Adah Sharma on 'Gajra': Don't need to exaggerate real-life stories to make them cinematic
Mumbai, July 17
Actress Adah Sharma, who will be seen in a Marathi Film titled "Gajra" based on true events, has opened up about the responsibility of portraying stories inspired by real-life stories, saying filmmakers often have to tone down reality rather than exaggerate it for cinematic effect.
Asked how you ensure that portraying real-life trauma doesn't become exploitative for cinematic impact, Adah told IANS: "When you're telling a story rooted in real experiences, there's a responsibility that comes with it. The aim isn't to shock people-it's to help them understand what the characters are going through."
She added: "As actors, we're visitors in someone else's reality so we try to make it look as real as we can for the audience. But let me tell you, real life is sometimes way more dramatic."
"We don't need to exaggerate it to make it cinematic we sometimes need to tone it down or even conceal some parts to allow it to be viewed on screen."
Adah, who is all set to step into the world of Marathi cinema with Gajra, is based on true events. The upcoming film is directed by Shreyas Jadhav will hit the screens next year in 2027.
Her latest "Governor: The Silent Saviour," which stars the National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee in the lead. The film is inspired by the events surrounding the 1990 Indian economic crisis featuring the institutional framework between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Government of India (GoI).
Produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah under the banner Sunshine Pictures, "Governor" hit the screens on June 12.
Adah is best known for her work in the Vidyut Jammwal-starrer "Commando" franchise. However, she shot to fame with her work in the blockbuster "The Kerala Story."
"The Kerala Story" told the story of Shalini, a former nursing student from Kerala, who later becomes the wife of a terrorist, testifying to her life story and her journey from being a naive girl to another victim of terrorism.
Adah had made her acting debut with the 2008 Hindi horror film, 1920. She was then seen in films such as Hasee Toh Phasee, Heart Attack, S/O Satyamurthy and Kshanam.
— IANS
Reader Comments
"Real life is sometimes way more dramatic" – absolutely true. We've seen this in many Indian movies where the actual incidents are toned down because truth can be stranger than fiction. Hope Gajra stays authentic to its roots. Good on you, Adah! 👍
Refreshing to hear an actor say they need to "tone down" reality for the screen. Often films cross the line into exploitation. Adah seems very thoughtful about the responsibility of storytelling. Excited to see what Marathi cinema offers her talent!
One comment though – hope she brings the same sensitivity to Gajra as she talked about here. Sometimes actors say all the right things in interviews but the film turns out differently. Let's see when it releases in 2027. Patience hai... 😅
The Kerala Story really changed my perspective on how real incidents can be told on screen. Adah's transformation in that film was stunning. Marathi audiences are lucky to have her. And Governor role sounds interesting too – 1990 economic crisis? Need to watch that!
Good point about "concealing some parts" because reality can be too harsh. Mainly Hindu-Muslim related stories in India need that sensitivity. Hope Gajra doesn't fall into the trap of preaching; just tell the story honestly. Adah has potential to do that.
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