Ex-Miss India Gul Panag, who is better known for her intense roles in the films like DOR, MANORAMA SIX FEET UNDER, will soon be seen in a women-centric film, TURNING 30, where she plays a 30-year old mature yet a fun-loving person.
She explains the psychological problems, emotions and tribulations of a woman pertaining to that age or what happens when a woman steps into age.
Says Gul, “30 is a critical age. You start getting biological pressure – like family planning, complications post 50, etc, etc. This is an urban phenomenon because in rural areas by 30 women will have two children and her entire routine is occupied by her kids. She doesn’t have time to think about herself & her life. Turning 30 is like an alarm clock at the back of our mind that by this time we want to achieve our set goals. Professionally, both for men & women, by 30 if you have not shown any spark or proved your caliber or displayed your talent then it will never happen. Be it any field, by 30 if you have not displayed your genius then chances are quite rare. That’s what TURNING 30 deals with.”
Further she throws light on her character in the film, “It’s a story about a woman, called Naina, who is about to turn 30, leading almost a perfect life (what with a reputed well-paid job & a boyfriend who she thinks will be there for her forever) till one day when everything goes horribly wrong. Suddenly all her dreams are shattered and she is gripped by various insecurities. Whatever targets she had set for herself to achieve by that age suddenly seem to be unachievable. On one side her world is messed up and other side she is surrounded by this insecurity that she is turning 30. So she goes through all these dilemma.”
Unlike her character in the film, Gul admits that she is not that bold. “Though I am also independent like my character Naina Singh in the film but I am not as gutsy & strong as her. I would love to live the way Naina lives, a liberated & brave life. I am also bound by certain fake sense of morality of society. But that’s how we have to be,” says the 31 year old actress.
TURNING 30 is directed by debutant Alankrita Srivastav, who has been assisting filmmaker Prakash Jha for years now. It also stars Purab Kohli.
