Sarita Choudhury on her stint in the West: I try to beat odds of rejection by preparing for auditions

As someone who’s been around the business for over two decades now, Indian-origin English actor Sarita Choudhury admits having witnessed changes in terms of casting of South Asian actors in the West.

Sharing her thoughts about if this representation is at its peak, or if colour blind casting is still the norm, she says, “I’m colour blind myself. So, I’ve always just pretended over the last two decades that the business is also (like that).”

Having made her debut with Mira Nair’s directorial, Mississippi Masala (1991), Choudhury followed it up with A Perfect Murder (1998), 3 A.M. (2001), Just a Kiss (2002), She Hate Me (2004), Lady in the Water (2006), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) and A Hologram for the King (2016). She feels that being an actor and surviving this tough business is a “defying” act in itself.

She elaborates, “How the business perceives us is something I’ve never concerned myself with. I just try to beat the odds of rejection by preparing a lot for auditions, and hopefully changing someone’s mind. Minds and the gate keepers have to change. It’s an exciting time, it’s still slow, but we’re all part of this change.”

Also, her casting in Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That generated a lot of interest and excitement. Choudhury will reportedly star as single, self-made powerhouse Manhattan real estate broker, Seema Patel.

On being a part of the series and the inclusive casting, she says, “Being a part of this is going to be super fun. It’s going to be high heels, lipstick, and the scripts are witty and grounded in our modern-day daily neurosis. I live in New York, and it feels very natural to be part of this new rendition of the show.”

Choudhury feels rather lucky to have the kind of filmography that she has. “I’ve always had a sense of what films I’d like to do. For me, it starts with a good script or a good director. The role doesn’t matter as much. But when you start out, it’s such a struggle and sometimes you end of taking a job that’s not exactly what you want. You just try and bring something to it that maybe you can be proud of. It’s been a long journey. One that’s getting easier,” shares the 54-year-old, who’ll be next seen in The Green Knight with another Indian-origin actor, Dev Patel.

“I loved working with Dev. He’s very funny, very kind. I loved seeing him dressed in boots that went up the height of his legs, hand sewn with leather and mud on his face sitting on a horse while shouting out to me ‘mother’,” she quips.

Talking about her experience of working in The Green Knight, Choudhury says she loved every moment of being part of the fantasy film.

“You can use your imagination and invent things as you act. You sometimes feel like a kid playing with big toys. There were horses, men with swords, blindfolds on my eyes. It makes you feel free as actor. Also, David Lowery (the director) is a meticulous, hard-working, yet somehow very open to ideas kind of guy. He’s just on set always tinkering with some equipment or writing down some thought. It makes you want to do your best as well,” she shares.