Sonali Bendre shares her experience of emoting through silences in 'Raakh'
Mumbai, June 18
Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre, who is receiving a lot of positive response to her work in the recently released streaming series 'Raakh', has spoken about emoting through silences for her part in the show.
The actress spoke with IANS after the release of the show, and said that 50% of her work was already done when she walked into the sets of the show.
She told IANS, "I had just superb material to work on. So, quite frankly, 50% of my work was already done. More than 50%, I would say, was already done because they gave me such amazing material to work with. After that, all I had to do was just add a couple of things to it to make it my own. So, thanks to them, it was a great subject matter that was given to me. As of now, I would say that not having dialogues was the easier part for me because earlier in life, you could read the whole page and remember it. But my memory is not what it used to be. So, the fact that I don't have to remember dialogues was actually the fun part for me".
She further mentioned, "But jokes apart, when there are no dialogues, it is more internalized and that also makes it more real. There is a different struggle with that. And the struggle was that when you internalize it so much, how do you leave it behind? So, this was one character that I did struggle to leave behind on the sets. I did carry it home sometimes and that was scary for me".
'Raakh' is a gripping fictional investigative thriller set in the late 1970s. It traces a crime that sends shockwaves across the nation, and leads to a nationwide manhunt that explores the collision between crime and justice. The series is heavily inspired by the Ranga-Billa case of kidnapping and extortion of siblings.
The series is available to stream on Prime Video.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some good content from OTT platforms! The Ranga-Billa case is a dark chapter in India's history and I'm glad they're making a series about it. But I wish they'd focus more on the actual police procedural rather than just the glamour. Still, Sonali's comment about carrying the character home shows how deeply committed she is to her craft. Worth watching for sure. 👍
I'd love to see more Bollywood actors doing roles that require subtlety rather than over-the-top expressions. Sonali seems genuinely passionate about this project and it's interesting how she found it freeing to not have to memorize lines. Her point about internalizing emotions and struggling to leave them behind — that's what great acting is all about. Will definitely check out 'Raakh'.
Honestly, I miss the old Sonali Bendre from 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' days. But I must admit, her choice of projects has matured beautifully. She's right about memory issues too — I'm in my 40s and I struggle to remember things, so I can totally relate! But seriously, it takes a brave actor to admit she forgot dialogues and still pull off a performance. Respect. 🙌
I appreciate her honesty about the challenges of non-verbal acting. As someone who studied theatre, I know how difficult it is to convey emotion without words. The fact that she says "50% of the work was already done" because of the script quality shows she's a team player who respects writers. More actors should be like this. Looking forward to watching 'Raakh'! 🎬
A Ananya R < We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.