Just a week into 2018, and Pune girl
Mrinmayee Godbole is already beaming with happiness. The year seems to have begun on a good note for the theatre and film actress. She will be seen playing younger sister to
Akshay Kumar in the upcoming 'Pad Man'. The R Balki directorial is a fictionalised account of Padma Shri Arunachalam Muruganantham, who revolutionised the manufacture of low-cost sanitary napkins in India.
Given that she almost declined the role at first, Mrinmayee considers it one that she was meant to play, after all. She recalls, “I wasn’t sure about the part at first, because it was a small one. Previously, I had been approached with interesting roles of this kind, but I didn’t want to just be part of Hindi films for the sake of it and not have a significant part to play.” But Mrinmayee soon got a call from the film’s direction team to come and audition. “Balki sir insisted that the women in the film play vital roles, however small their parts might be. What’s beautiful is the fact that Akshay’s (who essays the role of Arunachalam) character has women of all ages in his life. Be it his mother, wife or younger sisters – each one is at a different stage of life, and they become his inspiration to do what he ended up doing. That’s what drew me to taking up the role,” Mrinmayee adds.
Besides Mrinmayee, the film has a strong Marathi connect, with
Jyoti Subhash playing Akshay’s onscreen mother and
Radhika Apte, his wife. Mrinmayee previously worked with Jyoti on 'Chi Va Chi Sau Ka' (2017) and 'Rajwade and Sons' (2015). She tells us, “Jyoti maushi and I have always shared a wonderful camaraderie, but we bonded even more while shooting in Maheshwar this time. She is young at heart, and it is always great to be in her company.” Mrinmayee and Radhika have also known each other for long, owing to their theatre days in Pune. “I don’t really know what the film set was like in our absence, but when Jyoti maushi, Radhika and I spent time on set, even Akshay and Balki sir would end up speaking in Marathi! A few crew members also came up to us, saying that they were Maharashtrians and that they missed hearing Marathi being spoken,” Mrinmayee recalls with a smile.
*The last time Radhika (Apte) and I hung out together, was years ago. So, while going on set, I was curious to see how she had evolved, both personally and professionally. To my relief, she is exactly the way she was years ago. I admire her work and her spirit.*Sharing a key scene with Akshay in the film, Mrinmayee admits that it was that particular scene which ended up becoming the hook point for her to do the film. “Akshay and I shot for a couple of days only; we had never met before that. But when he got to know that I grew up in Pune, he began speaking to me in Marathi. And knowing about my theatre background, he went on to say that he’d never dare to go up on stage and perform. This coming from someone of his stature really broke the ice,” says Mrinmayee.
The young actor is elated to be associated with a film that addresses such a pressing issue. “Owing to the reach of Bollywood, this film will definitely get people talking about something that’s pertinent,” says Mrinmayee, however quick to note that the Marathi industry has also always cared about and employed such issues as well.
*More than anything, I think this film will really talk to the men and change the way they think about periods. I don’t know how successful the film will be in pushing our beliefs, but it will at least encourage a dialogue that addresses the stigma associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle.*“The Marathi audience is very progressive and sensitive. When it comes to regional cinema, I think we’re on the right track. We just need to employ more stories like these and tell them in a manner that’s as personal as possible. After all, that’s where the universal appeal lies,” says Mrinmayee, singing off.