Sukanya Gurav on Playing Anita in Lagna Ani Barach Kahi: “I Cannot Be Dependent on Anyone for Anything”

Actor, dancer and singer Sukanya Gurav, known for her work in Marathi projects like Aata Thambaycha Nahi, Uttar and He Kay Navin?, along with theatre productions such as Yatra, Ajjibai Joraat and Sawaal Jawab, is currently seen playing Anita in the Marathi romantic drama Lagna Ani Barach Kahi, which has been released in theatres.

Describing Anita as a complex character, Sukanya says, “Anita is a highly mature and good-hearted person who has immense clarity on what is expected of her as Aniruddh’s sister, a wife, a mother and a daughter-in-law. She is not stuck in these roles; she actually loves being all that and handles her responsibilities skillfully. However, she is not completely free and is dependent on her husband in many ways.”

Talking about how different Anita is from her in real life, the actress shares, “I am vastly different from Anita because I cannot be dependent on anyone for anything, not if I can help it. I like putting myself in uncomfortable situations, whereas Anita is comfortable in her own space. At this stage in my life, I am focused on myself and my career.”

The film explores the complexities of romance, relationships and marriage, something Sukanya believes audiences will connect with because of its authentic portrayal.

“Romance, marriage and relationships are not always full of the joys of spring. They come with their own baggage, and navigating through them as a couple is what makes relationships stronger. Lagna Ani Barach Kahi highlights that in a simple yet effective way,” she says.

She also relates to the film’s portrayal of ambitious women navigating serious relationships through Pallavi, played by Pooja Sawant. “It puts forth what a highly ambitious woman might go through while being in a serious relationship. That’s something I personally relate to, and I am sure many other women would too,” she adds.

Recalling a particularly challenging scene between Anita and her brother Aniruddh, Sukanya reveals that she had to shoot it on her first day on set, despite it appearing much later in the film.

“I made so many notes on my script for this particular scene, the progression of emotion, the Kolhapur dialect and changed sentences. I wanted it to be perfect. However, when the time came to shoot it, I realised that it wasn’t about perfection; it’s about saying what the character is feeling. It’s the imperfection of the character that needs to come through rather than the technical soundness,” she explains.

Reflecting on her biggest takeaway from playing Anita, Sukanya concludes, “Being happy and content with the life you choose for yourself — that’s the biggest takeaway. Making a choice is easy, but facing the consequences, good or bad, and still choosing to go ahead with the same choice takes a lot of mental strength and character.”