She made her debut opposite Akshay Kumar and went on to be a part of some memorable films. Though one has not seen much of Neetu N Chandra on the big screen in the recent times, the actress has been busy with theatre productions, short films and producing content for her company. In this interview, she talks about her new short film ‘Beti’, playing PT Usha in a biopic, the controversy with Sidharth Malhotra and upcoming projects.
Why do we get to see so less of you?
I have been actually doing a lot of work on the theatre front. If you come and watch my plays, which I do very regularly, you will not say that you are seeing less of me. Doing theatre is a great way for an actor to sharpen his or her skills. I have also been producing films. ‘Mithila Makhaan’, a Maithili film which I produced, won a National award. I also did a short film with Jackie Shroff called ‘The Playboy’. I have also acted in singer Payal Dev’s new music video which will come out soon.
What are you doing next?
I am producing a feature film called ‘Balloon’. It features a six year old child as the protagonist.
What is the biggest challenge you face as a producer?
Just like any other producer, getting funds is the biggest challenge for me. When we made ‘Mithila Makhaan’ nobody believed it would work. So, it felt really amazing when it got so much love from the audience and won a national award.
You had also done a music video called ‘Beti’ a couple of years ago. Your new short film is also called ‘Beti’. That is a very interesting coincidence.
Yes, that is quite a coincidence. My character was called Maya in ‘The Playboy’ and I have been offered films in which my character has the same name.
‘Beti’ is based on women empowerment and talks about how women are badly treated in the country. Is it a cause you strongly believe in?
Of course, it is an important cause and everybody must support it. The sad part is that even in 2018 we have to make an effort to make people aware about it.
You are very proud of coming from Bihar and your production house is also named after a town in the state. Are there any plans to do projects that will bring the state into the limelight?
Since the last 8-9 years, we have been trying to do the same with our production house Champaran Talkies. We have got several music videos and short films which have brought Bihar and its artistes to the forefront. We have even got Hariharan to sing a Maithili song. As an artiste, my endeavour is to make Bihar come to the forefront in the entertainment space.
You made Sidharth Malhotra apologise on Twitter after he said something unsavoury about Bhojpuri language on a reality show.
No, I did not do it to make Sidharth apologise. I did not give any interviews after that controversy. I did not do it for publicity or to gain some attention. I just thought it was disrespectful for him to talk about Bhojpuri language in a derogatory way, so I voiced my opinion about it.
You ha stated in an interview that you want to play PT Usha.
Yes, I would love to portray PT Usha in a film. Her life is very inspiring and would make for a great film. We are making so many biopis these days and this is a story one must definitely bring on the big screen.
What made say a yes to the film?
I really liked the story. Making a commercially viable short film about a social cause is not easy but the director Raja Ram Mukherji has been able to pull it off so well. The film is entertaining enough to reach out to a large number of people.
Did you give any inputs during the making of the film?
Not really. Raja was absolutely clear about the kind of story he wanted to tell and knew exactly how he wanted to bring it on the screen. I was happy following his vision and being a part of the narrative.
What are you doing next?
I am producing a feature film called ‘Balloon’. It features a six year old child as the protagonist.