This year marks the 25th year of Amruta Subhash's high-rewarding, experimental and illustrious acting career. The icing on the cake is her recently released series Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt. Ltd, on Zee5 - a familiar underdog story which she ably carries on her shoulders single-handedly as the lead protagonist Suman, a single mother who has been left to fend for herself.
Amruta, who began exploring her acting chops as a school student, will never forget how her life turned around in recent years post the advent of OTTs and gave her the chance of exploiting her potential "like never before." Born to famed Marathi theatre performer Jyoti Subhash, Amruta began young as a child performer in school theatre groups before embarking on her acting journey full time in Marathi theatre and then films.
"Earlier content was king. Now it is the queen," she says with her widest grin over a video interview to THE WEEK. Amruta comes across as a vivacious person who's very high on energy; she remains in a peppy and cheerful mood all through the conversation even though she's just done with over a dozen back to back interviews. "I don't get tired easily, " she says before beginning the interview.
Saas Bahu Achaar is as zesty, tangy and lovable as a homemade achaar [pickle] can be. It sends across the message without being preachy, it is impactful but not loud and it is a bit slow-paced but is highly delightful. The only thing that one cannot help but wonder about is why was the show helmed largely by men, led by TVF co-founder Arunabh Kumar and director Kharki, when the plotline and the narrative largely has the plight of a woman as the centre-focus. If you ignore that part, this show is worth every minute spent watching it and in it, Amruta's character of Suman which is a much subtler, calm and composed version, quite opposite to most of her roles in the past and also an antithesis to her real life personality. "I think that calmness also has a lot to do with my learning of psychotherapy as a person. I have seen that ever since I started on it, my life both on screen and off it, has changed remarkably.
Among her mentors and guardian angels, Amruta counts Bollywood film director Anurag Kashyap as the most significant one. "Working with him opened a lot of doors for me especially in Bollywood. especially in Bollywood." Anurag saw Amruta in the Marathi film Gandha which was then remade in Hindi as Aiyyaa and was produced by Kashyap himself, alongside film producer Guneet Monga. "It is not a coincidence that Anurag Kashyap has launched a number of actors. He's very watchful and is looking at everyone. Auditions are the only way of reaching him. No matter how many films you do with him, for every next project one must audition and I did too. Be it for Raman Raghav, Kusum Devi Yadav or Choked." In an interview with THE WEEK, Amruta opens up about her dreams coming true and her future projects...
You are the protagonist in Saas Bahu Achaar. After more than two decades in the industry, how does it feel to have arrived at a point when you can comfortably helm a project?
It has been a dream come true. I had a strong urge to stand out in an industry where it is so easy to be boxed into what I call, 'role moulds.' Of course I have reached where i wanted to reach. but I will not settle. I still have a long way to go. With Saas Bahu...everything just seemed to be perfect. Right from the leading names involved in the making of this content to the fleshing out of my own character with the gravitas and heft given to it, I think this is something I have been looking forward to since a long time.
How did 'Saas, Bahu....' come to you?
With this project, everything was perfect. At my age and with the experience that I have, it is not easy for producers to bet big money. But here I was. Everything just fell into place. I think I was at the right place at the right time. My character was well written and there was positivity all around that I could ably carry this show on my shoulder. If you're a good actor and are given a bad script, your career is ruined. Versus that, if you're a bad actor who ends up with a good script, it turns into a booster shot for your career. I was doubly lucky with a good script and moderately good acting chops!
You've been an actor since decades now..but the kind of meaty roles which you've been receiving in recent years never came by before. What changed?
I think this is the best time of my career. A few years back I would worry as to where I'd be given that we are all aging. And in that sense it all still feels surreal. The amount of work I have done in the past few years is so much more than what I'd do in an entire year, decades back. I think the medium changed and with that, our destinies changed. From the hegemony of theatres to the democratisation led by OTTs, we have all come a long way.
Is there a conscious choice to pick character roles which are nowhere close to that of a sexy, prancing-dancing heroine in a masala Bollywood flick?
Yes. A lot of thought has gone into it. but there is another side to it as well. Even though I would have loved to be a part of a masala film as a typical heroine, may be people do not look at me that way. For instance, take Choked. Never before that did I ever attempt comedy. That was my way of exploring my own potential and that's when audience too began seeing me differently. So I think I should also get opportunities. I have never decided that there is something I will not do. But let that kind of an opportunity knock at my door at least.
You churned out a lot of content in the last two years of the pandemic. What's next?
I'm currently working with fantastic women directors on a women-centric show. I cannot reveal too much about it but trust me, you're going to love it!
