'My two life mantras are prioritisation and compartmentalisation.'
'Prioritisation allows you to put one thing over the other and compartmentalisation to focus on one priority at a time.'
"In our patriarchal society, there is a Renu in every middle-class household but we don't realise this till she holds up the mirror," Gul Panag says of her character in Paatal Lok 2.
It's a character she knows well, since she's done a version of it before. Gul tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya, "Sudip (Paatal Lok showrunner Sudip Sharma), who has worked with Navdeep (Singh, Writer-Director, Manorama Six Feet Under, which Gul acted in), has admitted that Nimmi's character was the inspiration for Renu. Renu is an older Nimmi and since she was played by an older Gul, I was more collaborative in Paatal Lok."
Besides being an actress and producer, you are also a licensed pilot, a half-marathon runner, a biker, a racing car driver, a fitness advocate, a public/motivational speaker, a social and health activist and an entrepreneur.
Where do you find the time, energy and motivation to do all the things you do and more?
I'm a polymath.
It's a term that defines someone who is highly competent and knowledgeable across several disciplines, which is different from being a Jack of all trades.
Actually, many of us are polymaths because human beings by default are good at multiple things, but societal conditioning and division of labour holds us back.
If we don't explore other dimensions, it's simply because we are conditioned by society to stick to one.
But you didn't...
No, I realised very early that I could be good at many things and that I wanted to explore all the different dimensions of my personality.
That's what prompted me to get a pilot's licence and run an enterprise while being an actress liked for some performances.
After my son was born, I even went back to school to get a law degree.
I feel privileged to be in an empowered position in this eco-system wherein I'm allowed to explore everything.
I don't want to just dabble in things, I have to excel in everything I do.
The idea of going back to school was not just to get a law degree, but to finish among the top three in my class, which I did.
This desire to explore and chase excellence in whatever I do makes me a polymath.
What is it that you enjoy most?
It's what I'm doing at the moment, right now it's this conversation.
When I'm running the Mumbai Marathon, that is the most rewarding experience.
When I'm sitting in a plane, I'm grateful I have the means to do so rather than have to travel by train or bus.
When I'm riding a bike, that brings me the greatest joy.
When I'm with my son, there is nothing more fulfilling.
How do you manage to do so much?
My two life mantras are prioritisation and compartmentalisation.
Prioritisation allows you to put one thing over the other and compartmentalisation to focus on one priority at a time.
Right now, my priority is to be with my son and I'm grateful acting and entrepreneurship allow me the opportunity to do so.
Friends my age who are in leadership positions in companies have to be at work for a large part of the day while I can be a fulltime mother and still do all the things I enjoy.
I view every moment of my life with appreciation and I'm grateful to my acting career for giving me the platform to do all this.
From that point of view, how would you evaluate your evolution as an actress over 16 episodes of Paatal Lok?
Well, Renu has definitely grown from Season One to Season Two because I've grown as a human being too and so was able to contribute more to my craft.
Ultimately, acting is an amalgamation of all your life's experiences and your ability to contextualise them in that moment for the character you are playing.
Five years ago, I wouldn't have been able to play Renu the way I have today because I didn't have these life's experiences then. To be able to bring them into play today summarises my growth as an actress.
Having said that, I have to acknowledge that this journey of growth started with phenomenal writing.
What distinguishes Sudip (Paatal Lok showrunner Sudip Sharma) from his peers is that he has written about things we see but choose to unsee with so much depth and so many layers.
We regularly give a short shrift to the smaller details in story-telling because carving them out is so time-consuming.
But when they are there, since this is a visual medium, you can add layers to your character through the way she walks, talks and dresses.
A hat-tip to Avinash (Avinash Arun, director of Paatal Lok Season Two) too for taking Sudip's writing from paper to the screen.
Also, I had the privilege of sharing the screen with a once-in-a-generation actor, Jaideep Ahlawat, for whom this show has been a game-changer.
With all the support around me, all that I had to do was portray Renu as honestly as Gul, without reacting as Gul would to a situation because she is not limited by circumstances like Renu.
With the wealth of experiences behind you, how would you rate your performance in your debut film Dhoop?
Dhoop was the very best I could have done at the time.
I was around 23-24 when I played Pihu, a girl in her 20s who despite the heartbreak of losing her fiancé, chooses to stand by his family. In my innocence, I saw the world in two dimensions too.
That's why casting to age is so important. A 35 year old would never be able to capture the naivete of a 20 year old.
I also had the privilege of working with Om Puri, Revathy and Sanjay (Suri), and if you are observant, you can pick up so much from these seasoned artists.
Today, I would have delved a little deeper into the grief Pihu feels knowing that while the terrible feeling of loss will never go away, it does get bearable with time.
But Pihu and Gul wouldn't have known this at that age not having experienced life like Renu or Gul today has.
What about Dor?
During Dor too, I had nothing to bring to the table except my competence in following directions to the very best of my ability.
So I put myself completely in Nagesh's (Kukunoor, Director) hands.
Cinema, unlike theatre, is a director's medium, and you should respect their vision.
So when did the growth curve change?
Manorama Six Feet Under happened just six-seven months after Dor, but during that film, there was a sudden spurt of growth in me as an actress.
That is why technically, Nimmi in Manorama Six Feet Under is a better performance than Zeenat in Dor.
Interestingly, Sudip, who has worked with Navdeep (Singh, writer-director, Manorama Six Feet Under), has himself admitted that Nimmi's character was the inspiration for Renu.
Renu is an older Nimmi and since she was played by an older Gul, I was more collaborative in Paatal Lok.
How so?
To give a small example, Renu did not use English words in the script originally.
But while brainstorming during the readings, I suggested to Sudip and Avinash that since Renu is aspirational despite being stuck in a particular socio-economic class, she would use English words where Hindi words would suffice.
So, instead of bhai, she says 'brether', which is how people in that part of the world speak English.
I could bring such nuances to my performance thanks to my life's experiences.
Between Manorama Six Feet Under and Paatal Lok are there any other performances which are as satisfying?
(Thoughtfully) I would say Turning 30.
Even after 15 years, young girls, and even young boys, walk up to say that the 2011 film still resonates with them.
I guess, it's because 30 year olds are grappling with the same issues even today.
That film is Alankrita's (Shrivastava, writer-director) calling card.
Another very satisfying performance is Saloni.
Commanding officer Saloni Bhatt from The Family Man?
That's right. At the recent wrap party of Season 3 of The Family Man, many who had seen Paatal Lok pointed out how different Renu is from Saloni.
On my part, I'm grateful for the opportunity to play such diverse characters and make them believable.
Unlike Renu who is nothing like Gul, playing Saloni came naturally to me since I'm from the same eco-system having been born into the armed forces.
Like Avinash, directors Raj (Nidimoru) and (Krishna) DK have been very receptive to suggestions and collaborative partners.
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