Hansal Mehta’s Faraaz (2023) is based on the Holey Artisan Bakery attack that took place in Dhaka, in 2016. The film revolves around Faraaz Ayaz Hossain (Zahan Kapoor), a student who was held captive by violent extremists and who lost his life trying to protect his friends. The role of his mother has been played by Juhi Babbar Soni. The film was received warmly by many and has been on Netflix India’s most-watched list for weeks now. The response that Babbar Soni has got to her performance has ranged from flattering to amusing. “I’ve had people come to me, people like Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi. I remember they held me and they were like, ‘Where have you been?’ I’m like, ‘Home’,” she said. Director Anurag Kashyap told Babbar Soni that after watching Faraaz, he’d asked Mehta about her. He told Babbar Soni, “I asked Hansal ki yeh kaun hai… Irani actress hai, Pakistani actress hai? (I asked Hansal if you were an Iranian or Pakistani actress?).”
Faraaz marks Babbar Soni’s return to acting on screen after five years. “The strength of that lady and the courage,” said Babbar Soni when talking about what drew her to playing the fictionalised version of Simeen Rahman, Faraaz’s mother who is also an entrepreneur. “She narrated that whole night to me. She told me what had happened but not a tear, no moist eyes,” Babbar Soni recalled. She’s just finished filming a web series in which she plays a woman who struggles with anxiety. “It’s a very challenging role because playing strong and bold characters goes well for me. This is going to be a complete contrast to what people have seen me do in Faraaz,” she told Film Companion.
Here are edited excerpts from the interview:
What about Faraaz’s story appealed to you?
Well, it is a true story with such a poignant message. And of course, (director) Hansal Mehta is a part of it.
What was it like to work with the cast?
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any scene with Aditya (Rawal). My performance-oriented scenes were not with the boys, except for my second scene with Zahan in which he is leaving and I talk to him in the corridor. In every scene, I had a different co-actor. This was interesting and it helped me explore my equation with each character because it’s a test of her patience. That’s the desperation and the emotion that the mother is driven by.
Most of your scenes show you in a very panic-induced state. How did you keep yourself suspended in that emotion throughout the film?
I think the readings helped. It’s my way of going about my performance. I spend a lot of time with my script and dialogues. I’m not the sort of actor who will only read my part. I will read the entire script. Then before my take when I’m reading my scene, I will always read two scenes before that and the two scenes after that. Definitely, it’s the theatre training and approach towards the character.