You know you’re in for a treat when a film has got those snappy one liner profanities delivered in the mother tongue that you could never get away with translating into English.

New British-Asian comedy ‘Jadoo’ stars Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel and Madhur Jaffrey in a heart warming story of intense family rivalry, an abundance of food, and of course, a wedding.

Set in Leicester Jadoo is about of two brothers, Raja and Jagi who fall out so catastrophically that in the climax of their dispute they rip the family recipe book in half: one brother gets the starters and the other gets the main courses.

They set up rival restaurants, on opposite sides of the Belgrave Road in Leicester; one cooking starters and the other main courses, and refuse to talk to one another.

We catch up with Amara Karan who plays Shalini and tries to get the brothers talking again.


What part of Shalini’s character appealed to you the most?.
Shalini is warm and so inspiring. I love the big challenge that she goes through emotionally of getting her family together. It’s a very moving film. She wants the people she loves to rekindle their bond. It’s a real gift to have someone like Shalini in your life. She gives me hope and energy. She has found love and is happy, so she wants to dig deeper and help others.


Shalini is a feisty girl with deep rooted tradition. Are you similar to that?.
I think she is a reflection of me. Modern people in Britain want to embody their culture whether they are Asian or not. Britain is so diverse. That’s what makes it unique.

Your character didn’t face that stereotypical challenge when telling her father she was marrying Mark. Do you think that is a reflection of the times?.

I think it was a challenge for her. The big deal is that she is announcing her marriage, not that he’s white. She is the only daughter, and the eldest child and also the eldest cousin. It’s difficult as she is essentially telling her father that is she is leaving him for another man. It’s a very emotional thing that women from any background can empathise with.

Shalini is a great cook. How adept are you in the kitchen?.

I am a lot like Shalini. I thought about this a lot during filming and started exploring what food means to me and about our associations with food as human beings.
Food is an emotional thing. When we are babies we associate the mother with food and safety. Food reminds us of family, or of a certain era of our childhood. It, therefore, becomes a reflection of your emotional state.

I think that because of the emotional baggage Shalini hasn’t taken herself to the kitchen. Being busy is just an excuse. Because her family isn’t aligned, her cooking isn’t aligned.

What is your favourite scene in the movie?.

It’s most definitely the Holi scene. We only had one take to get it right. There were so many cameras, crew, extras and musicians all over the place.

We even had a crane in that day, which of course is a very expensive piece of equipment, so timing was of the utmost importance. We all had to breathe as one organism. It was such a buzz! Plus we were all wearing white. You can’t retake a shot with all that coloured powder! It was so exciting, the energy, the dancing, the music! I loved the whole challenge of creating that scene.

Was acting what you always wanted to do?.

I have always loved acting. I did it without consciously planning a career. Being a professional actress always seemed like such a far fetched idea so I never articulated that to anyone. But I would act at every opportunity I could, school plays, competitions, at university.

I love the ‘live’ spontaneous factor that comes from being on stage. The magic that is created from theatre is an amazing experience.


Have you ever done anything drastic to change your appearance for an audition?.

I was once asked to dye my hair blond for a short film! But I said no! For ‘Jadoo’ though I had to adopt a Bolton accent which was fun. It’s a beautiful accent and I love the sound of it. I think it’s the subtle changes that one makes that brings about the drastic shift in the character.

What is next for you?.

I have a really different piece coming up. It’s a satirical comedy TV series called ‘Ambassadors.’ It also stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb. It is set in central Asia in a country run by a corrupt dictator. I play the role of Political and Trade Secretary at the British foreign embassy. I would describe it as Borat meets Yes Minister! You can see this on BBC 2 in the autumn.

What’s an average day like for you?.

There is no average day! Today I am in a hotel room in Leeds. Two days ago I was in Leicester. Some days I’ll have iknterviews all day. Other days I can go for a walk in the park and go out for lunch. Then the next thing you know, I’m filming on a moving train in India. It’s always exciting and spontaneous. You have to embrace the uncertainity.

 

Jadoo releases today