Director Goutam Ghose’s ‘Yatra’, starring Rekha in a pivotal role, has just won accolades at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa. It will also be the opening film at the Trivandrum Film Festival on December 9. The songs composed by veteran Khayyam are climbing up the popularity charts.Incidentally, Rekha plays Lajwanti a modern day courtesan in the film opposite Nana Patekar. Rekha says, “Lajwanti has no similarities to ‘Umrao Jaan’. It is a contemporary character whilst the latter belonged to the medieval era. I have a role that perfectly suits my age and acting abilities. Goutamda worked on me and drew out a subtle performance, the kind I have not done in recent years.”
What about her chemistry with Nana Patekar? Rekha smiles and says, “We are starring together for the first time. Nana as an actor needs control. Then he performs well. His acting style is very different from that of Amitabh Bachchan or Naseeruddin Shah. We shared good vibes on the sets.”
A highlight of ‘Yatra’ is the dance number choreographed by Saswati Sen. What does the diva have to say? Rekha answers, “There are two kathak numbers. I rehearsed many times before giving the final shots. Saswati took great care in training me for my mudras and steps. She has true mastery over kathak.”
Were there any conflicts with her and Ghose ? Rekha rubbishes the rumours saying, “If there were any conflicts would the film have been completed smoothly and within time? I felt very comfortable working with Goutamda. You will notice how he has made me underplay my emotions. He and producer Bipin Kumar Vohra have even incorporated some of my suggestions in the film.”
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