I still feel that some shows on TV are a kind of regressive - Anita Hassanandani

Film and TV actress, Anita Hassanandani who plays Anita Ahuja in SAB TV’s Gutur Gu 2 (Fireworks Productions) gives Tellychakkar.com an exclusive interview on the challenges involving a silent comedy, her opinion on other comedies in the same genre, her hobbies and how she thinks the Indian TV industry may improve. Isn’t it a challenge to do a silent comedy? It is surely a challenge. Initially, I was surely nervous. It is a genre that I hadn’t attempted before. Slowly, I learnt how to execute it and got comfortable. Do you improvise? There is a lot of improvisation on the sets especially as to how the characters are reacting on the series is concerned. Action is reaction. On the spot we rehearse like a zillion times so that we can get it right. So, that is how it works. What about expressing through gestures, facial expressions and body language? Yes, that indeed is the only mode of expression in silent comedies. That is the sole way you can understand how a character is feeling. Does the fact that the comedy has no dialogues make it easier for the actors as they do not have to memorise their lines? Actually, it is the other way round. The sequences are written in such a way that you do not have to speak. When you have dialogues it is easier for actors to communicate the message to the viewers. There is so much of action involved in Gutur Gu 2 as well. It is obviously difficult to pull off a show like that. Some people strangely think that a silent comedy is inferior comedy. What do you have to tell them? I think that silent comedy is out of the box. If they watch our show carefully maybe they will change their mind and understand that a lot can be conveyed through it despite it not having dialogues. It is also such a challenge for the actors to bring about a smile to the viewer’s face. I guess that when they watch it they will like it. What do you think of the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin, Mr Bean and Laurel and Hardy? They are extremely entertaining to watch as they are brilliant. It is not that we are trying to copy them though. The characters in our show aren’t speech impaired. They are simply disallowed to use dialogues. What do you think of the silent comedy Tom and Jerry? I still watch it. Every time I am low I tune into that cartoon. What do you think of Chintu Ban Gaya Gentleman? It is a good show but slightly different from our serial as Chintu...which basically has gags which probably do not have to be connected. There is a storyline in Gutur Gu 2 and the actors have to express a lot. I do not think that any other channel has tried silent comedies. What kind of shows will you never do? I am an actor. So, I am open to doing all kinds of shows. Each role is a learning experience. What is your dream role like? It all depends on at what point of your career the kind of role you get. So, there is nothing like a dream role. I am an actor and I enjoy what I do. What are your hobbies? I like acting. Of late I have developed a love for cooking- I love to cook Italian food. I like to listen to music, especially Indian music, I experiment though. I enjoy listening to Bollywood and hip hop. Are you comfortable to be on Bigg Boss? I am not sure. I haven’t given it much of a thought. What about the Indian TV industry would you like to change? I feel that the TV industry is growing and changing. I still feel that some shows are a kind of regressive. Also abroad the shows are shot before they are aired. Maybe we could work like them. What do you watch on TV? I watch Star World most of the time. Of late I am watching Mad Men and I simply love it.