Years ago, before talk shows became popular, a young lady sparkling with sass and sensitivity beckoned us to sit up and watch as she engaged stars from tinseltown and other personalities in conversation over coffee. Not small talk, but a nuanced format where she helped the audience see the person behind the persona, asked questions that nudged but never probed and left viewers and the celebrity in question with a smile on the face, and, occasionally, something to ponder about.
Much before that, 22 years ago, she headlined the sensitively made Indira, a film that saw her cousin Suhasini Mani Ratnam debut as director. And then, Anu Hasan stepped back to work on her terms. She played sister, mother and friend on-screen, worked in television, started Squash’d, a juice outlet to help the underprivileged, and was also part of television series in the UK, where she resided. And then, she landed a role that had her all excited.
“I played a cop on TV once, and my mother said: ‘Idhu big screen la vandha evlo nalla irukkum’ (How lovely would it be if you did this in cinema?) Valladesam, directed by NT Nantha, offered me an opportunity to add action to my oeuvre,” says Anu.
And so, she returns as lead after two decades. But, that’s par for the course for someone like Anu, who’s never played by conventional rules. “I was sister for all, then I did a spate of roles where I died — either in a car crash or a bomb blast… I’ve been doing a mix of things; it keeps me alive and enthusiastic about what I do.”
When Valladesam, a revenge drama of sorts which sees a mother go out on a limb in search of her child, came up, Anu saw an opportunity to take up a “different role, something that matched the kind of character my mother wanted me to act in.”
It helped that Anu had always been fit. “I’ve never been a size zero, but I’ve always been an active, fit person. My kalaripayattu and stunt training from years ago helped me move with grace,” she smiles. “In Valladesam, I saw scope for performance. There’s a mother, an arms dealer, a patriotism angle, and the chance to do some stunts. How could I possibly say no to it?”
The actress says that it was a role where she had great fun despite the seriousness of the subject. Seventy per cent of the film was shot in the UK, and Anu said the project allowed her to work again with Nasser — she played his daughter in Indira.
But, the lack of roles she could sink her teeth into don’t rankle Anu. “I know how the industry operates, and I knew then that for someone like me who’s got clear ideas about what is acceptable and what is not, what’s interesting and what is not, and who to work with and who to not, only certain opportunities would come my way. And, I was and still am actually okay with that choice. When I look back, I have zero regrets,” she says.
This, even when she had to turn down an opportunity that would have seen her character develop in BBC’s EastEnders, because it required her to be part of a budding romance and smooch on-screen. “I’m not comfortable doing it, and I told them that, though my agent warned me that I might get written out. I did ask my appa, and, he told me that if I was rejecting it because I was worried about his reaction, I should not. Now, looking back, I did what I could on British TV (including Cucumber and Hollyoaks). I lost an opportunity, but that’s fine. Discomfort with an emotion shows up on-screen.”
Did this courage of conviction come about from the position of privilege she had — Anu studied at BITS Pilani, and belongs to a family known for its contribution to cinema? “I agree, to an extent. I would not have had this choice if I were struggling for my next meal. That said, I’m the kind who will take a call to not do something even if it meant I would starve because of it. I look at it this way. If you value your values more than the quality of life, you don’t flex easily. I might sound naïve, but it worked for me. And yes, values also tend to change at different points of life, I do accept that.”
Born in a family known for plainspeak, Anu says, “She’s plainer than most.” She does not suffer fools easily, neither does she take kindly to a less-than-serious approach on the sets. She once ticked off a director because she was chatting when a shot was being canned. “Looking back, I feel bad I lost my temper, but I don’t like it when professionalism flies out of the window.”
Recommended
Valladesam will, hopefully, channel the activist in Anu. “It’s nice to not just play a regular mom and tell your child to not let down his/her father’s name, or not fight with people. This, when I’m the kind who might encourage a child to sort out his/her life,” says Anu, amid her trademark laughter. “And, though the film is, in a sense, a fantasy and aspirational, we’ve worked to keep things very real.”
The role of protector comes easily, says Anu, because she’s that way in real life too. “I’m a nurturer. I stand up for the underdog, and am constantly taking care of people.”
When she recently returned to Chennai for good, she received an overwhelming response on social media and in real-life interactions. “This warmth is something else. I’ve been getting a lot of work calls. It’s heartwarming, but I do wonder if I deserve all this love. But, me being me, I’ve decided to be shameless and gobble all the warmth.”
For a long time, her laughter continues echoing in your ears. Some things never change.