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Audiences are intelligent enough to recognise a good film: Anjali Patil
Actress Anjali Patil is ecstatic with the response to her film Selvi at the recently concluded Busan International Film festival, where it received two awards. Directed by debutant filmmaker Sailesh Rathnakumar, the National Award-winning actress also produced the film, revolving around home care nurses. In an interview with us, the actress talks about what made her back the film, the process of building characters, and why she remains optimistic about content-driven cinema. Excerpts:How was the response to Selvi at Busan?The audience response was wonderful. The screenings were all sold out. There was a lot of buzz around the film and we had Q&A sessions that were translated into Korean. When we came out, many people came up to us with their <a href="https://cinemamix360.com/2026/10/23/chinas-first-ai-film-hits-cinemas-but-ticket-sales-lag/” title=”China's first AI film hits cinemas but ticket sales lag”>tickets and asked for the director’s and my autographs and photographs. It was quite overwhelming.What made you want to produce Selvi? Was there something about the story that spoke to you?There wasn’t just one factor. Sailesh and I have been working together at my production house for three years, and when he gave me the long synopsis of Selvi, it was very close to my production house’s emotional ethos. As a producer, I like projects that tell authentic Indian stories rooted in a very specific cultural milieu but are made with the grammar and quality of world cinema. Here, the writing was beautiful. As a director, Sailesh has a very clear vision of how he wants to shoot a film. As an actor and producer, my job becomes easier because I only have to support his vision.
I have acted in 40 or 50 films in Hindi, English and Marathi combined, and one film in Tamil — Kaala — but the audience in Tamil Nadu has been so generous and kind that they continue to remember me for it
Anjali Patil
You were also involved in the project during the writing and development stages. When did you decide that you wanted to play the lead?Right from the beginning! When the synopsis was given to me, the next thing I asked was whether I could play the lead. Sailesh told he and his co-writer Bhargav were already writing the character with me in mind. In between, I’d feel that producing itself was so taxing that perhaps I shouldn’t act in the film, but eventually, I acted in it and dubbed for it as well. As for my contribution to the writing, the film is not just about Selvi; there are several beautiful female characters. An audience member at Busan asked how a male writer-director had managed to understand and write these characters. My job was to look at the male characters in the film — Sailesh and Bhargav were already very good at getting the gender politics right — and to ensure that they were also given their due and to make sure Selvi’s complexity remained intact.Coming to the character of Selvi, how did you approach her?I really didn’t have much time to prepare. However, I had spent six or seven months with the script, and I was part of the costume design, location selection and almost every aspect of building Selvi’s world. That subconsciously helped me build the character. Since she is a healthcare professional, we also had nurses on set. Whenever I had to perform a medical procedure, they would teach me the exact movements and ensure that my fingers and hands were precise.You spoke about the emotional ethos that guides your choices. Is there a similar ethos when it comes to picking youracting roles?I studied at two drama schools, and my formative years at those two strong artistic institutions influenced my professional and artistic choices when I entered the industry. Now, after 15-16 years, my understanding of cinema has changed, and there is a clear shift happening internally and artistically as well. I wouldn’t call myself a serious actor because I have done films that may not be entirely mainstream but have performed well on OTT platforms and in theatres, such as Kaala and Kaun Pravin Tambe? I tend to choose films that are serious in terms of their substance, rather than just their texture. I cannot see myself doing an out-and-out commercial film without something more to it, because that isn’t my artistic texture. Kaala is a good example. Pa Ranjith is a mainstream commercial filmmaker, but the kind of cinema he makes and the substance of his films were what attracted me to Kaala as well.
I tend to choose films that are serious in terms of their substance, rather than just their texture. I cannot see myself doing an out-and-out commercial film without something more to it
Anjali Patil
So, doesn’t lighter fare, like a candy floss romance, not appeal to you?Of course, it does! There was a time when I wasn’t very comfortable with lighter roles because I wanted to prove myself as an actor and performer. Now, I am at a point in my career where I feel that I have proved that aspect of myself enough. Sailesh and I were just discussing whether we should consider doing an action film. I am also writing a science-fiction film, which is very peppy, quirky and funny. An artiste has different facets. As an actor, I might do intense and serious roles, but as a writer, I cannot write anything that is too serious or intense. I tend to write things that are more entertaining.You mentioned dubbing in Tamil. Being a non-native, what does that process involve, given the nuances of the language?It is difficult! I kept crying, and wondering whether someone else should dub for me. But if someone else did it, the performance might not remain authentic enough because there is something specific that my voice brings to the character. Credit goes to Anand Krishnamurthy, our sound designer. He used to stand next to me in the dubbing booth, and we would repeat a word more than 100, 200 or even 300 times to arrive at the right sound. That was about six months ago. Recently, we dubbed the entire film again to refine my Tamil, and our dubbing director, Keerthika, was an incredible support. She did a wonderful job of bringing my Tamil much closer to that of a native speaker.Beyond the language, what attracted me even more was the body language of a Tamil woman. There are differences between a Telugu woman, a Marathi woman and a Tamil woman. These are subtle, internal differences, and understanding them attracts me as an actor. I spent a lot of time in Tamil Nadu observing women, which helped me with the role. I played a Tamil minority woman in the Sri Lankan film With You, Without You. Her name was also Selvi, but she was very different from the character I play in this film.What are the future plans for Selvi? Are you planning to take it to more festivals before its theatrical release?We will be going to São Paulo after this for the film’s Brazilian premiere at the São Paulo International Film Festival. It is the festival’s 50th year, which makes it wonderful. We will also be travelling to other festivals in Europe and North America. After that, we will bring the film to India for its Indian premiere. Hopefully, we will release it theatrically at the beginning of next year.How do you see the prospects for a film like Selvi in theatres? Of late, the popular view seems to be that audiences have become more interested in pure entertainment…We keep saying that people think a certain way, but I don’t believe that is true. Many such popular beliefs are wrong. Look at Korea. Films that are artistically beautiful are screened there because they have a certain merit, and they go on to become box-office hits as well. It is a popular belief that audiences no longer want to watch a particular kind of film in theatres after COVID, or that certain kinds of cinema have stopped working. But Tamil films have done very well this year. Content-driven films of different scales have found success. I think we should move away from these assumptions. Audiences are intelligent enough to recognise a good film. When they see one, they will go to theatres and watch it. Films such as Tourist Family, Thaai Kizhavi, and Dragon, among others, have done well. There are many different kinds of films finding their audiences, and that gives us clarity and confidence to continue making such cinema.You seem to be keeping track of what’s happening in the Tamil film industry quite well…Sailesh and I keep track of what is happening in every industry because it gives us the clarity and strength to pursue the films we want to make. We don’t want to make films that only a few people watch. We don’t want to make indulgent films either. We want audiences to watch our films because that is why we decided to become filmmakers in the first place. Some films we watched 20 years ago had a profound impact on us in theatres, made us cry, and those experiences are difficult to replicate in the same way when you are watching a film alone in your living room.I remember watching Bethlehem Kudumbam, which made me laugh throughout. That experience was possible because I was watching it in a theatre. I am very positive about films doing well in theatres, and I believe good films can find their audiences there.Your character Puyal in Kaala continues to be discussed on social media, particularly in conversations about memorable female characters. Do people still come up to you and talk about her?I think that is the best part of doing a film like Kaala. I keep saying that I have acted in 40 or 50 films in Hindi, English and Marathi combined, and one film in Tamil — Kaala — but the audience in Tamil Nadu has been so generous and kind that they continue to remember me for that film, even as I go on to do other work. The credit goes to Pa Ranjith for making such films and writing such strong female characters. It is entirely his credit. Of course, being part of a Rajinikanth film is also a blessing.Box:’We hope Park Chan-wook watches our film’Anjali: We met Park Chan-wook. He is one of the filmmakers we admire, and we were fortunate to meet him. We also met Indian filmmaker Rima Das, whose film Not a Hero is one of the beautiful films at the festival. We are hoping to hear what she felt about the film in person soon. One of the things we did is supporting Indian films and attending their screenings.Sailesh: I think it took us a while to actually realise it. He was right there, just a few feet away from us! His work has influenced us over the years, with films such as Oldboy and the Vengeance Trilogy. We were introduced to him, and we spoke briefly about Selvi and shared the film with him. Hopefully, he will watch it, and that would be a blessing for us.
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