Tisca Chopra: Direction was not about branching out, it comes from passion

Actor Tisca Chopra, who turned director with a short film, Rubaru, which she also starred in, is hoping she would get to direct her feature film this year itself.

Having recently made her directorial debut with a short film, actor Tisca Chopra is now looking forward to taking it a notch higher with a feature film next.

Actor Tisca Chopra had earlier starred in a short film, Chutney, which she also co-wrote and produced.

Talking about when the direction bug bit her, Chopra tells us, “It started when I began working on my short film, Chutney, which I co-wrote, produced and starred in. I was part of the whole process and involved totally from start to finish. It was then that I decided that this is something that I would like to dabble with. I realised I enjoy working behind-the-camera, too.”

It was followed by Rubaru, a short film about an ageing female actor, which she directed and starred in.

“While directing it, I felt like being in love for the first time. I was so charged, and my body was full of energy every single day. I used to jump out of bed and going to set every day. I had a wonderful time,” she adds.

There comes a point in every actor’s life when they decide to branch out to other career prospects because of dearth of role, but the 47-year-old, who has starred in films such as Taare Zameen Par (2007), Qissa (2013) and Rahasya (2015), says that, however, was not the case with her.

“My decision to direct is solely and entirely out of passion. It was not something mandatory or about branching out. Some people give up and go back. Being here and doing what you want to do is tough,” she notes.

Both of her short films have been unconventional and Chopra assures that even her feature directorial debut, whenever that happens, would be different.

“I am ready to direct and we are just in the process of casting. I am hoping that this year I will end up directing the film. In the meantime, I am caught up with my acting work and I shall be balancing both,” she ends.