I'm unapologetic about my choices, says Sonali Kulkarni

In her long career, Sonali Kulkarni has tasted critical acclaim on several occasions. However, it's the success of her latest film, The Good Road, that tops the list. In a long chat with CS, she talks about theatre, producing a play and films.

Curtain call
The play deals with relationships and how the current generation is commitment-phobic. It was written by late Marathi theatre personality and writer Rasika Joshi and Milind Pathak. After Rasika's demise in 2011, the shows had stopped. So, when Milind thought of reviving the play and asked me to be a part of it, I was overjoyed. I love theatre because it keeps you on your toes as an actor. You get to re-invent yourself with every performance.

On the hot seat
As a producer, you are answerable to each and every crew member. Your accountability is much higher. When you take on the risk on being a producer, you cannot afford to be lethargic. Iwould say that I am learning on the job.

A matter of choice
I am thrilled that The Good Road was selected as India's entry for the Oscars. When I was shooting for Singham, I was also simultaneously working on Deool and The Good Road. The appreciation I have earned for these two projects have made me feel unapologetic about my choices. I can hold my head up and say that I was doing constructive work even when I wasnot doing a Bollywood film.No hard feelings
I have read all the tweets by Anurag (Kashyap). He never said anything bad about The Good Road. He was just disappointed that The Lunchbox didn't make it. In the midst of all this, people who hadn't seen either of the two films started commenting, which was funny. I have worked with Anurag on a play called Sir Sir Sarla. I know in my heart that he would never wish badly for me or for my films. In fact, he called up and congratulated me. The Lunchbox is a good film and has won many awards. Even The Good Road is getting a lot of appreciation. You win some, you lose some.... that's the game.

Dream come true
I am keeping my fingers crossed for The Good Road to make it to the final five. There are over 70 entries to the Oscars for the Best Foreign Film category. If our film gets selected, I will start planning for my wardrobe. Though I have been to quite a few film festivals the world over, the Oscars are every actor's dream. I really want us to be there.

Wowing the West
I would say that foreign filmmakers and audiences are quite curious about the current phase in Indian cinema. It's like a wave. We had seen directors like Martin Scorsese and Iran's Majid Majidi generating quite an interest in the Indian audience for their films. Likewise, people abroad want to know more about Indian mythology, folk culture and urban life. The Western audience is enthusiastic and the onus is on Indian filmmakers to tell stories that have a global appeal.