Sunday, 27 June 2021 | Musba Hashmi
HUNAR HALI, who was seen in shows like Patiala Babes, Paramavatar Shri Krishna, Chhal – Sheh Aur Maat, tells MUSBA HASHMI about her post-COVID experience, kinds of roles that don’t appeal to her and things that make her uncomfortable on the sets
You will be playing a solo lead in your next show. Mark my words and remember today’s date.’ This was what Ragini Khanna told Hunar Hali on the sets of Sasural Genda Phool. Khanna’s words came true and Hali landed her first solo lead show, Chhal -Sheh Aur Maat, right after doing Sasural…
“Ragini and Arti Singh are two people whom I adore the most and will continue to do it. They have helped me grow and taught me something or the other over the years,” Hali, who played Meeta in SET’s popular show Patiala Babes, says.
She adds that it was on the sets of Grihasti that she learnt how one has to feel the scenes and the emotions of the character. “I remember Arti used to pull off all the emotional scenes without a drop of glycerine. Whereas me, on the other hand, required tons of glycerine. It was then when I asked her how she does it that well. She replied: ‘You just have to feel the scene’. I have tried to imbibe that quality in me and now I do most of such scenes naturally,” Hali, who has recently recovered from COVID, tells you.
Hali’s COVID journey was one of a roller coaster ride, but it was only after recovery that she realised that post-COVID care is a must.
“Once I recovered, I thought it’s over and started binging on pizzas, pastries, cakes and what not. That is when the problem began. I started facing stomach issues and my doctor told me that it was all because of the diet that I had taken. It was bad, but thankfully I realised it on time and started taking proper precautions. I am doing good now, but will continue to take extra precautions for some more time,” Hali tells you.
Hali has always been on a lookout for roles that she can relate to, this has been her priority for picking up projects.
“Whenever I am offered a role, I want to know what the story is and how my character will contribute to the story. I pick and choose roles that I can relate to. I can’t play a character that I don’t resonate with. It has to click with me and if does I don’t care if it’s a cameo, a supporting role or a lead. It is as simple as that. And this is one of the reasons why I don’t play bold characters,” she says.
Hali adds that off late, all the web series that were offered to her, except for a couple, had bold scenes in it. “I can’t kiss a boy whom I don’t love. I have to be emotionally attached to a person in order to do bold or intimate scenes with him. How can I do such scenes with a boy whom I have no connection with. Hence, I always turn down such roles. Had these scenes been with my husband as the hero, I would be ever ready to do it,” Hali says.
As to if people questioned her choices of rejecting even good web series because of the bold scenes, she says, she is not the kind of person who gets affected by such people. “There were people who raised questions, but I didn’t care about it. I stand by my decisions and, after all, it is my life and my choices. Now that people know me, there aren’t many people out there who question my choices, and even if some do, I am not at all affected by it and why should I?,” asks Hunar.
While, Hunar definitely believes in keeping to herself and her work, there are a few things that does makes her feel uncomfortable on the sets. First of all is lack discipline. “Lack of discipline on the sets definitely makes me feel uncomfortable. The second is when I am in between a shot, I am no more Hunar, I am the character and the same goes for the person I am shooting with. So, if a person starts shouting during the shot or does anything that is not related to that particular scene, it disturbs me. This way, I am unable to concentrate on my shot and performance,” she tells you.
The other thing, she says, is that some actors today don’t value things. “I have been fortunate enough to have worked with strict directors. So much so that even if I had done a re-take, they used to shout and scold that why can’t we pull it off in a single take. We were scared of them. But, now directors are no more that strict and some actors take advantage of this. They don’t value their work. And I just see them and think, how would they have survived had they worked with the strict directors back then,” Hunar opines.
