Ssujata Mehta: I would prefer doing a film over a daily soap because the latter is too demanding

Ssujata Mehta made waves with her Bollywood debut in Pratighaat (1987), in which she portrayed a college lecturer publicly disrobed for exposing a politician-criminal nexus. Thereafter, she was seen in just a handful of films, but the actress continued to be active in theatre and also took up television shows. In a chat, she reflects on her career and life in the OTT age.
‘Bollywood offers stopped coming, but that didn’t dampen my spirit’
The actress, who has been part of TV shows such as Khandaan, Ye Meri Life Hai, Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa and Saraswatichandra, explains, “Bollywood and TV have undergone a lot of changes, and I wasn’t willing to accept mediocre assignments.I chose to wait and continued doing theatre. I never walked away from my acting career; I worked in Gujarati theatre instead.”
She adds, “I was not getting roles of my choice, so I rejected many films. Bollywood offers stopped coming, but that didn’t dampen my spirit. I am a positive person and took everything in stride including the disappointments.”

‘They used a body double for the nude scene in Pratighaat’
Any heroine approached for Pratighaat, a remake of the 1985 Telugu film Pratighatana starring Vijayashanti, knew that it entailed a nude shot. Ask her about that and she recounts, “The makers chose me over many established actresses to play the character of Laxmi Joshi. It’s a dream role for any actress. I knew the script demanded those scenes but those were shot with a body double, as I was clear I wouldn’t do them. I took up the role because it was performance-oriented. Back then, even kissing and intimate scenes were not so common in films.”

‘I wish more mainstream Bollywood actors would explore theatre’
The actress is currently basking in the success of the 100th show of her play, Ssujata Rang Rangili. She shares, “Theatre provides a platform for live, unfiltered performances, where every show is unique due to immediate audience feedback. I wish more mainstream Bollywood actors would explore theatre for its rich, live experience. I enjoy both films and theatre. Films are a larger-than-life experience, and I want to do more in Bollywood. I find daily soaps too demanding. However, if I get a finite series, I’ll consider it.”