Actress Kirti Kulhari, geared up for her upcoming Blackmail with Irrfan Khan, says she was numb to see the speculation that followed her co-star's revelation about his health scare. She has urged the media to use its power responsibly.
Last week, after Khan took to social media to tell fans that he is suffering a "rare disease", some sections of the media started speculating about the health issue that he is facing.
It made Kulhari upset.
"I was numb... Not by hearing the news because it was all rumour, but thinking about how can some people be so insensitive. The same thing happened after the demise of Srideviji. I think the media should be little more responsible because it has a huge power," Kulhari said.
"Media is one of the key collaborators with people like us (actors) and we always give media THE right information. Speculation and tampering with facts is really immature, and in these kinds of situations, insensitive. As we all know that power comes with great responsibility, media should practice it accordingly," she said.
Of her experience of working with Khan, she said: "He has a great sense of humour, he is very well-versed in cinema and fun to chill out with. I also went to his place and met his wife. They are really good people."
Blackmail will be released on 6 April.
Having started her career in 2009, Kulhari acted in some critically acclaimed films like Shaitaan (2011), Jal (2014), Pink (2016) and Indu Sarkar (2017). However, she is hardly seen in the media apart from when her films release.
Considering how the media builds the image of an actor, asked about does she choose to remain out of spotlight, Kulhari said: "Well, I want to talk when my film is coming because people know me as an actress. It makes more sense, and therefore, I talk only about it rather than my beauty routine and other things.
"I want to be remembered as an actress. I am not saying there is anything wrong with what others are doing, but I am like this."
Her unusual thought also reflects in the choices that she has made in films — whether it is that of a brat in Shaitaan, a village girl in Jal, an independent woman in Pink or a poet with speech disability in Indu Sarkar.
Doesn't she want to play a quintessential Hindi cinema heroine?
"We have grown up watching those films where the female protagonist is dancing around the tree and lip-syncing. But we all know how cinema is changing and I get excited when I do a role that is out-of-the-box and very different. In my new film Blackmail also, my character is much layered and there are little grey shades," said Kulhari.
"In fact, I want to play a character that I cannot relate to, that is not me from any angle. That will excite me to perform," added the actress, who is also upbeat about her new web show and short films.
She has done a web show about four girls from south Mumbai. It is directed by Anu Menon.
That apart, she features in two short films Maya and Popsickles, which she says are on "very beautiful subjects".