In an interview with The Pioneer, actress Tanisha Mukerji offers an intimate glimpse into her role in the film Luv You Shankar and shares insights into her experiences on set.
K. Ramya Sree
Shreyas Talpade and Tanisha Mukerji starrer Luv You Shankar, graced the cinemas on Friday. We reached out to the actress to know how excited she was about the film’s release in Telugu along with Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada. Interestingly, she openly expressed her desire to work in the Pushpa franchise as a villain.
That being said, beginning the interview about her character in this latest flick, Tanisha expressed her delight at playing a mother on screen for the first time. She described, “In Luv You Shankar, I am playing mother for the first time, and I think the relationship between the mother and the child is beautiful because it’s more of a friendship than a very strict mother-child relationship. This is the first time I played this mother character. I have no children, so I have taken inspiration from all my relationships with my niece and nephew and watching my sisters interact with their children, and I have really enjoyed playing it.”
Set against the backdrop of the sacred city of Banaras, the film revolves around the endearing bond between an eight-year-old boy and Lord Shiva, thus making the film a complete family entertainer.
Reflecting on her decision to join the project, Tanisha recalls how the director and casting team approached her for the role. They sought a unique face opposite Shreyas Talpade’s character, Panditji, and Tanisha was excited to be part of a film centered around Lord Shiva, offering an adventurous and entertaining experience for children.
Regarding the film’s mythological context, Tanisha emphasises that her character draws from personal experiences, particularly her relationships with family members.
Recalling a memorable moment from filming Luv You Shankar, Tanisha vividly describes a scene at the banks of the River Ganga in Banaras, where she and co-star Shreyas performed a pooja. She shared, “The most memorable moment was when Shreyas and I had to go and do Pooja in the ghat by the banks of the Ganga, and that may be the second or third time I had been there, but it was the first time that I was in Banaras. It was my first time on the ghats of Banaras, and the feeling was just unbelievable, we had to put the diyas into the water. Standing there, I was filled with so much immense joy, and my feet were in the water, and we had to put the diyas in for the shot. It was like, I just felt like I was getting the moment through the cinema that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise; I was just very happy to have that moment.”
Reflecting on her takeaway from the project, Tanisha praises the director’s brilliance in crafting a beautiful film. She commended, “I think the biggest takeaway from the project is the brilliance of the director. Because he really crafted a beautiful film out of Luv You Shankar, he was put together when he was narrating the subject, with lots of animation and then characters. Then, the way he directed all of us, he was really the captain of the ship. At any one point, he was the one who knew exactly what was happening in the film, and he was just very clear, like what he wanted, and clear with what he was saying. So I would say our director is very brilliant, and he knows children’s films very well, like he knows what children want to see.”
Looking ahead, Tanisha remains optimistic about future projects, hoping that exciting opportunities will emerge post-Luv You Shankar. As an artist, she seeks out roles that challenge her. She expressed, “Age is a concept that I don’t believe in. I think at this stage of my life as an actor, considering the body of work I have done, I would like to play something that would challenge me. I want to play the negative lead in Pushpa 2 or Pushpa 3 or wherever; please make me the vamp of Pushpa 2 or Pushpa 3 whichever film or even Animal I don’t mind, Sandeep Vanga Reddy if you are listening, I want to be the negative lead, I want to be the villain of any film, for the south directors especially.”
Furthermore, transitioning to personal reflections, Tanisha shared her perspective on challenges in both work and personal life. She expressed gratitude for her upbringing and family background as she is the sister of renowned Bollywood actress Kajol and daughter of renowned Tanuja, viewing obstacles as blessings that have shaped her identity positively.
“I have lots of gratitude for who my mother is. I never look at anything as too much of a challenge; I always look at everything as a blessing. Even though there have been difficulties, I always understand the difficulties because of who I am, and I am lucky to be who I am. So I never look at anything as a negative challenge; I will always take it as positive,” she concluded.
