Subject: Sheetal Sheth
Inside the Comedy of the World
Official Roundtable Interview – Los Angeles January 2006
About the project...
When I first heard of the project and met with him, he just told me a little bit about the idea because who knows who`s going to be in it and all that stuff kind of gets out there... so through the process I learned a little bit more, and as I got though the process I realized the stuff I auditioned with wasn`t even in the movie.
There was long months and months of auditioning and meetings and they would say at the last meeting Albert really likes to tell people in person if you get the part, so that`s a good thing if you meet him again.
So I got the call and I went there and I had to sign several confidentiality agreements so I thought this was a good sign...I went in and it was probably the craziest two hours. Basically he acted out the whole movie for me, he did all the parts, including all these stand up bits, he kept saying "your character" and we just talked and he gave me scenes from the movie that we just cold read together, and we talked and he said some really nice things and then he told me he would really like me to be in the movie. It was a really nice experience to end that way.
What were your thoughts on reading the script?
He kept reading it to me and saying "you`re fine you`re fine" and I kept saying I really do need to read the script. I kept saying I know you are giving me an overview and I know you are going to guide but I would REALLY like to read a script. I promise I won`t say anything. He finally let me and the two Johns (other actors in the film) alone at different times go into his office and read it, with him kind of there. And then that was it, I never really saw it again.
What was his concern with not letting you read the script?
It was more of a privacy thing, and he was concerned of the ideas getting out there. I could imagine the idea getting out there and all of a sudden it`s a sketch on a TV show. At the end of the movie (shooting) it was really funny he (Albert) said "Do I need to take the scenes back?" And I said Albert at this point, its okay. "Are you going to put it on a shelf" Yes I am going to put it away on a shelf.
He does like to improve but once we got onto the set he has a set script and he likes to work from the script. The script was pretty much there.
He is very detailed, props, clothes, we even had a meeting on how long my fingernails would be (to get an idea)
And if friends asked you what you film you were making?
I would say I am doing a film with Albert Brooks, and I wasn`t allowed to talk about it, I signed away my life pretty much and I was so scared from being removed from the movie. I didn`t tell anybody anything. I wasn`t allowed. And now I can (actually) talk about it.
What was your favorite scene to shoot?
To shoot? They were (all) so fun because I would crack up because he would do something new each time. The Taj Mahal scene was really funny because in order for that to work you needed it to play as one continuous take and one setup. It`s hard to do when you are at The Taj Mahal and there are a lot of people there. A lot of different scenes that didn`t end up in the movie, I was crying I was laughing so hard to the point where I need a break. I love the scenes with us two (Albert Brooks) the introduction scene between our characters.
Speaking of the character you played in the movie, if I am not mistaken this is the first time you are playing an Indian character from India, how was the preparation like?
It was cool because I have felt the thing that strikes me most about the people there (in India) are their heart, and their eagerness to learn and their work ethic that goes along with it, and it was inherent in the writing with her and I really wanted to show through how positive she was. It was really nice to represent this culture that I am so connected too with my work, because she is so exuberant. It was such a nice positive thing. It`s nice for once to make fun of the Americans and not the others, and its switched around a bit and balanced.
Are you surprised by the initial controversy that the movie garnered?
Yeah absolutely because you see the movie and you go "what`s the deal?" I don`t get it. Albert told me that he was very upset as he told me the whole story, are we that far gone that the world MUSLIM cannot be said anymore in the title in a movie. This is a SMART and INTELLIGENT movie. Albert thought about this for a long time because we talked about it and he was like what is the most PEACEFUL word that can be put next to MUSLIM and for me that was COMEDY. I wanted those two words in a sentence together. The fact that people don`t get that bothers me.
Why India?
There is a relationship that exists between India and Pakistan that makes the movie work, and sometimes people don`t understand that`s the joke. Our government and us look at us in such a way, that this is the point. The notion of the world is that here we are in India looking for this.
Did the filming attract a lot of crowds outside?
I understand stopping by for a little bit but then you are bored, you are over it, but literally people stayed the whole day and watched. I think it`s also Bollywood which is deified to a certain extent, then you put our camera which are huge there are a lot of white people, and its lots of massive things.
Did you find comedy?
I have been asked that a lot but I don`t know what makes Americans laugh, or English laugh, the point of this is that we are all people and we are all universal and laughter is as common as all those things.
There was an interesting character and I was wondering if Albert actually had this from the scripting stage, your boyfriend`s character is Iranian which is something that could be considered controversial because it is not something that you would normally see?
Its just one of those things that we didn`t want to talk about, and it did not need to be a THING, when he was casting he told me he looked at a lot of different people and it did not have to be. Albert wanted to represent the diversity of India. He was the best person for it.
What`s next?
Its just been a lot of reading? It`s hard to com off a project like and find something that you are really taken with because of this amazing experience and a lot of stuff doesn`t hold a candle to it anymore. There is some good stuff out there. I wanted to make myself available for (press) for this movie so I haven`t done anything else.
We have been touring around the country and doing junkets for the film.
When did your family find out the movie?
When was I allowed to tell them? I remember Albert saying, okay this week you can say this, and now you can say that. He likes to be in control of everything and when that SONY (controversy) happened everybody was talking about it. So at that point it was out there.
How does it feel to follow leading ladies in Albert Brooks past movies?
I should have thought more about this...I wanted to understand his style and how he approaches. I don`t really feel like his leading lady in this movie I feel more like his "straight man" more than anything.
When Albert is directing actors is he very particular, what is his (motives)?
He definitely trusts his actors during the process. It was weird because I had this director who is also the writer who is looking at me, is he (judging my performance) is he reacting? He was able to look at me and allow me to work on my own stuff and still work on the chemistry. Let`s try this, let`s try that.
Was is hard not to laugh during shooting?
I ruined so many takes. I am not kidding, because MAYA wouldn`t laugh obviously, certainly not the way I would. He would constantly do something different (on each take) and we just had a fun atmosphere where he would allow that. He loved it though, the environment he wanted.
In the crowd scene in the movie did he tell the crowd not to laugh?
Yeah, it was very much like, "please don`t laugh!" People were laughing throughout though.
What do you like to do in your off time?
I like to be outside, hike, dance, hang with friends and chill out.