Debutant Shubhangi Dutt reveals she spent 15 days with director Anupam Kher’s niece, the inspiration behind Tanvi the Great, to portray the autistic character authentically. She recalls Anupam telling her to observe Tanvi's soul
Shubhangi Dutt in Tanvi the Great. Pics/AFP, Instagram
Very few actors get a dream launch. Shubhangi Dutt admits debuting with Tanvi the Great, directed by Anupam Kher, is something she hadn’t even imagined. She was one of the many at Kher’s acting institute, Actor Prepares, who had auditioned for the role. “They had shortlisted a few people. I think, sir [Kher] said that I was focused and hard-working. Maybe that also helped me get this role,” she reflects.
Since then, it has been an “overwhelming” ride — from sharing screen space with senior actors like Kher, Boman Irani, and Pallavi Joshi, to being officially introduced as the film’s lead actor by Kajol at a media event. “Kajol ma’am is so versatile. Imagine sharing the stage with her! She was the first person to say my name out loud in front of the whole world. I was nervous, but at the same time, it was comforting because she is also a woman who started from somewhere and made a big name for herself,” says Dutt, adding that Shah Rukh Khan posting the film’s trailer was another high. “I was asleep, and at 2.30 am, my brother knocked on my door and said that Shah Rukh sir had posted the trailer. After seeing it, I couldn’t sleep all night. I have been happy before, but this isn’t just happiness. It’s overwhelming in the best possible way.”
Anupam Kher. Pic/AFP
Tanvi the Great follows a 21-year-old woman with autism who is determined to join the Indian Army. How does one play a neurodivergent individual without compromising on its authenticity? Dutt says by “observing the soul” of Tanvi, Kher’s autistic niece, who is the movie’s inspiration. “I spent 15 days with Tanvi. During that time, I asked Sir again and again, ‘Am I supposed to note down her characteristics? The way she responds?’ Sir matter-of-factly said, ‘Observe her soul.’ When I met Tanvi, she was so beautiful and present. Then I understood Sir’s words. What he wanted from me was sincerity and purity. He didn’t want mimicry.”
Shooting one’s first film can be exhilarating, but some days can be hard too. “I remember a scene where I had to deliver a dialogue, turn, and perform some gestures — all within one shot. I got really nervous; that was my first meltdown on set. I had two or three in total. It’s a lot to process. Usually, Sir is happiest with the first take. But when he is not satisfied, he’ll keep pushing you until it’s right. I was okay doing 50 or even 100 takes, but that’s not feasible. That pressure I put on myself was difficult.”
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