Sai Dhanshika plays hooker, earns high praise

Sinam (Anger), a short film with an experimental theme by Anandmurthy and featuring Sai Dhanshika of Kabali fame in the lead in the challenging role of a hooker, has won eight awards at the Kolkata International Cult Film Festival, including one for the actress. Set against the backdrop of Kolkata, the film also stars model-turned-actress Bidita Bag in a prominent role which won her the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award.

Sai Dhanshika, who is on a high post-Kabali, has always been particular about choosing scripts with substance. She seems to be one contented lady.  Speaking to DC in an exclusive, she says, “I was confident that Sinam would go places even when I heard the script and my gut feeling paid off. Anandmurthy sir is Bala sir’s associate and it is an open secret that it was the latter who gave me lifetime role in Paradesi. Without any hesitation, I just said ‘yes’ to Murthy sir as it was one -of its -kind in my career despite the character being a bold one  as a sex worker. Apparently, there’s no skin show and is full of emotions. Also, there’s lot of social message in the women-centric flick.”

The dusky actress reveals that there’s a single shot of 11 minutes in the film where she has to speak emotional dialogues. “I am the only person in the particular scene and burst out for something which runs for about 11 minutes. It was formidable and demanding, but I somehow pulled it off to the appreciation of the entire team.” The movie starts off in Madurai and then travels to Kolkata. “Sinam means anger. I play Shakthi, a girl born and brought up in Madurai and pushed to this trade in Kolkata. Her anger is on whom and how she resolves it forms the crux.” The movie features dialogues in Tamil as well as in Bengali and has music by GV Prakash.

The leggy actress says she was thrilled that many in Kolkata hailed her as ‘Smita Patil’ (the acclaimed Bollywood actress who tragically ended her life) of the south. “I feel it is one of the biggest honours I could ever get. I don’t know whether it is correct or not, but definitely I feel elated and blessed to get this admiration even at my early stage of my career,” she adds.