In an industry that thrives on bright lights and glamour, few actors are bold enough to voluntarily reinvent themselves into fashion police victims in a bid to push against societal norms that bind them.
For Suchitra Pillai, this transformation was a welcome challenge that called out to the creative actor in her when Lilette Dubey offered her the deglamourised role of Ivy, in the Pulitzer and Tony award winning play, “August: Osage County”, which will be staged in Dubai on March 16 at the Madinat Jumeirah in two back-to-back shows.
“I have always been offered roles of the b**chy wife or girlfriend,” Pillai told Emirates 24|7 over a crackling phone line from Mumbai. “Today, people still remember me as the woman who slapped Saif Ali Khan in “Dil Chahta Hai” or the lady who shot dirty looks towards Priyanka Chopra in “Fashion”.
“You could call these character actor performances but with me, it has always been about creating a lasting impression that has recall value even a decade later, such as my role of Saif’s girlfriend in the film.”
Pillai attributes this personality trait as the hook that really drew her to the role of Ivy, who she refers to as a “slob and an introvert, who is often berated by her mother Violet (played by Dubey) as someone who thrives on looking lesbian.”
“I was initially hesitant to take on Ivy because the role is a limited one, but Lilette assured me that it was performance that would have impact and I wasn’t disappointed,” she explained.
“Ivy is different from anything that I have played before. She’s what you call a ‘by the way’ person who is the complete opposite of my real personality,” added Pillai, saying that she considers herself an extrovert who is very confident about herself and found it initially difficult to tone herself down for the performance.
She said: “That’s where the challenge lay and it drew me to it.”
Pillai conviction of reinventing her career has seen the actress don many hats over the past 10 years, including that of a musician who has sung with the likes of Kula Shaker and Talvin Singh and also cut her own album last year, which saw her nominated by “Rolling Stone” magazine India for Best Female Vocalist.
“I have been singing since I was six-years-old; it’s a passion that has stuck with me through the years,” she confessed. “After lending my voice to such talented international artists, I thought why not go solo and came out with my album last year, “Such is Life”.”
Since, Pillai has also formed a rock/pop band that performs gigs across India and social and corporate events.
However, quiz the multi-talented Pillai and she states that theatre remains her first love.
“Singing makes me feel alive, but theatre is a different creative high altogether; that gives me job satisfaction,” she stated.
But that doesn’t mean her film career is on the backburner either.
“I am very selective about the films I do but I don’t shy away from it either; it’s a different high on its own to be a part of the Bollywood glam and rub shoulders with the stars,” she said, adding that her next will be “Chauraahein” (Crossroads), which will see her share screen space with Soha Ali Khan, Zeenat Aman and others.
But Pillai, who has carved a film career for herself by performing roles in off-beat films such as “Everybody Says I’m Fine” and “Dasvidaniya”, says its still upsetting at times for distributors to choose films that have the backing of A-list stars, rather than a film with just a good script.
““Chauraheein” is the perfect example of this, which was filmed four years ago by Rajshri Ojha but it was only picked up by PVR after she got recognition as the director of “Aisha” (produced by Anil Kapoor, and starred his daughter Sonam),” said Pillai.
“I know the change and maturity will come in cinema but it will take a while; till then, we actors sit patiently for the miracle,” she said.
Those who want to see Pillai perform live can head to Madinat Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah on Friday in the Tracy Letts-written play, “August: Osage County”, which chronicles the lives of the dysfunctional Weston family, who congregate in Goa after the disappearance of the patriarch, Leon.