Mita Vashisht On 29 Years Of Drohkaal: Got To Play Lead Opposite Someone Of Om Puri’s Stature | EXCLUSIVE

mita vashisht on 29 years of govind nihalani’s drohkaal: got to play lead opposite someone of om puri’s stature | exclusive

The powerhouse actress Mita Vashisht is delighted to be reminded of Govinda Nihalani’s powerful critique on terrorism. “29 years of Drohkaal! It is worth celebrating. It continues to resonate with our times. It is one of the most powerful and evocative films committed to the principles of life and character. Drohkaal also continues to be one of the most original scripts ever written. Normally, it is South Indian films which are remade into Hindi. But in this case it was the other way around: Kamal Haasanji had taken the rights of Drohkaal and made a Tamil film Kuruthipunal. And that too was successful.”

Mita considers Drohkaal a landmark in her career. “Mere liye khaas taur pe, yeh bahot special film hai. I remember receiving a call from Govind Nihalaniji when I was in London. I was there doing a workshop with voice coach Patsy Rodenburg. Govindji called in London to say he is making Drohkaal and he wanted to cast me opposite Om Puri. He asked, would you do the role? I replied, ‘Neki aur pooch pooch?’ Why wouldn’t I want to work with Om Puri? And of course, it turned out to be a fabulous experience, as expected. As a very young actress, I got to play the lead opposite someone of Om Puri’s stature. Then there were other stalwarts in the cast, like Amrish Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Ila Arun… These were actors one had looked up to. Apart from the fact that my character Sumitra was cast opposite Om’s Abhay, this was truly a memorable experience, in terms of creativity and the work culture on the sets. It was very long 40-50 day shoot.”

What she finds truly worth mentioning is the film’s longevity. “Most interesting is how Drohkaal has withstood the test of time. When I met Bejoy Nambiar for the first time, he told me he keeps Drohkaal in his pocket for reference. For him, it is a handbook of craft for a thriller. Many actors and filmmakers consider Drohkaal a marg darshak (landmark). It has everything, plus it is a profound take on human relationship. It is as remarkable now as it was when it was released. In fact, when it had released, it ran for a full 9 weeks in movie theatres in Mumbai. It is a fabulous film and I was blessed to be part of it. And yes, I got my first award for it also, as an actress in a supporting role.”

Mita has been in touch with Govind Nihalani with whom she worked in several films. “I was making it a point to meet Govindji once every week at the Rajkamal office where he spends his time every day. He has become a bit hard of hearing. But on the phone, he does communicate. I am going to Delhi tomorrow to present Kumar Shahani’s Kasba at the Indian Habitat Centre. When I come back I will definitely go and meet Govindji and celebrate 29 years of Drohkaal which you have wonderfully reminded me of. Thank you!”