'Taare Zameen Par still pays my bills'

'It is our fault that we are not superstars. We should be superstars if we can help it,' Tisca Chopra tells Sonil Dedhia/ Rediff.com

Not many people know that Tisca Chopra made her debut opposite Ajay Devgn in Platform more than two decades back.

After a few hits and misses on the big screen, Tisca decided to concentrate on theatre.

Then came Taare Zameen Par, and she was finally recognised as a talented actress.

Tisca’s new film Rahasya is a murder mystery and releases on January 30.

In this freewheeling interview with Sonil Dedhia/ Rediff.com, Tisca discusses her career, why she doesn’t mind being stereotyped as a mother and denies that Rahasya is based on the Aarushi Talwar murder case.

It’s been a while since you have acted in a film. Your first film Platform released in 1993. How has the journey been?

It is getting better.

In the beginning, I wasn’t a good actor. I started acting by fluke. Whether it was my lack of confidence or something else, things didn’t really click for me.

But things are changing now. I am expecting it to get better.

I think you get success when you are ready for it. You get what you deserve and not desire.

You didn’t do many films in the 1990s. It was only post Taare Zameen Par that you have been busy as an actor.

After Platform, I signed a bunch of similar films.

You will agree that the films being made in the 1990s were probably the worst films. If you took the actor out of the frame, the make-up would stand by itself.

The stories were so formulaic. I couldn’t relate to such films.

I always worked very hard. I did theatre but that didn’t come in the public eye so people didn’t notice me.

I would like to be a part of films which have good content.

The commercial potboilers are being made today too, and they are working. Wouldn’t you like to be a part of that?

I am happy to do a commercial potboiler if I am the big piece in the pot.

If I am just one of the small pieces floating around in it, then I wouldn’t want to do it. Then I will do it in a way that makes it memorable and interesting.

I am doing commercial films like Ghayal 2 and Vijay Ghelani’s next opposite Girish Taurani.

I would love to do a comedy soon because I am done doing rona-dhona (tearjerkers).

You said you’d like to be in films with good content. Does it make you sad when a film with strong content fails, but a weak film starring superstars succeeds?

Not at all. It is our fault that we are not superstars. We should be superstars if we can help it. If I was a superstar, people would come and see my films.

My next film Rahasya has Kay Kay Menon and me.

There is another concept called word-of-mouth which is not banking on the success of an individual but on the story. So if people like our films, they will recommend it to others.

What is your role in Rahasya?

That’s hard to answer because the film is a murder mystery. If I tell you about it, the part will be revealed.

Is the film inspired by the Aarushi murder case?

The film isn’t inspired by the Aarushi Talwar murder case.

It is a pure work of fiction in the genre of Alfred Hitchcock or Agatha Christie. That is what inspired the director. He has woven the story backwards. Everything is tied up really neatly and it engages your mind.

Irrfan Khan’s upcoming film Nyyoda is similar to Rahasya. You have the advantage since your film is releasing first.

I am not aware about this film. Irrfan is a fabulous actor so it will be a very good film.

However, we have Kay Kay Menon, who is also an excellent actor.

Good luck to everyone. More films should succeed at the box office.

How important is box office success for a film?

Of course it affects you personally and professionally.

You feel sad when a film fails. You want your film to reach the maximum number of people and that’s what box office success is.

Did Taare Zameen Par typecast you in mother roles?

Are you kidding me? It still pays my bills!

It’s a fab film. It is very rare that an actor gets an opportunity to do a film that is so meaningful and still such a big hit.

Seven years ago, it made more than Rs 150 crore and it still makes money when it is shown on television. 

In every actor’s career, there are just one or two films that will be such a huge commercial success. So it doesn't matter that I played the role of a mother in the film.

My other release Dil Toh Bacha Hai Ji really opened up people’s heads. I played Shruti Haasan’s step-mother in the film but no one paid attention to it. Instead, people noticed me smooching Emraan Hashmi and found me cool and hot (laughs).

Any plans to do theatre again?

My plate is pretty full for at least a year and a half with films.

Theatre is not a priority as of now. If something madly exciting comes up, I will try and accommodate it.