-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.
Khanvilkar said she is glad that in Hindi cinema, she has not been typecast in the role of a quintessential Maharashtrian woman.
"I think I'm very lucky that I have never been cast in a typical Maharashtrian character. In 'Raazi', I played a Pakistani Muslim character, while my character in 'Malang' was a Christian. I like the fact that I'm being approached for versatile characters. I'm really enjoying this phase of my career."
The actor currently stars in Marathi family drama "Well Done Baby", opposite Pushkar.
Directed by debutant filmmaker Priyanka Tanwar, the movie follows a couple going through a rough patch in their marriage, and how things change for them when the wife finds out that she is pregnant.
The actor believes that the film, which is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video, will connect with the new-age couples, who often find themselves in similar situations.
"The film explores the dynamics of a couple who are extremely stubborn in their careers, in their lives, trying to work out their marriage and pregnancy together.
"It also talks about this girl's bond with her mother and how her mother is a constant shadow over her life, over her thoughts and everything," Khanvilkar said about the movie.
In terms of her performance, the actor said it was a challenge to get into the mindset of her character, who is suddenly hit with the unexpected news that she is pregnant.
"I think what I really needed was to tap into her experiences. What are they going to be when she becomes pregnant? What her thought process is going to be and how things will change for her physically.
"I think the physical part of it was also very important because we go from having no stomach to a nine-month stomach. So, body language was very important for the character," Khanvilkar said.
Produced by Anand Pandit, Mohaan Nadaar and Pushkar Jog, "Well Done Baby" will start streaming on Amazon Prime Video from Friday.
