Aishwarya Rai inspired by actors from the 1970s

MUMBAI: Aishwarya Rai, who stars in the retro comedy Action Replayy, says she didn’t try to imitate any particular actor, but picked from the looks and mannerisms of all the female actors of that era.

“There isn’t any particular actor whom I followed. In terms of visual styling, make-up and hair, there are lots of actors from that time. There is no signature reference of any particular actor of that time. It’s a collage of all actors,” Rai, 37, said.

Preceded by serious roles in period films like Umrao Jaan (2006) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008), it was the word ‘retro’ that caught her attention when the film was offered to her.

Rai reveals that Action Replayy was originally a play by the film’s director Vipul Shah, and he did not deviate much from the original script.

“It’s wonderful that I’ve done so many period films and yet they are all different. When Vipul said he wanted to do a retro film, the word retro was quite catchy. He didn’t call it historical era, period piece, pre-independence, he called it the ‘retro era’,” she said.

“The moment you say retro, we all go into the 1970s. I instantly knew it was different,” she said.

“It’s a fun genre. Vipul was very clear about the film he was making. It was a play that he made several years ago. He was very clear in his narrative and didn’t want to change anything except when necessary. Of course we improvised but not that much, because Vipul was clear about what each character was supposed to do,” Rai said.

The actor said although Action Replayy is a comedy film, she was able to show off her acting skills.

“This film gave me the opportunity to do something. We have pushed the envelope even in the comedy genre where we have revisited another era. Of course, visually there are aspects of styling, make-up and costume, and there are nuances in acting. Since my character is very boisterous in the beginning of the film and then becomes mellow and feminine, we have spoofed it in the acting style of that time,” said Rai.

Did she ask for tips from her parents-in-law Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan? “No, I didn’t sit with Ma or Paa because, like Paa has always said, your work speaks volumes. You do not need to sit with them and literally speak. You have their films to refer to,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2010.