Poonam Rajput on working with Anurag Kashyap: He doesn't like it when his actors focus on looks [Exclusive]

Poonam Rajput is currently basking in the appreciation her international project – Chaar Chappalein – received at the Rotterdam Film Festival. The international short film has been helmed by Anurag Kashyap. International Business Times, India, got in touch with the actress to talk about what an Anurag Kashyap set looks like, the experience of working with him and more.

The name of the short film – Chaar Chappalein is quite intriguing. Tell us a bit about the film and your character.

The film is a very in-depth look at the orthodox, patriarchy and stereotypes prevailing in the society. I play the role of a 21 years old, newly married girl. I'm essaying the lead opposite Randeep Jha. The film was shot in Varanasi.

How did you get into acting? Were you doing something before this?

After graduation, I came to Chandigarh for higher studies and then I started getting many Punjabi music videos. I did something around 40 music videos in 3 months and did one reality show as well. I had become a well-known name there. But then I moved to Mumbai to focus on my full-fledged career in acting with episodic. Later, I did a Punjabi film What the Jatt and then Begum Jaan. The films gave me immense appreciation and recognition. Then, Mirzapur 2 happened. And, the rest as they say, is history.

What was your experience of working with Anurag Kashyap? Is he a tough task master or is his real-life persona different from his projected image?

I think deep down every actor, despite the genre, wants to work with Anurag sir. Working with him or him choosing you marks a big validation for an actor in their career graph. He is a remarkable director. He's an actor's director and is very clear with his vision on what he wants from his actor in a particular scene. He has this knack for bringing out acting from your core and not just pretend in front of the camera. He doesn't like it when one focuses on looks too much. He is a task master and yet quite friendly on set. He never pressurizes actors and always give a lot of creative freedom to improvise because he wants to see the real essence of the character. Bottomline, he always wants us to look real.

What is an Anurag Kashyap set like?

I would say, not so chaotic and not so organized as well. It depends on the location too. Because when you are shooting in rural setting or village area, you can't expect luxury there. Chaotic toh bilkul nahi hota because sabko apna kaam bhot ache se pata hota hai. Anurag sir works very calmly and patiently without any hush. He is very good with his team and they all are so real people. He never makes anyone feel that we are working with some big director. His every take is so real like his films which are very realistic. It was a very good experience all over. It was a blessing to be his actor. Looking forward to work with him again.