Renuka Shahane acts and directs herself

It’s not easy to direct and act in the same film — actually not many actors have ventured in doing that. In the recent past we had Aamir Khan who had not only directed the critically-acclaimed Taare Zameen Par but also acted in a pivotal role. Since it was his directorial debut he was often heard saying that the task was tough.

Now walking down a similar path is Renuka Shahane who in her debut film Rita has worn both hats — that of a director as well as of an actor. Adapted from Shanta Gokhle’s novel, Rita Welingkar, Renuka Shahane plays a pivotal role of a friend, guide and philosopher of Rita, the main protagonist.

So we asked her if it was difficult to manage two roles and she laughs, “oh yes… I think it’s difficult to direct and act in the same film... It becomes very intricate at times to give a shot, go back to the monitor and then okay it or else re-shoot it. It was indeed a task for me and I just hope that my scenes in the film have not suffered because of this.”