At the trailer launch of Aditya Sarpotdar's Zombivli (2022), Trupti Khamkar was ready with some punchlines to keep everyone entertained and alert. The actress is part of Marathi cinema's first zombie comedy, which will be released in theatres on 26 January. With her quick wit and sharp retorts, it is easy to see why Khamkar was at the centre of the camaraderie among the cast.
Speaking with Cinestaan.com afterwards, the actress described the film as 'unique'. She said, "It is a zombie film, a great opportunity for a Marathi actor to have, since there has never been a zombie film in Marathi. This is a new genre for the industry."
Be that as it may, Khamkar has been on a roll experimenting with new things in 2021. She was recently seen in a crime drama, Girgit, on MX Player, before Sarpotdar's film.
At the trailer launch, the filmmaker had revealed how Khamkar, despite the pandemic, was keen on meeting in person and holding workshops for the film. Khamkar said, "I have always been a bit rebellious. If you tell me no, it is the first thing I would do.
"So Aditya actually set up a Zoom meeting. The office is in Andheri, and I live in Andheri. I was so tired of virtual living that I said I am coming to the office now. Anything that challenges me is always a good thing."
The film went on the floors in July 2020, one of the first films to be shot after the pandemic struck. The actress said it was a necessary thing, a 'duty', for her as an artiste to shoot in the pandemic.
"The most important thing was it was a pandemic," she said. "People were sad, and it was an opportunity for me to entertain my audience. That is a godsend. It is not just work, but rather a duty."
The film deals with the spread of a zombie infection in the distant suburb of Dombivli, and how a group of people seeks to survive it. When the coincidence was pointed out to her, she laughed. "Most definitely relatable," Khamkar said. "It is a very contemporary film if you see it. It is not inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is something that connects. The fear of watching the numbers go up, words like infectivity rate, and lockdown and people from one place cannot go to another, it is something like that."
She added, "Back in 2020, there were a lot of people stuck outside Mumbai who could not come back to the city. If you look at the trailer, it has a scene where the main characters are trapped within the boundaries of the city and not allowed to enter. That feeling of suffocation is one part of the story, but it also has good humour."
With the pandemic showing an unwillingness to leave, theatrical audiences are still sparse. But Khamkar believes that will change. "I am confident that Hindi, Marathi audiences will come and watch this film." she said. "I work in several mediums and I know many people who are eager for this film to release. I feel when you make something with so much love, it is returned with as much love."
The actress will also be seen in Govinda Naam Mera, alongside Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Kiara Advani and Zombivli co-star Amey Wagh. She signed off on an optimistic note, suggesting the year can only get better.
"I think it [2022] will be a good year," Khamkar said. "There are some issues to be sorted out, but as an actor, it is my duty in such times to make [people] happy. It is my job to entertain them. If you want to do something dearly, the universe does make it happen. So I am sure it will happen."