In today’s time, the barrier of language in cinema is no more there. The lines are blurring and so many crossovers are happening. But even before it became the norm, Sai Tamhankar had came into the Hindi film industry after making a strong name for herself in Marathi cinema and had got noticed here as well. I loved watching her in Hunterrr and last year in Mimi, she just bowled me over yet again.
Even though people know her and recognise her in Hindi cinema as much as in Marathi cinema, Sai doubted that earlier, but after the success of Mimi, she insists that has changed. And as she recently got into a conversation with me, she revisited an interesting incident she had with filmmaker Rohit Shetty.
Sai shares,
“After Mimi, I have been getting lot of calls for work which didn’t use to happen earlier and that is great. People have noticed my work and people I wondered if they knew me or not, they do know me now and I am delighted to know this. The other day I was at an award function where Rohit Shetty was speaking something on the stage and I laughed. I have a peculiar sound of my laugh and he recognised it. He said from the stage that ye to Saie ka laughter hai. I was like, ‘Hang on a second. Sir, do you know me?’ And he responded that of course he does and he has seen my work. He said that even though we haven’t met one on one but he knew me and loved my work. I was bedazzled to realise that people know me. The gap is slowly bridging and I am just looking forward for it to finish and for me to cross that bridge.”
The actress has worked in Hindi cinema but there has been a considerable gap between her projects here. As I ask her that did it feel like starting over all over again every time she did a Hindi film after a gap, she agrees with me but also gives it a positive spin.
She says,
“Sometimes I do feel that, but this feeling creates a lot of good noise in your head. You are motivated to be on your toes and you are constantly on the edge. You take more efforts to prove your mettle and I think that works positively by your side. That’s what has been happening to me and I am absolutely loving that process.”
Earlier I had to wait for a while to see Sai in Hindi cinema but now the actress is actively choosing projects here. Now she has two amazing films in pipeline, Madhur Bhandarkar‘s India Lockdown and Bhakshak with Bhumi Pednekar. I am sure she will set the screens on fire with each and now I just wait for her charming presence on screen to mesmerise me yet again.