You usually are not alone for those who questioned who’s the thriller woman Banita Sandhu that includes in Canadian singer-rapper AP Dhillon’s newest music video With You. The hypothesis about their relationship had been fueled after the video confirmed affectionate and endearing moments between the 2, spending their trip collectively. (Also learn: AP Dhillon and rumoured GF Banita Sandhu arrive collectively for his docu premiere, followers hope ‘they’re actually relationship’)
The October woman
Yet, look nearer and one may keep in mind her because the woman from Shoojit Sircar’s October. The director revealed how he first chanced upon Banita by a Vodafone advert. Shoojit then casted her in a four-minute Wrigley’s advert, which acquired over 40 million views. That was just the start of the journey, as Banita ended up bagging the lead function reverse Varun Dhawan. The director behind movies like Vicky Donor and Piku admitted in an interview to Filmfare, “Everyone was in awe of Banita after the gum commercial that I directed. While shooting for the ad film, I clicked a picture of Banita and sent it to Juhi Chaturvedi (writer) saying ‘She has the potential to fit into the character that we are creating’.” When she received the offer for October, she was still studying at King’s College London.
On Bollywood
Ask her about Bollywood and she said how her understanding of the industry changed. “My reference to Bollywood once I was a baby was by my mother. She is an avid Bollywood fan and that’s why my concept of Bollywood is her era that features Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and it by no means went on to Alia Bhatt. When it was instructed to me that Varun is a part of the movie, I really didn’t know who he was and this in a method labored in my favour as I used to be not affected by his star energy,” she said in an interview to Firstpost.
On connecting to India
The shoot for October required her to learn Hindi, and the actor recollects her experience of coming to Delhi. Banita was born and raised in Caerleon, Wales in a first-generation British-Indian household. In an interview with BBC, Banita noted how the shoot helped her reconnect with her roots. “We filmed for 37 days in Delhi and I learnt a lot – not nearly performing, but in addition my heritage. My grandparents got here to Britain from the Punjab, northern India, shortly after World War Two. Both my mother and father had been born right here and my sister and I had been raised in a middle-class existence in Caerleon.” she said.
In October, Banita played a Hotel Management Trainee who meets a horrible accident. It was not the mainstream, dance-and-song heavy role at all- and for most part of the critically acclaimed film, Banita’s Shiuli Iyer remains chained to one hospital bed. It was her eyes, and the essence of her caring screen presence that stayed with audiences. Her performance ultimately led her to a Best Female Debut nomination at the Filmfare Awards in 2019.
On Sardar Udham
Post October, Shoojit went to cast Banita again, opposite Vicky Kaushal in the 2021 film Sardar Udham. But this time, with a different challenge altogther. Her Reshma was deaf and mute, which meant Banita had to learn sign language and emote without any dialogue at all. Speaking to The Telegraph T2 about the experience, she said, “I had an incredible trainer named Neelam, who works in a particular college for the deaf and mute in Pingalwara (in Punjab). I might go to that college each day and observe the children there, both in school or have conversations with them. Some of them got here to the shoot and acquired to satisfy Vicky and Shoojit sir and know what a movie set appears like.” She followed this with a starring in Mother Teresa & Me, that was inspired by the life of Mother Teresa.
Covid controversy
Yet, during the pandemic, Banita created controversy with a post where she announced that she despite testing positive for COVID-19, she had refused treatment. An official had told PTI that Banita refused to to be treated in a government facility as “she felt the medical institution lacked infrastructure”. In a clarification statement, she said, “I appreciate all the well wishes and concern; however, in spite of what has been published, I am grateful to say I continue to test negative for coronavirus. To clarify some of the misinformation: I flew to Kolkata on the 3rd of January to finish filming Kavita & Teresa. I had two negative COVID-19 PCR tests before leaving. I tested again on arrival and stayed in isolation at the CNCI hospital overnight until my results returned the next day, one a false positive and the other negative.”
Speaking about her career, Banita has told Hindustan Times, “I’ve always learnt on the job. Whether it be technical, like finding your light and hitting your mark, or creative, such as how to ground yourself and be present in a scene amidst the chaos of a set. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning as long as I’m working.” Banita will likely be subsequent seen within the Hindi movie Detective Sherdil, which is at the moment in post-production.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com