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EXCLUSIVE: Sagarika Ghatge On Personal Life Under Wraps: 'Got Nothing To Do With Slut-Shaming!'
In an exclusive interview with Filmibeat, Sagarika Ghatge gets candid about what went wrong after Chak De India, her upcoming film Irada, why she doesn't talk about her personal life and more.
Sagarika Ghatge is still remembered as Preeti Sabarwal from 'Chak De India'. Her portrayal of a headstrong hockey player, who dumps her cricketer boyfriend for undermining her passion for hockey in that film reasonated with most of us. Unfortunately, post her confident Bollywood debut, the spunky actress failed to match up with her contemporaries as box office flops kept happening one after the other.
Now, she is all gearing up for the release of her upcoming film Irada which has a promising cast and looks quite interesting. We recently caught up with Sagarika for an exclusive chat and what followed next was some heart-felt revelations.
Excerpts from the interview...
'Maybe I Could Have Signed A Lot Of Films Back Then But There Were Other Things On My Mind'
Q. You made your debut with Shahrukh Khan's Chak De India in 2007. The film received critical acclaim and continues to hold a special place in our hearts even today. Unfortunately, your later releases failed to make a mark. What do you think went wrong?
A. I did very few films. Chak De happened when I was barely 20 years old and then I wasn't even sure where my life is taking me because I thought I wanted to study further. It's like you know you have your own journey that you go through. The industry welcomed me warmly. The media too has always written good things about me. I am very thankful to that. Yes, the aggression of signing films didn't happen. But I hope to rectify that by doing more work now. I am really looking forward to my next film Irada as the trailer has been received well.
Q. So, what kept you going during the low phase of your career?
A. I am a very content person. It's not like I always want to do a lot of stuff. Even a little bit of work gives me a lot of satisfaction. I am not very regretful about anything. Maybe I could have signed a lot of films back then but there were a lot of other things on my mind. But ya, life just goes on and you enjoy even that process.
'As An Actor It Was A Great High To Be Around Great Preformers Like Naseer Saab & Arshad Warsi'
Q. Irada boosts of a stellar cast like Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah. So were you nervous or was there any kind of pressure on you when you were enacting your role?
A. I have always respected Arshad and Naseerji since the time I have been watching films. Just the fact that I am a part of this film is something which I will cherish for a long time. More than anxiety, I think there was a lot of excitement to do this film. I made sure that excitement kind of helped me to get the best out of my performance. As an actor, it was a great high to be around such great performers.
Q. Chak De India was a landmark when it came to sports-based films. Later on we had Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and the recent one, Dangal, Do you think there has been a change in the landscape when it comes to cinema?
A. Cinema started evolving a long back. Every year we are evolving with the kind of films we have been producing. It's a great time to be in this industry as an actor because there is so much exciting work. I just hope that we get to see more and more of these kind of films.
'I Don't Believe In The Length Of A Role In A Film'
Q. Recently when we spoke to Divya Dutta, she told us that it's a sad truth that ours is a hero-oriented industry. Do you too agree with her?
A. I don't believe in the length of a role in a film or the language. So me it always about doing either little bit of work or doing a big work that has to help us grow as an actor. I always look at things in that perspective. For me, the question of this never arises at all. I just do my job. Tomorrow it could be a 5 minute role but I give me cent percent because I know that 5 minute could have helped me to become a little better actor than what I was 5 minutes ago.
Q. What's your dream role?
A. I never had a dream role as such. Every role that I get, I look at it like okay, this has to be my best performance that I can give from my heart. I don't want to set any limits for myself. I want to keep exploring my capability as an actor.
'I Have No Qualms In Admitting That I Have Always Been A Shy Person'
Q. Sagarika, you have always been clear about keeping your personal life under wraps. However, recently it (relationship with cricketer Zaheer Khan) has been grabbling a lot of eyeballs. Do you take these link-ups with a pinch of salt?
A. I have hardly been in the media spotlight. I don't even give too many interviews. I have always been a shy person. I do my work and go back into the shell. I have no qualms in admitting that. (laughs) Link-ups are a part of an actor's life. People will scrutinize your personal life. You are in an industry where people will always want to know things about your life. It doesn't bother me. This is for the first time things have probably come out so much. It's fine.
Q. The reason why I asked this question is because Disha Patani had recently said that we as actors can never speak freely about our personal lives because there is a big risk of being slut-shamed in case if relationships don't work. Alia Bhatt too had said in an earlier interview that slut-shaming is the reason why Indian actresses don't talk about their relationships. Do you agree with them?
A. It has nothing to do with slut-shaming. It's not that I have hidden anything nor am I agreeing to anything. I am not saying do not write about anything. It's everyone's job to do whatever they want to do. Being a public eye, you are bound to be written about. So it's fine.
