Actress Janki Bodiwala, who was recently seen in Shaitaan, starring alongside Ajay Devgn,
R. Madhavan, and Jyothika, speaks to The Pioneer, sharing some candid bytes and more in this exclusive chat.
R. Madhavan, and Jyothika, speaks to The Pioneer, sharing some candid bytes and more in this exclusive chat.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Shaitaan has proven to be Janki Bodiwala’s big hit recently. Shaitaan is a supernatural thriller that further demonstrates this Gujarati actress’s versatility in handling a variety of film genres. In a candid interview, the actress shares her knowledge on perfecting the art of remake, which we have exclusive access to the candid bytes and more!
“The script was written in a really balanced manner; my graph was improved much more in the remake. I swear to God, it ended up being a blessing for me! This time, I wasn’t traumatised because I had previously experienced the first one. Even though the movie had some really intense parts, the atmosphere was still really great. Everything felt normal to me, even if I was peeing in my trousers for a scene or hitting someone’s head on the wall. I wasn’t going overboard. Since the viewers were more affected by the trauma, I was successful.”
She continues with some more thought-provoking observations, saying things like, “Post cut—we all start to giggle. The mood on the Shaitaan sets was like that. After such horrific events, it was a much-needed environment; otherwise, I would have gone into a trance. It was a first for me too.”
Most significant, adding to the same graph, is working with actors who have expertise. She could clearly remember, for instance, when she said, “These three seasoned actors were never late—not even a few minutes here or there. Such lengthy monologues would often be completed by R. Madhavan in two attempts, occasionally even on the first try. I was taken aback! I saw that he dislikes squandering the time of his team. However, Jyothika handled Angad and myself as if we were her own children. She placed our pastry order! She would even bring candies for us.” She continues, “I don’t want to damage Ajay Devgn’s Singham persona, so don’t even get me started on him. The fact that Ajay sir was incredibly endearing to the children on the Shaitaan sets would surprise readers. Laughing and making jokes with our little boy on the sets was more his style than having thoughtful conversations! He doesn’t seem to be one of those actors in the business who likes to brag, as I also noticed. No, that isn’t his mannerism.”
The actress also recalled, “While doing the film in Hindi, it taught me a little more,” after pursuing commercial longevity after the film’s release. “For instance, you must not overemphasise dramatic moments! Subsequently, I had heard tales of Bollywood directors being extremely irrational while on set. My director, Vikas Bahl, exposed this fraud! On the Shaitaan sets, he never yelled or attempted to force someone to acknowledge him as the director. He didn’t even let us worry about it!”
The actress continues, revealing a few more behind-the-scenes details: “I won’t lie, there were times when I was afraid of certain situations. It was terrifying as hell to smash my younger brother’s skull against the wall in the movie! As a working actor, I could still feel the hurt. As a little boy, my co-actor simply asked me to go for it since he was so fluid. Incredible. In fact, I found it too hard to play the same character in a different genre again.”
Finally, she states, “Big names have come to my film’s screening, but I went crazy as soon as I saw Kartik Aaryan. I was genuinely touched when he approached me and said how well I had performed. Thank God, I have a video to save the memories for all time.”
Shaitaan has proven to be Janki Bodiwala’s big hit recently. Shaitaan is a supernatural thriller that further demonstrates this Gujarati actress’s versatility in handling a variety of film genres. In a candid interview, the actress shares her knowledge on perfecting the art of remake, which we have exclusive access to the candid bytes and more!
“The script was written in a really balanced manner; my graph was improved much more in the remake. I swear to God, it ended up being a blessing for me! This time, I wasn’t traumatised because I had previously experienced the first one. Even though the movie had some really intense parts, the atmosphere was still really great. Everything felt normal to me, even if I was peeing in my trousers for a scene or hitting someone’s head on the wall. I wasn’t going overboard. Since the viewers were more affected by the trauma, I was successful.”
She continues with some more thought-provoking observations, saying things like, “Post cut—we all start to giggle. The mood on the Shaitaan sets was like that. After such horrific events, it was a much-needed environment; otherwise, I would have gone into a trance. It was a first for me too.”
Most significant, adding to the same graph, is working with actors who have expertise. She could clearly remember, for instance, when she said, “These three seasoned actors were never late—not even a few minutes here or there. Such lengthy monologues would often be completed by R. Madhavan in two attempts, occasionally even on the first try. I was taken aback! I saw that he dislikes squandering the time of his team. However, Jyothika handled Angad and myself as if we were her own children. She placed our pastry order! She would even bring candies for us.” She continues, “I don’t want to damage Ajay Devgn’s Singham persona, so don’t even get me started on him. The fact that Ajay sir was incredibly endearing to the children on the Shaitaan sets would surprise readers. Laughing and making jokes with our little boy on the sets was more his style than having thoughtful conversations! He doesn’t seem to be one of those actors in the business who likes to brag, as I also noticed. No, that isn’t his mannerism.”
The actress also recalled, “While doing the film in Hindi, it taught me a little more,” after pursuing commercial longevity after the film’s release. “For instance, you must not overemphasise dramatic moments! Subsequently, I had heard tales of Bollywood directors being extremely irrational while on set. My director, Vikas Bahl, exposed this fraud! On the Shaitaan sets, he never yelled or attempted to force someone to acknowledge him as the director. He didn’t even let us worry about it!”
The actress continues, revealing a few more behind-the-scenes details: “I won’t lie, there were times when I was afraid of certain situations. It was terrifying as hell to smash my younger brother’s skull against the wall in the movie! As a working actor, I could still feel the hurt. As a little boy, my co-actor simply asked me to go for it since he was so fluid. Incredible. In fact, I found it too hard to play the same character in a different genre again.”
Finally, she states, “Big names have come to my film’s screening, but I went crazy as soon as I saw Kartik Aaryan. I was genuinely touched when he approached me and said how well I had performed. Thank God, I have a video to save the memories for all time.”
