Poetry,
painting and photography those are the new passions of actress Deepti
Naval. A day after her debut exhibition of photographs in Ladakh,
she talks to Anita Joshua in New Delhi
On the move, but seldom in a hurry.
Blessed with more than one talent and the urge to constantly explore
the self Deepti Naval the critically acclaimed actress of the not-so-distant
past, has since meandered away from films to dabble in poetry, painting
and photography. And, by her own admission, there is no telling
what she will do next. But in all likelihood film direction is somewhere
on the horizon. AS much as admitting it while talking to the Hindu
at Gallery Espace in New friends colony a day after her maiden exhibition
of photographs - “In Search of Another Sky”- opened
in New Delhi, Deepti Naval is candid enough to concede that she
just cannot go through life sticking to one thing, She loves to
experiment and explore aspects within her personality.
A nomad at heart, Deepti insists that
it is no accident that she should have taken up photography seriously.
Though it was not her main subject, she studied photography along
with astronomy and American theatre while majoring in Fine Arts,
English and psychology from the City University of New York.
Looking nowhere like the woman next
door image that HINDI films have bestowed on her, Deepti Naval–dressed
all in black–wears her early middle-age well. But the voice
is as soft and gentle in real life as it was on the reel, Ditto
for her thoughtful personal.
Not showing any visible signs of
weariness that might because by frequent changing of avatars. Deepti
sees nothing unusual about the course her life has taken. “I
was always sure of becoming an actress, But I was equally sure that
I would some day come back to painting and photography. It was bound
to happen. I returned to painting in 1991, so it was but natural
that I should return to photography”.
About her withdrawal from films,
Deepti Naval says” I have not withdrawn from the celluloid
world. I will be there when a role will seduces me.”
However, she has been getting some
offers. But choosy as she is, the answer has almost always been
a no in the recent past. Primarily because she got no satisfaction
from the roles. She did in a couple of commercial films. I felt
they were meaningless. But she refuses to name these films in which
she felt inconsequential. Among her favourites are Ek Baar Phir,
Chashme Baddoor, Kamla, Main Zinda Hoon, Panchvati, Mirch Masala
and Ankahi. Continuing to voice her thoughts about films, Deepti
rues with a steely resolve. I will now either do something major
or create something major. Could this mean film direction? The possibility
is there but how soon I will get into it is something I will not
be able to say right now. I do have a couple of subjects in mind,
but I am not very keen to take the plunge right now, I quite enjoy
the freedom given to me by writing, painting and photography.
She elaborates in a reflective voice.
"These three media allow me to work with myself. The same cannot
be said about cinema. The celluloid world does not allow you to
be a free soul. You just cannot pack your bags and set off for the
mountains."
Coming back to the current exhibition
of photographs, this woman of many talents insists that they were
not shot to be exhibited. "love traveling, spending a good
part of the year exploring different areas, and Ladakh is a particular
favourite. Ladakh with its raw unspoilt beauty and the inherent
beauty of its barrenness is something that has always appealed to
me." One of the few to have captured the hostile terrain of
Ladakh in winter, she shot the photographs this past February. Despite
the stark landscape featuring frequently in the exhibition, she
denies having planned it so. "While shooting I was only trying
to capture what touched me."
Having tasted considerable
success in the media that she has applied herself to, Deepti Naval
today is probably well positioned to say which is the most expressive.
But no, she cannot pick and choose. All she is willing to say is
that films till date have not allowed her to speak her own language.
. Something that can be rectified if she took to direction.
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