Put me in any role and I can do it: Soni Razdan on moulding herself for every character

Mumbai, Veteran actor Soni Razdan says she does not put herself into preconceived boxes as a performer and approaches every role with the same enthusiasm.

The 69-year-old actor, who currently stars in the slice-of-life film "Om Ka Hari", said she is confident she could adapt herself to a completely different setting, citing popular series "Panchayat" as an example.

"As an actor, I approach every role with the same enthusiasm. And every role demands different things from me as an actor or from anybody as an actor. I just approach it from that perspective. And I think I just don't have these filters and these boxes don't exist in my own head," Razdan told PTI in an interview.

"I feel if you tomorrow cast me in 'Panchayat', I can fit in. You may not believe it, but I will make you believe it because I can do it. You have to put me in that role. I will wear those sarees. And I will prove that I can do it," she added.

In "Om Ka Hari", Razdan stars alongside Raghubir Yadav and Anshuman Jha in a story about a father-son relationship. Directed by Harish Vyas, the film follows stubborn father Hari Prasad Sharma and his independent-minded son Om Prasad Sharma, with their conflicts taking them from Bhopal to Varanasi.

She essays the role of Saroj, the wife of Hari and mother of Om, who finds herself mediating the strained relationship between the father and son.

Razdan credits her theatre background for her ability to mould herself into different characters.

She began her career in theatre under veteran theatre director Satyadev Dubey and said the experience exposed her to a variety of roles.

"I played all kinds of characters there. So, I think that's where my ability to mould myself as a character came from," said the actor, known for films such as "36 Chowringhee Lane", "Saaransh", "1942: A Love Story", "Patiala House", "Raazi" and "No One Killed Jessica".

Razdan said she was grateful to Jha, who is also the film's producer, for considering her for the role in a small-town story.

"I'm lucky that Anshuman thought that I could do this role. And I hope that I don't disappoint. He is very kind. I hope audience thinks that I'm great," she said.

The actor also recalled her relationship with her own father, who was an architect and violin player.

"My relationship with my father was fantastic. My father was just an amazing guy. He was an architect. He used to play the violin. He was a storyteller. And he was a very imaginative man. He used to come home from work and entertain us. While we were eating dinner, playing the violin, doing characterizations," she recalled.

The only time she remembers him losing his temper was when he tried to teach her mathematics.