Mita Vashisht, reflecting on her experience with Subhash Ghai’s 1999 film ‘Taal’, revealed that the experience left her embittered. ‘Taal’ marked her entry into commercial Hindi cinema. Vashisht recalled her initial skepticism towards Ghai, even though he was a successful director known for launching stars. She shared anecdotes about Ghai’s perspectives on the ideal mainstream heroine, who, he believed, should be more beautiful than sensuous, appealing to a traditional audience. Vashisht, however, found this viewpoint limiting. She stated that when Ghai tried to direct her, she asserted her autonomy, explaining that she would play her character, Prabha, her own way.
Initially, Vashisht was hesitant to accept the role. Despite advice to embrace the opportunity of working in a mainstream film, she questioned the screen time of her role when Ghai narrated the character’s backstory. She also mentioned that her look in ‘Taal’ was influenced by her personal style, with some of her clothes incorporated into her character’s wardrobe. She also shared her thoughts on her interactions with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan during the film’s production, noting that Bachchan was relatively new to the industry at the time and focused on herself and her recent Miss Universe/World experiences. Vashisht contrasted her background of rigorous acting training with the influx of models and beauty queens into lead roles.
Vashisht revealed that scenes featuring her and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had to be reshot because Ghai felt Vashisht’s presence was too powerful, overshadowing Bachchan’s on-screen persona. She stated that Ghai said that her strong camera presence made the younger actress nervous, and thus, they couldn’t be in the same frame. Vashisht concluded by emphasizing the learning experience derived from the entire process.
