Interview with Arti Sudhindra

The amazing, talented Arti Sudhindra acted in the role of the Mother in our previous play, Ek Kahani - Love Story. You can read her interview from here and see her dance performance here. Now she is back for Temporary Lives. She will be seen in the role of Anjali. 

Two years after the much celebrated Ek Kahani - Love Story, what made you want to join the same group again for a new play?

- I guess it’s the chance to work with the same director, the joy of working with partly the same crew, and the opportunity to take my passion further!

In Temporary Lives, you are playing the role of Anjali, an Indian woman living in Finland with her family. Are you playing yourself, or are there many differences between you and Anjali? 

- There is nothing like an easy role in the acting world! Every role requires equal dedication, practice, research. Talking of my experience in Finland as an Indian woman, at this point I only remember that I was shocked with the Sauna and Lake swimming concept when I was new to Finland. However I don’t recollect any time Finns embarrassed me at a grocery store (which happens to Anjali in the play), but I know it must have happened with someone - that is why our Director thought of it.

You are not alone on stage, but your husband and elder daughter are acting along with you. How does it make you feel? 

- It’s an Honor for me, my husband Sudhi is much Senior to me in every aspect, and has worked with well-known directors, and actors. I get to learn from him, on and off stage. Working with my daughter is fun, and I feel great that she has this opportunity, she loves to perform on stage. Her name PRERNA means Inspiration in Hindi, and she is truly the inspiration for us.

As said before, you are a great dancer, but an actress as well. What do you feel are the similarities and differences between acting & dancing?

- There are some differences I feel. As a Dancer I don’t need to speak but just follow the rhythm and express what I want. My body moments and facial expressions replace the words, there are no restrictions, and everything flows naturally. In Acting, my words speak for me, my movements have to be more calculated, I need to be more responsible about what I say, and how I say. But Acting and Dancing both can be highly intensive, emotional, and fun at the same time!

Only one day until the performance! What would you like to say to the audience waiting to see you and the others on stage? 

- DON’T MISS IT !!

You have founded your own dance group, KK Entertainments, in 2012. Would you like to tell more about it?

- KKE is a group that’s involved in dancing, acting, choreographing, and in spreading Indian culture across, organizing events to celebrate Indian Festivals like Holi, Navaratri, etc, workshops, and train the enthusiasts for their performances. We organize dance workshops for children, adults, and families, we are trying to add a new dimensions to celebrations, and set a trend of “celebrations together”. Performances at charity shows and shows for a cause are close to our hearts.

In the practices, you have amazed all of us by speaking a bit of Finnish. Was it hard for you to learn? Do you like living in Finland? 

- I started to learn Finnish only since few months, it's very hard, especially for a person who is weak in grammar (laughing), but I like it. Someday I will be able to speak better! I like Finland. It is a great country from many aspects, although I don’t appreciate the level alcohol and tobacco consumptions in teens here, and it makes me sad to see old people living alone although they have children, grandchildren. On the other hand, I highly appreciate the courage of Finns to live in a country which has such extreme weather conditions, and still they manage to do so much in life, their punctuality, respect for privacy, creativity, helpfulness, happiness, love for their country... They have to have a lot of patience to wait until summer to see flowers in their gardens, and yet they have no complaints...

But as far as me liking the place I live is concerned well, my Family is my world, and I like to live where it is. The best things about living in Finland are our home, friends, the opportunity to carry on with my passion, less pollution, facilities, snow snow snow!

Do you have any future plans after this project which you can share with the readers?

- Yes, Indian Festival celebrations, workshops and many more details will be posted on KKE page soon !

Anything else you want to say?

- Yes, a lot, but I want to point out one very important thing for the teens here: Addiction is good, when it’s for something that makes you better, a strong and respectful person. But the addictions that make you weak, pull you away from reality, are really bad - there is only one life and many ways to live, but you can choose the one which keeps you alive forever……

Interview by Laura Kunnas