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Pursuing her passion

Deepti Naval on art and films

CANDID TALK Deepti Naval

If audiences don't spot Deepti Naval in the so-called commercial films, it is because this "serious actress" is always pursuing "better interests" such as painting, photography and adventure travelling. She was recently at Bhubaneswar as a delegate to support India's first national short and documentary film festival on art and artists initiated by veteran artist Jatin Das. Here, apart from her interest in art, she spoke on how she landed in the Hindi film industry. "Whenever I would meet artists like Jatin Das, I would come back `thinking.' So, after I completed my college from New York in English literature, my father wanted me to study painting. But I wanted to emote through my face. After four months of persuasion, my parents allowed me to join films."

However, "I didn't know how to begin or whom to meet. During my college days, I used to interview people like Dilip Kumar, Hemant Kumar and Sadhna on New York radio. I had developed a rapport with them. So, I headed for Mumbai. There I met Rani Mukerji, Hemant's Kumar daughter. She introduced me to Hrishikesh Mukherji and Basu Bhattacharya who have had a great influence on my life and thoughts."

Being a genuine actor, she never went for that nine to five schedule. "I stopped doing films I didn't identify with. When films of my kind became scarce, I pursued other interests such as painting, photography, poetry and trekking."

RANA SIDDIQUI

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