Sai Tamhankar has been receiving rave reviews for her performance as a cop in the recently-released Netflix show Dabba Cartel. She manages to stand apart despite an ensemble cast of Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, Shalini Pandey, Nimisha Sajayan and Anjali Anand. She speaks about the show and a lot more in an interview with us.
Sai Tamhankar on working with Shabana Azmi in Dabba Cartel, “Felt like pinching myself and her to see if this is reality”
How do you manage to be so prolific and so consistently in character?
Sir, I don’t know, I think I simply love what I do and I love it so much that I forget everything else in life and I just dive deep into it. Probably that’s why every character is out there and every character is so relatable and you know, it sorts of happens. There’s no plan as such. This work that is coming out, it’s been shot over 2-3 years and nothing of mine released in 2024 and 2023. I was eagerly waiting and this year everything is releasing back to back. I’m happy because every character is different from another.
How do you look at your journey so far?
The journey has been fantastic. I have met some amazing people through this journey, made some amazing friends, worked with some stalwarts, amazing people, talented people. I look at this journey with a lot of satisfaction, fulfilment and happiness. I want to sort of open doors for the coming generation. It doesn’t matter how, whether it’s working in another language, breaking barriers or breaking moulds, but the journey essentially has been about that.
From making an impression in peripheral roles to scoring in leads, has it been challenging making your way up?
This is a very interesting question. I still feel that I do not look at any part as a lead part or a second lead part or a part. For me, it’s a part and my job is to shine in whatever is given to me. There is a saying in our Marathi when translated means that an ocean is formed with drops. So, I feel that it’s always a collective journey.
And I’m also scared of overnight success because I feel it doesn’t have a longevity. I’m somebody who will always look at a longevity. So, of course, there has been struggle to do different things which don’t come to you that often. But in this period, I think to remain sane, I have always believed in myself. I have always kept my head down and kept working. Earlier there was no work life balance. I have recently learned that this is just a part of my life. And, you know, I’ve been exploring life other than acting, you know. So, yeah, all these things keep me going. I have a huge support from my family and my friends who sort of keep me rooted. And they also sometimes give me inspiration and motivation to keep going.
I don’t know, sir, it’s very difficult for me to pick. But I feel Mimi changed my career graph for sure. After Mimi, I received awards and it sort of opened a lot of doors for me in Bollywood. I think the career-defining performance is yet to come. I’m waiting for it. In Hindi, yes, Crime Beat is my out and out glamorous part. And of course, I did enjoy it a lot. It is something that I’ve not done in Hindi. I’ve played similar parts in Marathi, actually lots of them. I have always been, you know, this known as this glamorous actor in the Marathi fraternity. But yes, doing something like this in Hindi definitely gives an edge. That I can do this, I can do that. So, it was fantastic portraying Archana Pandey in Crime Beat. And I had a lot of fun working with Sudhir Mishra sir. He is a very interesting and amazing man.
How do you deal with actors who are not even half as talented as you?
Honestly, my job is to go there and work, no matter who is in front of me. Of course, sometimes when a co-actor is a giver, it sort of changes the dynamics of the scenes. And, you know, it’s very important to work with people who are working for the project and not for themselves. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve gotten to work with such people. In Crime Beat also, I think I got to work with some amazing people. And, you know, it’s become a habit now. I mean, many times in the closes or in the shots, if the actor is not available, or there is no place for him to stand to give a look, then we look at the stand, look at the thermocol and give a look, emote. So, it has become a habit. But when a strong co-actor comes in front of you, it adds a lot of texture to the scene. It uplifts the scene and I think it uplifts both the performances.
What was it like working with the mighty Shabana Azmi in Dabba Cartel?
It was very enriching. I mean, just to be in the presence of Shabana ji, and, you know, just to watch her talk is, you know, something… I mean, I sometimes felt like pinching myself and her to see if this is reality. You know, it’s that sort of a feeling. When she talks, you just want to listen to her and you get to learn so much. For that matter, even Jyotika ma’am. I think she’s been in the industry for quite some time. Her choices, the kind of cinema she chooses. It was fantastic sharing space with these ladies. And, of course, how can I forget Gajraj Rao sir. I’m a huge fan of Gajraj sir and I’m very fortunate to be working with him in Dabba Cartel. I’m very happy that I’m an integral part of Dabba Cartel. It is, you know, positively challenging to be a part of, to be in a company of such amazing actresses.
Positively challenging in the sense, you are motivated. Sometimes, you have to bring motivation with you. So, you don’t need that. You are naturally motivated. You are naturally fired up. And, you know, you tend to perform even better or you tend to be more aware or you tend to, you know, focus more just because you have such amazing people around you. And, you want to stand with them with equal strength. And, I think that, you know, that only pumps your energy up.
You seem to be omnipresent these days
I’m very charged right now because it’s raining releases. And, every release has a different part of mine. So, I’m really happy. How do I tend to find more such parts which do justice to my talent? Well, I believe your work only generates work. Because, you know, the more variety I do, the more consistent I am. I think I will be offered good roles, good parts. I feel that I’m not a girl who plans. I’ve always gone with the flow. And, I still don’t have a plan. I would want to go with the flow. But yes, I’m sure that in the last few months, I’ve got a lot of different kinds of work. So, I’m hoping that I get different kinds of work. I get challenging work.
What next?
So, next will be Ground Zero. It’s with Emraan Hashmi. It is set to release this year itself. And, after that, Matka King with Nagraj Manjule and Vijay Verma. It’s a series. It’s a web series. So, these two prominent projects that I’m really, really looking forward to. And, two, three very interesting Marathi films will also be released this year. So, yeah, it’s a mixed bag and I’m looking forward to it.
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