For Gauri Kishan, born and bred into a family of movie buffs, 96 was an unexpected prize, one she didn’t realise she wanted for herself. Aadithya Baskar, on the other hand, grew up with the semi-realisation that stardom was within touch. He went for a ‘couple of auditions’, after someone spotted him in a photo of his family in a magazine interview of his actor dad, MS Bhaskar.
“Maybe I knew that someday I would get to act. It wasn’t a distinct possibility for me but it wasn’t a wild dream, either,” Aadithya says.
Gauri entertained no such notions. While she inherited her family’s affinity for music and dance, she did not ‘even dream’that one day she would play Trisha in a movie. When her uncle, a classmate of director Prem Kumar, asked her to audition for a role that needed someone with a strong resemblance to Trisha, Gauri’s first instinct was to laugh out loud.
“I was Jaanu, just like that!”
“I didn’t believe him at first. And later, I auditioned for the role only because he asked me to. I was skeptical whether I would be apt for the role. Trisha ma’m has this angular face and I know I’m chubby. So I didn’t know if we would be a fit.” But director Prem, she says, had other plans. “I was Jaanu just like that. One minute, I am convinced that I wouldn’t be right for the role but then Prem sir called and set me right. I was going to be Jaanu,” she says.
Both Aadithya and Gauri are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of 96, a musical romance about two former lovers who reunite for one night. But even here, as they display their gratitude at having received such an opportunity, the actors betray hints of their disparate lives. And hence, their very different paths to stardom.
Aadithya speaks with the assurance of a young man who grew up within the industry. “I am so excited to be in this space at this time. I am very thankful for the praise from the fans,” Aadithya says.
Gauri’s voice as she talks about the reception for her character in the movie, is tinged with awe. She really did not expect her character to get the kind of response it did. “So so surprised,” she whispers.
Prem Kumar says that he saw the contrasting personalities of Aadithya and Gauri as a great advantage for his film. “They fit together so completely in ways only two halves of a puzzle can. Their real lives and personalities are more nuanced, perhaps. But for the film, we decided to heighten these quirks both actors have so that their performances seem grounded.”
The quirks that Prem talks about are evident even in the Aadithya’s phone interactions. Aadithya is ebullient, full of a nervous comic energy that makes him affable. He says that he blurts things out sometimes. “The sort of person who tries to defuse nervous situations by cracking jokes,” Gauri adds.
“When Prem sir says action, he will become K Ramachandran”
Most of the time, Aadithya would joke around on the sets of 96. When it was time to shoot, though, Aadithya would snap to attention. “He is a natural performer. I really envy that about him. He can say some joke and make us all laugh but when Prem sir says action, he will become K Ramachandran. I didn’t have that level of ease with acting. I really envied him,” Gauri says.
Gauri, on the other hand, is hesitant. There’s a thread of caution underscoring her words. For every revelation, there’s always a but that normalises things for the actor. “I so wanted to meet Trisha ma’am and I couldn’t. But it’s okay, I guess. I am not disappointed or anything.”
“It was very tough to learn the lyrics of the songs Jaanu sings in the movie. They are all in Tamil, so I took a long time to learn them. But it was worth it, since those scenes are what fans seem to relate to the most.”
“My family is from Kottayam, but I am a true Chennai girl.”
“I wanted to dub for myself, but they said they needed someone whose singing voice is divine.”
And this caution finds its way into her acting as well. Her first few takes were stilted, Gauri remembers. There was some unease. However hard she tried, she just couldn’t get into Jaanu’s head. Gauri could sense that her performance did not satisfy Prem Kumar. “I kind of knew that what I was doing onscreen and what he wanted me to do, were two really different things. I asked him to give me some time so that I could go back and learn the basics.”
After a ten day course, Gauri came back to the sets of 96 in Thanjavur. Aadithya says that he could sense a change in the way she emoted. “In those ten days, Gauri found her Jaanu somewhere deep inside,” Prem adds. 96 finds its heart in the portions set in Thanjavur. Sometimes it feels like the whole school (along with Ilaiyaraaja and S Janaki) are conspiring to get them together.
“We did it for Prem sir”
Music plays a very important role in 96, and especially for Jaanu. “I used to stay late at night getting the inflection right so that I could do a good job. We did it for Prem sir. And most importantly, we did all this because 96 is a big film. It’s an important film,” says Gauri.
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The only false note in the movie is Gauri’s dubbing, Aadithya feels. “She so wanted to dub for herself. She speaks Tamil but it’s a little accented. And the film needed a person who could sing beautifully,” he explains
Perhaps it is Gauri’s only issue with the movie. She wanted to dub for herself and couldn’t. “I really felt that my voice would make it more authentic. But I’m not a great singer so the decision was only natural.”
Aadithya reminds Gauri of her other issue. “You have one more, don’t you?”
When Gauri doesn’t remember, Aadithya prods her. “Trisha…” he whispers.
And then, Gauri remembers. “I never got to meet Trisha ma’m,” she says with a sheepish grin.