With films like Jogwa (2009), Tukaram (2012), 72 Miles (2013), Ajji (2017), among others, actress Smita Tambe has carved a niche for herself by doing unconventional roles in Marathi and Hindi cinema. Her recently released web-series Hawa Badle Hassu also has an unusual subject with Chandan Roy Sanyal playing Hassu, a mysterious auto-rickshaw driver.
In an exclusive chat with Cinestaan.com, Tambe spoke about the unusual story, “It means somebody is on a mission to change hawa [air]. We are just not thinking about the quality of air we are breathing. So, Chandan’s character has understood that we need to change the polluted air.”
Tambe plays Aarti who is doing a study on the environment. “She meets Hassu at a CNG petrol pump where she is working part time,” Tambe said, adding, “She is an independent girl. Our talks are very different. We speak on environment-related matters. Their bonding is interesting and it generates curiosity.”
The actress further revealed that after bonding over time, Aarti one day realizes that Hassu has vanished. She tries hunting for him along with Hassu’s friend Radhe. “Radhe is played by Dhirendra Dwivedi, who is my husband in real life,” she said.
When asked about the specific genre of the story, Tambe said, “It is everything. It is in sci-fi zone but it goes through a different genre.”
Tambe admits that before shooting with Sanyal, she had not seen any of his works. “For me he was like Hassu and not Chandan, which is the best part. We did so many workshops so that we were well equipped once we went on sets,” she said.
This is Tambe’s second web-series after My Name Is Sheela. She believes that screenplay plays a big role in this medium. And as an actor, there is an additional challenge. “The character which I have to hold together for three hours [in a movie] needs to be held here for 10-11 hours [in a series]. The graph is long, so that curiosity needs to be maintained,” she said.
Like most artistes, Tambe also looks at her character and the content before giving her nod for any project. But she also has a specific criteria. “It should be family oriented which everyone can see. Being a sensible person, I believe the sensibilities of the content should be at the right place,” she shared.
The actress is also awaiting the release of the keenly awaited Sacred Games 2 on Netflix in which she has a role too. As far as cinema is concerned, her next role requires her to go through a lot of preparation. “I am doing a sports film in Hindi. I am playing a sportswoman in it. Currently, I am preparing myself for that,” she said.