The latest film of Sharmila Tagore, “Gulmohar”, was announced as the Best Hindi Film at the 70th National Film Awards. The ensemble cast film, helmed by Rahul Chittella and casting Manoj Bajpayee, Amol Palekar, and Chandan Roy, was grossing great reviews for both storyline and acting.
A Delightful Surprise
Sharmila Tagore said she was having lunch when the news came in, and reacted with the utterance, “I am absolutely over the moon. It’s the best thing I have heard today. I am so happy for Rahul. Chittella, the director that has made a wonderful debut film and the whole team.”
A Hat-Trick of National Film Awards
This becomes Sharmila Tagore’s third National Film Award; earlier wins were for “Mausam” in 1976 and “Abar Aranye” in 2003. She expressed her gratitude to Rahul V Chittella for trusting her with the role of Kusum Batra in “Gulmohar”, currently streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.
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Tight-Knit Team
Speaking about the success of the film, Sharmila Tagore revealed how the “Gulmohar” team has been tight-knit right since the shoot of the film. “We have kept in touch and have become like a family,” she said. “Suraj doesn’t live here, so it’s not easy to keep in touch, but Simran, Manoj Bajpayee, Ishita, Amol Palekar, Kaveri Seth, Utsavi Jha—we all are in touch. In fact, yesterday we were checking whether the film was still running on Hotstar, and it was!”
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Praise for Co-Star Chandan Roy
She also praised her co-actor Chandan Roy as her hero in the film. “He is a philosopher, and I love him the best in the film,” she said. “All of us got along so well. It was shot in Delhi, and I am so grateful for this wonderful news.”
A Triumphant Return to Acting
“Gulmohar” marks Sharmila’s comeback to acting after 12 years of hiatus. When asked if the award has inspired her to do more projects now, she insisted again, “Well, all this love from the audience is very good, but it is really for the producers to come and invest in me.” “I don’t know about the audience, but the producers have to be interested,” she said. “I am not averse to doing films.”
Upcoming Bengali Film: Puratawn
She also updated on her next Bengali film, “Puratawn”, due for release at the end of January. “It’s about a person my age who has just reached that stage of amnesia when she is acting a little erratically,” she explained. “Rituparna has a wonderful role, and Indraneel Suman Ghosh, who has done so many hit films, has done a great job. I’m looking forward to the audience appreciation.”
A Love for Acting
Finally, Sharmila expressed a wish to continue acting but in a very selective way. “I would like to work—not in too many films—but now and then.” It is her first love, and when she faces the camera, she just absolutely enjoys herself.
The news that “Gulmohar” had emerged as the winner at the National Film Awards, and Sharmila Tagore’s emotional response on the occasion, are good pointers that she is still in head over heels love with cinema and values the teamwork involved in bringing about a film of excellence. While she looks ahead to other prospective films, her fans look forward in anticipation of her appearance on the silver screen once more.
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