Anita's character is the aunt of Saleem Sinai, the central figure in Midnight’s Children.
Quick Take
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For Indo-Canadian actress Anita Majumdar, playing the role of a north Indian girl Emerald in Deepa Mehta's adaptation of Midnight's Children was a challenge and she was "awe-struck" while working with veteran Bollywood actors.
Emerald, the aunt to main character Saleem Sinai in Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, ends up marrying General Zulfikar, played by Rahul Bose who covers the Pakistan angle in the novel.
"Perhaps the greatest challenge was that I was a Canadian playing a girl who was born and brought up in north India during a very specific time period. On a personal level, I felt confronted with nationality," says the actress of Bengali heritage.
"Up until then I had really thought myself an 'Indian' and then suddenly working with all these noted Indian actors it became very obvious to me that I will never fully be Indian. That the way I approach my work, the way I express myself, the experiences that have brought me to this place in life are inherently Canadian.
"I had to really embrace my birth country after the shoot, which I think is very in-keeping the story of Midnight's Children. Finding nationality and found families as the result of circumstances and immigration in the pursuit of happiness," the actress-danseuse told PTI.
Anita took admission into the National Theatre School of Canada, where she graduated in 2004. Work on stage and screen took her to Toronto, where she now lives.
She says she fell in love with theatre because the theatre didn't care about "ugly" or "pretty", but the theatre just wanted good storytelling.
Asked about Mehta as a director, Anita says she had an idea of what she wanted, but she loves working with actors and talking to them about what they think about the circumstances and the character.
"She knows her film and story inside and out. She would read the corresponding passages from the book the night before shooting any particular scene. Deepa doesn't push any actor beyond what she thinks they're capable of. If Deepa is asking you to do more it means that's how good she thinks you are as an actor.
"I was awe-struck," she says, while working with veterans like Shabana Azmi, Bose and Seema Biswas. "I was shocked how loving Seema was to all of us. And then you would see her work and just be in awe how someone so talented can be so humble.
"And Shabana Azmi. What can you say? She's an institution. She plays my mother in the film and there would be times I would forget to act in the scene because I was watching her give her dialogue. She is just as magnificent to watch live as she is on screen," she says.
Rahul has a wicked sense of humour and in so many ways childlike and loves to laugh, says Anita, who first came to attention with her one-woman play Fish Eyes in which she played three different parts.
Fish Eyes, written and performed by Anita, tells the story of an Indian-dancing teenager who thinks her Indian roots and dance skills are the reason she's not popular with her white Canadian school friends. And her dance teacher (also played by Anita) tries to encourage her to embrace her skills.
On Rushdie as a screenwriter, Anita, a playwright herself, says she thinks he needed to write the screenplay in order to feel the full circle of the story.
"I think he's done a brilliant job on adapting the film into a screenplay and I love that he lends his voice to the narration voice of Saleem Sinai. No one knows the story of Midnight's Children the way he does. It's a very personal story for Salman. He describes Midnight's Children as his love letter to India. I think it would have been strange had he not been a part of the creative process."
Emerald, the aunt to main character Saleem Sinai inSalman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, ends up marryingGeneral Zulfikar, played by Rahul Bose who covers the Pakistanangle in the novel.
"Perhaps the greatest challenge was that I was a Canadianplaying a girl who was born and brought up in north Indiaduring a very specific time period. On a personal level, Ifelt confronted with nationality," says the actress of Bengaliheritage.
"Up until then I had really thought myself an 'Indian'and then suddenly working with all these noted Indian actorsit became very obvious to me that I will never fully beIndian. That the way I approach my work, the way I expressmyself, the experiences that have brought me to this place inlife are inherently Canadian.
"I had to really embrace my birth country after theshoot, which I think is very in-keeping the story ofMidnight's Children. Finding nationality and found familiesas the result of circumstances and immigration in the pursuitof happiness," the actress-danseuse told PTI.
Anita took admission into the National Theatre School ofCanada, where she graduated in 2004. Work on stage and screentook her to Toronto, where she now lives.
She says she fell in love with theatre because thetheatre didn't care about "ugly" or "pretty", but the theatrejust wanted good storytelling.
Asked about Mehta as a director, Anita says she had anidea of what she wanted, but she loves working with actors andtalking to them about what they think about the circumstancesand the character.
"She knows her film and story inside and out. She wouldread the corresponding passages from the book the night beforeshooting any particular scene. Deepa doesn't push any actorbeyond what she thinks they're capable of. If Deepa is askingyou to do more it means that's how good she thinks you are asan actor.
"I was awe-struck," she says, while working with veteranslike Shabana Azmi, Bose and Seema Biswas."I was shocked how loving Seema was to all of us. Andthen you would see her work and just be in awe how someone sotalented can be so humble.
"And Shabana Azmi. What can you say? She's aninstitution. She plays my mother in the film and there wouldbe times I would forget to act in the scene because I waswatching her give her dialogue. She is just as magnificent towatch live as she is on screen," she says.
Rahul has a wicked sense of humour and in so many wayschildlike and loves to laugh, says Anita, who first came toattention with her one-woman play Fish Eyes in which sheplayed three different parts.
Fish Eyes, written and performed by Anita, tells thestory of an Indian-dancing teenager who thinks her Indianroots and dance skills are the reason she's not popular withher white Canadian school friends. And her dance teacher (alsoplayed by Anita) tries to encourage her to embrace her skills.
On Rushdie as a screenwriter, Anita, a playwrightherself, says she thinks he needed to write the screenplay inorder to feel the full circle of the story.
"I think he's done a brilliant job on adapting the filminto a screenplay and I love that he lends his voice to thenarration voice of Saleem Sinai. No one knows the story ofMidnight's Children the way he does. It's a very personalstory for Salman. He describes Midnight's Children as hislove letter to India. I think it would have been strange hadhe not been a part of the creative process."
