Dipannita Sharma: I realised the power of silence while shooting for Love In The Times of Corona

Dipannita Sharma, best remembered for her role in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, is excited about her latest release, an anthology film, Love In The Times of Corona. Her short, August: A Short Hello, deals with reconciliation with a loved one.

Talking to OTTplay exclusively, the actress talked about shooting for the film, how she deals with relationships and much more.

Excerpts from the interview:

What are you feeling, now that Love In The Times of Corona is out?

I'm very excited as always. I've had a good run since 2020, post the lockdown. I had a couple of really nice and encouraging releases where every character is different - from Raat Baaki Hai to Rudrakal and Six. We now have ‘A Short Hello’ which is a part of Love In The Times of Corona. I'm so much more excited about this because we shot it during the lockdown. It was directed remotely. Our director was in Mumbai and I was in Gurgaon. We put a team together. I was in my home, where a part of the film was shot. The set looks very different from my home though. There are a lot of firsts for this film. It's really special because Indrani and I have wanted to do something for a long time. The lockdown made us think and we spoke about how we wanted to make this film. She came up with the story in a jiffy and wrote it beautifully. I was the first actor she approached for the anthology. I had immense faith in the team. So I said, of course, let's do this. It also had a positive message. Each of us needed this. There will be people who watch the film and the part will resonate with them. It was so special and interesting.

If asked to summarise August: A short hello in a line or two, what would you say about it?

At the crux, it is about communicating with the world. Even if you are alone, at the end, we need to connect with one another since we're all human. We all want and crave that. The story also talks about the significance of communication and the need to connect in these times.

Is it anything like Varun Dhawan's October?

No, not at all. There's no similarity whatsoever with October, which was a beautiful film. A Short Hello is very unique in itself. When you watch it, you'll know that they are all so different and yet, strung together intriguingly. That's a standout and takeaway for me. There's love and connection which is the heart of each film.

Have you in real life ever reconnected with a person you were in love with before?

Love isn't always so simple. A lot of times you think you're still in love with someone but are probably not. It's the nostalgia of a certain time you've spent. Sometimes you think you're over someone but then you realise you aren't. I thankfully had a lot of clarity when something has ended and I need to move on. Practicality comes into play during these times. I'm very practical in these matters. I'm not silly about these things. At one level, I'm very romantic and at the other, extremely practical. I'm thankful for this balance because there are times when you have to close chapters. That has always been important to me. New doors and windows won't open if you keep hanging on to something from the past. There's no point in that. Sometimes, you have to let things go.

Your film has no dialogues whatsoever. Is it tougher as an actor to be a part of such a project?

This is a very good question. I agree with you. When we started discussing the project, it was very exciting for me as an actor to do something this different. The last time I did something set in silence was in school. These experiences help somewhere. I've never been part of a silent film on camera. I was so impressed when I saw Kamal Haasan's Pushpak. It was a full-length feature film without a single dialogue. The film was revolutionary. These things were so impressive for me that I was excited to do the film. I knew it was going to be challenging. As actors, you always have dialogues. It's always acting-reacting. Somebody says something and you respond to it. I think to go into a shell of our own when you are all by yourself at home, you will not talk about how you are feeling or what you do. Your expressions will also be very subtle, although you are not on camera. There's a fine balance. As an actor, when someone's watching you on film, you can't just be yourselves. You have to also think like that character and what it will do when she's all by herself. There were a plethora of thoughts and discussions that we involved ourselves in. It came together beautifully. It was unprecedented for me also. I think something nice can only come out of an unprecedented character in an unprecedented time.

How do you keep the audiences, especially web audiences hooked with such a film?

It is largely the way the script has been written. It's written so beautifully and engagingly. I didn't feel the length when I saw the first cut. If you need a character in a film, then you need it. In this film, when you have one character, you do not feel the need for someone else. That's how the story has been written. You are engaged because this character and setup is a story by itself. If the story touches a chord, you won't care if it is a single, dual or five-character film. It's all about how the story is told and how well the character is played. If I did a good job and there is a great script, I think it'll keep the audience engaged.

You have to be very sure about such a script, where there's just one word in the film - hello. It could be a masterpiece or the other extreme. Did that thought occur in your mind? How did you get over that?

Silence is so powerful. I realised that while doing this film. Eventually, when one word comes, it flows in naturally. There's no overpowering or underplaying. You feel it was the requirement of the time. Before that, you didn't feel the need for anything. It's how it is - how you would be at home all by yourselves!

Is she similar to who you are as a person?

I feel there is something or the other in every character. Sometimes there are a lot of characters where it is completely different. In terms of the storyline here, it is very different. I don't know if there will be some person who will not relate to it, especially because of the times it has been shot in. Definitely, it struck a chord. Each one of us has an emptiness in some way. Some of us were lucky to be with our families, others weren't. Even the ones who were lucky had their personal void and loneliness. There were so many layers to what you were feeling at that time. There's a lot that I could relate to the character.

How many days was it shot in?

It was shot in a day and a half. We did a lot of preparation. The pre-production work was immense. Since Indrani was going to direct me remotely, we did an entire day of rehearsals with the camera. Overall, it was two days. The team was very efficient, which shows in the film. Thus, we could shoot the film in record time. It was also necessary since we couldn't have too many people come out of the house for too many days. There was the bare minimum crew. What we have achieved, I would give a lot of credit to the entire team. That's why the film will remain so special.

We see the use of monochrome, at least in the trailer. Do you feel that kind of a filter is important to tell a tale?

I am a huge fan of monochrome as an actor. Both Indrani and I love it. When you watch the film, you'll understand why there is the use of monochrome. There is a theme to that as well. At the end of each film, you'll also see the change. Also, I couldn't have a makeup or hair person come home at that time. It was probably a tinted lip balm. Just because you are on camera, you need a little bit of lightning. Indrani thanked me for letting her stick the camera right up my nose. The monochrome is used keeping in mind the storyline. You see there's no correction done to anybody's skin type or tone. It looks brilliant because it looks so real. That fact will probably touch a chord.

What are your upcoming projects?

I have two more projects. One is a web original and another one is a Tusshar Kapoor production, although I don't know the time/medium of the release. Apart from that, I have an anthology, where I am part of a 30-40 minutes long short. That also belongs to a different genre.