Actress Kirti Kulhari’s film Full Plate has finally arrived home. After a prestigious international debut at the Busan International Film Festival, followed by the opening of the Sydney Indian Film Festival, Tannishtha Chatterjee’s directorial now premieres at the Dharmshala International Film Festival.
In the film, Kirti plays a housewife who begins cooking in other people’s homes after her husband’s accident, a role that allowed her to enter a world that is rarely offered to her on screen. Drawn to the project by Tannishtha’s belief in her and their shared creative understanding, Kirti found the story deeply reflective and intimate.
In conversation with Filmfare, he talks about working with the director, learning to navigate the industry on his own terms and returning to season 4 of Four More Shots Please.
I have acted with Tannishtha before, so we have known each other for a while. I was part of something she ran as a director, but Covid happened and things changed. I’m a big fan of her in terms of acting, in terms of nuance and in terms of the type of work she’s done. I’ve always admired that. She is good at detailing her characters. She came to me with the role of a cook for this movie, and that meant a lot because people usually don’t come to me with those kinds of roles. They think I look a certain way and come from a certain background. But Tannistha from the beginning believed that I could do this. I was the only person he approached.
How does it feel different to be guided by a woman’s vision?
Women tend to understand each other a little more in terms of their inherent life, conditioning, and the way they view society. There is something very intimate about opening up to another woman, especially a director. Sharing information becomes easier. The fact that Tannishtha and I have worked together before and know each other helps. It’s an intimate space and that helps you as an actor.
Were there any aspects of your character’s journey that you found reflected in your own life?
The idea of finding your own voice amidst the noise and conflict around you is universal. Most of us can connect with that at the core level. Other than that, I don’t do it because it’s a very different representation. It’s a world I haven’t grown up in. I’ve been on the other side. But throughout the journey, I remember that just being on the other side and the kind of interactions and relationships we have with our maid and cooks, were quite contemplative and reflective in nature. It made me understand and empathize much more with the other party.
Tannishtha shared her battle with stage 4 cancer. Having worked so closely with her, what stood out to you most about her strength and spirit?
I’ve been on this journey with her for the last two years. This news came at the beginning of the year and last year, when we were entering the film, she had just lost her father. But she didn’t lose focus even once. She was very present, involved and involved despite having gone through something like this. That made my respect for her grow and I wanted to be by her side and support her even more.
Were there moments in your career that ended up teaching you lessons about choice or presence in the industry?
If you are someone who is a little self-aware and wants to learn and grow in life, you will always look back at the instances and your situations in life and remember what you have been taught. I am a heart-driven person. My work feels like home. I used to have that kind of attitude when I started, and over the years I realized that not everyone thinks of it the same way. Many people simply consider it functional. And today I have managed to achieve a balance where I remain united as part of the team and treat everyone with respect and equality. But I have learned to spot people who don’t behave the same way. So I don’t use my heart there; I operate from the space they operate from.
I remember there were times in the beginning when I was doing a good job, but one thing didn’t lead to another. I was pretty bad at public relations. I never believed in public relations. I finally got to a point where I made peace with it. I still don’t do much PR and that’s fine with me. In terms of networking and being out there, I don’t think I’ve ever been comfortable with that or done much of that. And sometimes, along the journey, you ask yourself: ‘others are doing it, should you do it?’ But I got to a point where I felt good about the way I could do things. I’m glad things turned out well despite being a certain way.
What is the most surprising compliment you have received for your craft?
There are a lot of compliments where people tell you about the depth and nuance of your performance, and I always get that look of surprise that they understood it. One of the compliments I’ve received is that I look beautiful crying on screen, and I take that as a real compliment because not everyone looks good crying. Crying on screen has to be genuine and it’s nice if you look pretty while doing it.
Four More Shots Please has a huge fan base. How do you feel about returning for season 4 and how do you think fans will react after watching it?
Four More Shots Please has become something really huge. And every time I seem to forget that fact, the fans and people around me remind me. I’m very excited about season four, which is coming out soon. I felt like there should be something new to receive as an actor. After three seasons playing a certain character, you can get bored. Season four has been the best season for me. I came into it like I came into the first season: very fresh and absolutely invested and invested. It is a season that people will have a lot of fun watching in terms of freshness, fun and joy. And the girls have learned from their mistakes and have had time to contemplate, look back on their lives, and yet the drama and fun continues. It will surely be a bigger and better season. We have more beautiful locations and also great style.
What’s next?
In addition to season 4 of Four More Shots Please and Full Plate, I also completed a black comedy film. There is a lot of interesting work on my part.
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