Assam actress Urmila Mahanta is elated to work with globally acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi in his next project ‘Beyond the Clouds’.
Urmila, who was born and brought up in Sonapur, has already established herself in the tinsel town with her commendable work in Hindi and South Indian films over the last several years.
In ‘Beyond the Clouds’, she dons the hat of a nurse which is a crucial part of the film. “This is something which I never imagined in my wildest dreams. It’s just awesome to be in the unit… He is one of my all-time favorite directors,” an excited Urmila told TOI.
Known for his masterpieces like ‘Children of Heaven’ and ‘The Color of Paradise’, Majidi’s first project in India is ‘Beyond the Clouds’. The film also marks the debut of Shahid Kapoor’s brother, Ishaan Khatter, and also features Malayalam actor Malavika Mohanan.
“Majidi is a very precise director. He neither compromises with scenes nor does he compromise with performance. He makes his actors evoke the emotions of audience through subtle expression…which touches your heart. I have seen him minimizing dialogues often. It’s completely opposite to Bollywood where we talk a lot,” added Urmila, an alumni of Film and Television Institute of India.
For her, it is a learning experience on the sets everyday. “He doesn’t want actors, he wants characters. He doesn’t want star or stardom. You won’t believe he made it a point to pick up two characters from the streets of Mumbai – one young girl and one old woman through Honey Irani – his casting director in India,” said Urmila, who has done some critically acclaimed roles, including Tamil crime thriller Vazhakku Enn 18/9.
The shooting of the film in over in Mumbai and is now being done in Rajasthan.
