Once in a while, an actor comes across a role that resonates so strongly with them that they almost become possessive about it. For Chhaya Kadam, director Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light gave her that role. The actor was so enamoured by the character of Parvaty that she pitched hard for it. “At one point, I thought the role shouldn’t go to any other actor. So, I started listing out similarities between the character and me. I told Payal, ‘I am also from Ratnagiri. My father was a mill worker. We used to live in a MHADA building and now we live in a tower. Everything is the same between us.’ I even sang and showed her how people from Ratnagiri dance,” she laughs.

Chhaya Kadam