Newbie Swara Bhaskar begins her career on a serious note with a serious film ‘Niyati‘. The film is based in Bihar and marks the insensitive culture of the place. Delhi-bred birdie gets candid in an interview and talks about her film and career.
What is the film Niyati all about?
It’s a multi-narrative film that shows three possibilities of a situation. It is basically about two people who are in the situation that is out of their control. Film manifests the trend of Pakadua Byaah (forced marriage) that was prevalent in the early nineties in Bihar. People who had strong political and criminal backing would get their daughters forcibly married to the eligible boys against their will. Film throws light upon the outcome of such marriages, where women have to bear the brunt.
Tell us about your character.
My family performs my pakadua byaah with a guy against his will. Obviously the in-laws retaliate in situation by ill-treating the bride in their house. Also the groom who is forcibly got married at the gunpoint does not easily come to terms with the situation and happens to take out his angst on his bride.
Did you ever hear about this kind of marriage before?
I was taken aback when I got to know the strange way of people in Bihar getting their daughters married. In fact, I made a trip to my relatives’ place in Bihar to get acquainted with the culture, body language and the diction of people there.
As you are an actor you could have acted accordingly, how important it was for you to do your homework by literally going to Bihar.
As an actor I can act, but definitely you will have to root your character in cultural context of the place. Only then the originality of the character is attained.
So what does your homework say?
Most of the forced marriages after sometime settle down as any other arrange marriage. It was really heart wrenching when a woman told me that in such marriage you should get use to the lifestyle of a bull that will always be burdened.
Did the rape scenes in the film bother you while taking up the film?
No, as it was essential to the film. When you go through the storyline, if a man is made to marry someone against his will on gunpoint, he will definitely take out his anger on the girl and he will tend to bed her forcibly. As long as it is not vulgar, I don’t mind.
–Deepa Mishra
