My actual vacation begins now: Sarika

The actress talks about letting go of mommy duties, taking time to sift through scripts and being on television

Sarika has been very selective of her work lately. A recent incident has scared and scarred the actress who admits that she has been more wary than ever while signing on new work. Recalling the bizarre experience she says, “I don’t want to name the film, but three months after shooting it I realised that the director had run away from a sanatorium and started making the film—no one even knew about it! Then one day he sent me an email saying that he didn’t mean any disrespect, but that the sanatorium people took him away so quickly that he didn’t have a chance to speak to me. ‘I always wanted to make film but they (sanatorium people) wouldn’t allow me so I had to run away’, he told me. So much for carefully picking me directors!”

Having said that, director is the captain of the ship for Sarika. “No matter how hard I try, I cannot impress you if I’m not in sync with my director. Like in a film, I ended up looking stupid crying on screen without any reason, even though it wasn’t my fault. So yes, the director is important and I don’t end up watching out for who the producer is. Half my films never get completed because they don’t have good producers.”

Veering away from television, Sarika will now be seen in an episode of horror television show, Darr Sabko Lagta Hai. “It’s difficult to believe in something that you haven’t experienced (the supernatural) but I believe there must be some energies. My first experience of horror was when I used to hear this late night radio show called Inspector Eagle, as a child. We would have dinner, shut the lights and then listen to it. I used to live by the seaside at Seven bungalows in Mumbai during that time, so the sea added to the experience and we used to enjoy getting scared.”

Sarika admits that she hasn’t seen previous episodes of the show, but is all praise for host Bipasha Basu. “I have been abroad travelling, but I’ve read about it. Bipasha is apt as host because she is the most beautiful, presentable and dignified face of horror films in India. I can’t imagine anyone else hosting the show.” Was it very different working for the small screen “There are some compromises on TV, but not with the quality. Our director may have wanted to shoot at a bigger house or want some extra shots of sunset but that wasn’t possible due to limited time that TV offers. So compromises are on a superficial level, but not in terms of quality—otherwise there’s no point doing it.”

On a personal front, her daughters Shruti and Akshara have carved a niche for themselves. Sarika on her part, is preparing to take on a long, well-deserved holiday now, she tells us. “Both are extremely hardworking and ambitious. Now I feel I’m free of all responsibilities, because after Shamitabh, Akshara has completed her second film. When I speak to her, I realise that she’s grown up. Somewhere it’s sad that my role as a mother is ending, but I also think ab hum maza karenge. My actual vacation begins now.”