Pratibha Ranta interview: It feels good when girls tell me they relate to my role in Laapataa Ladies

Actor Pratibha Ranta grew up in Shimla but says she could relate to the traditionally veiled wife she played in Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies. How could she possibly relate to Jaya, someone who grew up in a patriarchal household, I wonder, but she’s quick to respond, “She stands up for herself when no one does and is steadfast in her conviction. What’s not to relate?” (Also Read: Laapataa Ladies review: Kiran Rao weaves content, comedy and conversations in this simplistic, heartwarming drama)

In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Pratibha discusses her character's intricacies, takeaways from the film, debuting on the silver screen, and more.

‘I could visualise Jaya when I auditioned’

Pratibha credits her work on television (Qurbaan Hua, Aadha Ishq) for helping her pull off this role, “TV helped me be on my toes, it was like going to acting school.” She also says that when she auditioned for Kiran and Aamir Khan (who produced the film), the script was so good that she could visualise Jaya without issues.

“She was written so well, so much thought was put into her and I could see that on paper. When I read a scene, I could visualise how she would be. That’s quite rare, for it to not feel forced. I also found similarities between her story and my life. My family wanted me to pursue something else, but I knew I wanted to be an actor. I came from Shimla to Mumbai to follow my dreams. Much like her, I have always been adamant about being in charge of my own life. I knew in my gut that I could be her,” says the actor.

‘Jaya has the strength to break norms’

Pratibha says she was so busy promoting the film that she never found the time to feel nervous about her big-screen debut earlier this month. “I was so busy that I could not process the feeling of making my debut. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time now,” she explains, “But when the film’s premiere happened in February and there was such good energy all around, I knew we did well. Girls today tell me they relate to my role. They tell me they like that Jaya has the strength to break the norms. It feels good.”

But no matter how much she related to the character, Pratibha put in the work to transform into Jaya. “She’s so similar to me in her thought, but completely different in the way she looks, walks or talks,” says the actor, adding, “I worked with a dialect coach to get the Madhya Pradesh accent right. I would shoot for Aadha Ishq and work on this at the same time. Eventually, the dialect helped me get into Jaya’s skin completely. And finally, when we put on makeup and costume, I was raring to play her. It also helped that I was surrounded by a stellar cast (Nitanshi Goel, Sparsh Shrivastav, Ravi Kishan) and director who knew what they were doing.”

‘Kiran Rao made me feel heard’

Working in a film that addresses gender disparity and is helmed by a female director was a beautiful experience, says Pratibha. “Kiram ma’am and I would discuss every day how I could get the intricacies of Jaya right without giving away too much. You see her discomfort and disorientation, but you also see she’s holding back,” she says.

Pratibha also calls working with Kiran a unique experience. “She is crisp and concise as a director, she knows what she wants and she understands her female characters well. I also felt valued because she gave her actors the freedom to share their opinions. I got the freedom to concentrate on my craft and not think of anything else,” says the actor.

‘Women forget to lift each other up’

Pratibha believes Laapataa Ladies is an important film for the way it discusses everything from dowry to misogyny without getting preachy. As an actor and a woman, she says it reminded her that there’s enough space for all women at the table, irrespective of what society says.

“As women, we compete to make our space in society but forget that we can be friends and lift each other up. Healthy competition is the order of the day, jealously isn’t,” says Pratibha. She even cites an example from the film, of a poignant scene between Jaya and her mother-in-law. “That scene reminds me that we forget to appreciate each other sometimes, we must change that,” she adds.

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