Actress Purva Parag has created her own niche in the entertainment market with her prowess in different fields. She speaks to The Pioneer, discussing her journey, her remarkable stint in Sarfira and Madaari and more tidbits.
Tejal Sinha
Not all actors need the opportunity to showcase their prowess with a large screen space or full-fledged lead roles. There are a few extremely talented ones who can shine bright even in a small role, creating a much greater impact.
Thanks to Indian cinema, we have so many such actors, who are no less than an inspiration. One of these masterly ones is Purva Parag. We are sure many 90s kids would remember sitting with their moms in front of the television watching her play not the ‘atyachari’ but rather ‘pyaari’ saas. Popularly known for her stint in shows like Jai Santoshi Maa and Sarojini, she feels ecstatic to have played a good mother-in-law (MIL).
Mumbai has certainly been the ‘city of dreams’ and with so many opportunities coming her way, she too has shifted to the city. A journey, she describes as not like that of a ‘fairytale’ but rather, she humorously says, “Entering the industry, I have managed things just like Ajay Devgn successfully rides two cars at the same time in his action films (she laughs).” However, over the years, one thing that she has learned pretty well is that “success and failure both play an important part in any actor’s life and so has it been for me.”
Just like any working mom, she too had her own conditions in between. To make it simple, the Sarojini fame though had her hands full, there was a time in her journey that she had to take a break of around 4 years for her son back then. Though she has had a lot of on-and-off moments in her journey, one thing that she is very grateful for to date is, “People still remember me for the work I have done in the past. Today, makers approach me with good work. I feel very lucky.”
Would you believe it if we said that Purva, being an outsider in the industry, got her first character on Sab TV’s Dhaba Junction, the next day that she had shifted to Mumbai? Well, that’s true! How lucky, isn’t it?
Going ahead, the Grehan actress has also been one of those actresses who has never shied away from working on different mediums, simultaneously.
For instance, while she was doing Gafla, she recalls also working on multiple TV shows simultaneously. In fact, there was also a time when she was already doing back-to-back shows, when she also began working on a few episodes of the Indian police procedural television show C.I.D. “I had always preferred to be approached for good roles,” says the Koyelaanchal fame. “I try not to say no to any project. For me, work is work, irrespective of its medium.”
She is one of those who worships her work with all her heart and soul. Well, it’s just not us saying it, but she agrees to it too. She further goes on to recall how, in 2023, she was continuously working on films like Kachchey Limbu, Gangster Ganga and Sarfira. Just not this; along with these projects, she was also working on around three TV shows too.
This pretty much sums up that the work she is a part of matters before anything else. Off late, she has been referred to as the ‘Rising Star of Indian Cinema’. “I don’t believe in such things, haha,” shares the Jasoos Vijay fame. “I am an actress; whether I am doing small roles or big ones, I just aim to give my best to them. Sometimes in projects like Barfi and Madaari, though I played small characters, the projects were successful and I got a lot of fame from these projects. But again, there have been times when I have done good work, but was not recognised. So, I just believe in hard work.”
Meanwhile, talking of her work, recently, we saw a different Purva altogether in the Akshay Kumar and Radhika Madan-starrer Sarfira, directed by Sudha Kongara Prasad. She was seen donning a Maharashtrian look along with the accent, which certainly was a challenge for her. “Sarfira is a beautiful movie of its own. Though I had read the script and knew everything about the film, there was a different excitement while watching it. The pace of the film keeps you intact. In fact, when we were shooting, there was a different pattern we got to experience with Sudha (the director). She had a different attitude for every scene.”
However, on the other hand, talking about her character and the transformation, she shares, “I speak Hindi, so for me to learn Marathi and to act in flow with an accent, it was challenging, yet there was an actor’s preparation excitement. Working with the living legends was an experience in and of itself. Seema Biswas, Ashok Lokhande, Akshay and Radhika were all so talented and performers. The atmosphere was full of good energy. Let me tell you about this incident, where there was this wedding song (Chaawat) in the film. The hook-step was so mind-blowing that I went and told Ganesh sir, ‘Please don’t show us on-screen, but even I want to do this dance’.”
She goes on to share that, though she had a small role in Sarfira, she did have a great experience being a part of the project. For instance, she recalls, “Radhika and I have worked together in Kachchey Limbu as well. Now, what really happened was that in Sarfira, we had a completely different look, a Maharahtrian look, while in Kachchey Limbu, it was more towards a western one. So she did not really recognise me and was like, ‘Mai pehchanti hoon aapko, but kaun hai?’ And then I told her about our previous project.”
Meanwhile, working with Akshay Kumar was certainly a fan moment for her. “I’m a big fan of him. In my first scene, he was standing behind me and Radhika. Though I couldn’t see him, there was an exciting factor for me, not as an actor but as a fan.”
Going ahead, one of her most memorable projects, she says, has been Madaari, starring the late actor Irrfan Khan. Recalling her ‘humble’ experiences of working with him, she speaks with no less than honour, “I had first met Irrfan sir in my shot. Getting to work with him, I had all kinds of mixed feelings, from fear to excitement and happiness. Basically, I knew Nishikant Sir, so there was a comfort zone. Both Irrfan Ji and I are from the National School of Drama (NSD). We had an amazing conversation about it, just like how we talk to our seniors. There was no such attitude in him that he was such a big star! He was so calm and used to do all of the work with ease that there was a small issue that had happened on the sets of Madaari with the co-actors and trust me, he handled it so well! It was then that I understood that he is such a great actor that he wasn’t bothered about anything else, but giving his best.”
The Hasee Toh Phasee actress has some projects coming up in Jio Cinema and has also been shooting for a few, as we discuss. As we come to the end of the chat, she shares that she is looking forward to playing more of the diverse characters and doing something that challenges her as an actor. “I wouldn’t say I’m never bothered; I am bothered by the less screen space. I do want to create big, effective and impactful characters. But yes, again, I believe that if you are doing a good job, then that little work of yours does not become a problem. Even today, people talk about and ask me about my Madaari or Barefoot to Goa’s characters, which is so overwhelming. I believe that even after playing or doing even one scene, people remember you, which makes a big impact on the actor as well as the audience. It’s a win-win.”
