It's tough to make a mark in a competitive city like Mumbai, but veteran actor and folk singer Ila Arun, who completed 40 years in the film industry, says doors always opened up for her.
Arun made her Hindi film debut as an actor with Shyam Benegal's acclaimed "Mandi" in 1983 and gained popularity across India as a singer with hits such as "Morni Baaga Ma Bole", "Choli Ke Peeche", and pop tracks "Bichhuda" and "Nigodi Kaisi Jawani Hai".
From cinema, theatre, independent music, TV shows "Discovery of India" and "Yatra" with Benegal to now her web series debut with "Aarya 3", she has done it all.
"I have been entertaining viewers in so many ways. It feels so good... The unimaginable happened. It's difficult to maintain all this. That's the biggest responsibility. You can take care of it, when you preserve it, when you're not tempted.
"After these shows and films, I could have got many roles but then you get typecast. I waited, I didn't worry because I wanted to do work with ease and good people. I have no problems if it's a small or a big role. In that regard, less work happened, but good work happened," the 69-year-old multi-hyphenate personality told PTI in an interview.
Arun, who caught the acting bug while doing theatre with Pinchoo Kapoor and her guru Mohan Maharishi at Jaipur's cultural landmark Ravindra Manch, said patience and talent are key to success.
"There are many talented people around but not everyone receives recognition. It's tough to make a mark in Mumbai because it is full of big artistes. Doors always opened up for me. I never begged in front of anyone for work and that's my biggest achievement. I never made a portfolio. I never went up to anyone and said I want to sing or act. Everything happened gradually." Before entering films, she did a six-month acting course at Delhi's National School of Drama (NSD) in the 1970s, when theatre doyen Ebrahim Alkazi was its director.
Rajasthan-born Arun said cinema was never her goal and on reaching Mumbai, she gravitated towards Prithvi Theatre to find a "footing" in the city of dreams. In 1983, she founded Surnai Theatre And Folk Arts Foundation, a non-profit group.
"I thought when I have trained in the art, I must do something. When I came to Bombay, there was no plan to enter films. I wanted to do theatre because that was a familiar space for me. I knew what the audience wanted from me and vice versa.
"The dilemma of living the same one role in those three hours, no glycerine, no make-up, no touch-up, nothing. That's very exciting. But then many film-related people started joining Prithvi Theatre. There would be word of mouth (about one's performance)," she recalled.
The performer said she owes her success to the middle class in Rajasthan, who have been singing her songs "Mera Assi Kali Ka Lehenga" and "Resham Ka Rumaal" for over three decades now.
"That's my achievement. Even at that time, the middle class of Rajasthan... In their school competitions, weddings, everywhere, my voice used to be heard at the time. The middle-class gave me so much love... People still ask me to pay more attention to singing than acting." Many of her films such as "Sherni", "Chhalaang" and "Raat Akeli Hai" arrived directly on streamers. Third season of "Aarya", fronted by Sushmita Sen, is her first web series.
In the Disney+ Hotstar series, the actor plays Nalini, a member of erstwhile Rajasthan royalty who is up against Sen's Aarya in the race to become the undisputed queen on the drug supply side.
"For a commoner like me, who is always singing songs of the labour class, dancers or nomads, to suddenly represent a royal class who have their own grace, charm and confidence. They have an attitude. They are always smiling... I was asked to play a character like that.
"As an actor, you use observation as a tool. The reference was easy for me because I was born in Rajasthan and I know its past and present. I rub shoulders with the royalty of today. You can describe her as a don or an authority figure from the past who is ready for battle," she said.
The actor praised her team and show creator Ram Madhvani for giving her character a distinct look.
"I hadn't thought about how I would look in a new haircut. Everyone asked me to get a haircut, but I refused. It's my signature, people know me by my hair. But artists have to try different things to get into the skin of different characters.
"We had a fantastic director Ram Madhvani who has been successful with the two seasons. He had a vision, an approach, and we had to walk in that direction. There's always a danger of going over the top. You will see a different kind of grace in Nalini," Arun added.
"Aarya" season three will start streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from November 3.
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