'Viewers are taking off their shoes and slippers and going to the theatre': Tamannaah Bhatia gets emotional during the shooting of the song 'Chhaththi Maiya', shares interesting anecdotes from the film 'One'

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia is in the news for her new film 'The One' these days. Her character in the film and especially the song 'Chhath Maiya' is in the news. In an exclusive conversation with Divya Bhaskar, Tamannaah opened up about her emotional connection with the Chhath Mahaparv, spirituality and Sanatan Dharma. Tamannaah said that the audience in the theatres is watching the film not just as entertainment but as a festival; people are distributing thekuas by dropping popcorn in the theatre and taking off their shoes and slippers and going to the hall. Q: When the script of 'The One' first came to you, why did you say 'yes' to working in it? Answer: I thought this is a very interesting concept, which brings together folklore, fantasy and faith. There are many such stories in our country, which have not reached the common man yet. About 30-40 crore people celebrate the Chhath Mahafvali. We have seen a lot of Holi-Diwali in films, but for the first time, a great festival like Chhath has been depicted on such a large scale. Also, there is a deep emotion at the heart of this action film. I have been liking films like 'The Mummy' since childhood, which have magic and folklore. So I thought this is a film that the whole family can watch together. Question: Did you get emotional while singing the song of 'Chhaththi Maiyya' in the film? What emotional and spiritual changes did you undergo? Answer: When I heard this song in Vishal Mishra's voice for the first time, I felt that it was the inner feeling of every devotee. During the shoot, when I was performing the ritual of offering Arghya to the Sun God, I realised a very important thing – the one who sets is bound to rise. We often get disappointed by seeing the ups and downs in life, but the Chhath Mahaparv teaches us that after the setting sun, the rising sun definitely comes. This song made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. Question: What kind of reaction is there from the audience in the theatre? Did you expect such a response? Answer: To be honest, we didn't think of this at all while making the film. But now when I am watching reels and videos, people are taking off their shoes and slippers outside the cinema hall and going inside. Instead of eating popcorn in the halls, people are distributing thekua. The kind of love that I am getting from Bihar and Jharkhand, including Patna, I have not seen for any film in a long time. Many people are crying emotionally in the theatre because it is related to their faith. It is a very magical experience for me to watch. Question: You yourself are a devotee of Shiva and are spiritual. Did this connection help you in playing this role? Answer: Absolutely. When I met my guru about four years ago, my true spiritual journey began. I think if this film had been offered to me four years ago, maybe I wouldn't have been able to do it that way. Because devotion is an emotion in which you cannot do any fabrication or wrong acting. If that feeling is not true within you, the audience immediately catches on. A student in Patna told me that you could do this song because the higher authorities have chosen you for it. Question: Nowadays films based on Sanatan and Indian culture are getting a lot of love from the audience. How do you see this period? Answer: This is a very important period, especially for urban India. We try to weigh everything on the basis of logic and evidence. The things that are said in Sanatan culture are spiritual as well as scientific. Spirituality says that you believe first, the experience will take place automatically. Today people want to know more about their culture, so when they get such true stories, the films do their best at the box office. Question: How difficult is it to strike a balance between cinematic liberty and cultural authenticity in films? Answer: Your intention has to be right. When we shot the entire sequence of Chhath, we took full care of all the rules and protocols. Our director Deepak is from the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar belt, so he was very precise. We were not making a documentary, but were conveying the faith and feeling of Chhath to the people through a story. It takes a little cinematic liberty to experience that feeling, so that the audience can feel that faith deeply. Box Office Collection of 'One - Force of the Forest' The film 'One - Force of the Forest' has registered a net collection of Rs 4.25 crore through 7,070 shows on the sixth day of its release. With this earning, the total net collection of the film in India has reached Rs 49.10 crore and the total gross collection has reached Rs 58.42 crore. Talking about the overseas market, the film earned Rs 0.50 crore on the sixth day, taking its total overseas gross collection to Rs 5.00 crore. Adding these figures, the worldwide gross collection of the film has now reached Rs 63.42 crore. The film was released on September 25.