Amara Karan talks going from banking to acting
Ahead of the May 11 release of All in Good Time, The Fan Carpet caught up with the leading lady Amara Karan, who plays Vina in Nigel Cole’s upcoming feature.
Adapted from the stage play of the same name – both written by Ayub Khan-Din – All in Good Time takes place in Bolton, England, and focuses on the tricky opening weeks of newly-weds Vina and Atul (Reece Ritchie) relationship.
Karan, whose previous acting credits include The Darjeeling Limited and St. Trinians, speaks to us about first getting into acting, the quality of British film and admits to still feeling excited when seeing herself in posters on the tube…
Firstly, did you actually get started in investment banking before you got into acting?
I always wanted to act, but nobody I knew was in anything remotely related to this. It was like, you’re mentally not able to imagine yourself doing it, so you can’t make that step. So I just tried to do something I could make work, and I was armed with a good degree, so I thought why not go into the city and earn some money. If it’s fun and enjoyable and interesting and a challenge, that’s all great, and that’s what I signed up to do. That’s what the thinking was. But it was really about finding the courage to make that step an and be an actor, which I’d always been putting off really. Had I had the role models I would have done it earlier, because this is always what I wanted to do. It’s interesting what it takes for you to follow your heart. I love what I’m doing, but it’s really hard – it’s very competitive, there are loads of pitfalls, it’s tough. It’s been a struggle, and it’s hard to make a living and all of those things, but it’s amazing. That’s interesting isn’t it? What does it take to do what I want to do and not be afraid.
Did you act as a child?
Yes, all through school plays, the National Youth Theatre, Edinburgh festival, all through university. It’s what I love doing, and I did it in my spare time because it was a pleasure. If I wasn’t working, I was studying, I was learning a play. As a banker I was doing very long hours, and in whatever profession you choose you dedicate your life to it, so you’ve got to do something you love, otherwise why are you investing all your talent and your energy and effort into this thing unless it’s something you really want to do.
Do you still get a thrill when you see yourself on the poster on the tube?
Yes, it’s so exciting! The first time it happened was on St Trinian’s, I was on a poster on the underground – “oh my god, I’ve arrived!” Really, truly, that’s the dream. The other thing is when you have your names, the order of the names is something to aspire to – before the title! Now to backtrack, that’s all great, but it’s an illusion of success.
You’ve had a number of key roles, but did you still have to audition for Nigel?
Yes! So I did two or three scenes: the scene where I tell my mum it’s not working out between Atul and I, the scene Atul and I are on the steps, and there is another scene that isn’t in the final cut.
Could you identify more with the part as a young British-Asian yourself?
I think Ayub and Nigel have wonderfully captured British-Asian culture as what they’ve done is give us a realistic real insight, but not made it clichéd and stereotyped. One example is that I get on with my in-laws. There’s a cliché that we won’t get on, but they’re really welcoming and warm. Another cliché is that they won’t want me in the house and will try and make things difficult, but they don’t – they try and help us out and make things work. It’s also not about an arranged marriage, which is refreshing, and not about being forced to marry someone you don’t want to marry, or feeling that social community pressure on getting married – there’s pressure on us making our marriage work. It’s pretty unique and refreshing from that point of view. The story that was put together has come from Bill Naughton’s stage play All In Good Time, so it does live as a different incarnation. Ayub wanted to update it, and it made sense to put it in an Asian family, because I guess Asian families in Britain tend to be more socially conservative. So the adaptation into an Indian family makes sense. The responses we’ve had from audiences is that it’s very much something they can relate to. It feels so familiar. Even the sets and the details in the house, and the sensibilities of the characters felt really real and familiar. It is a feat to make it specific, accurate and authentic, as there is a huge British-Asian community in the UK and if it didn’t pass that, if it didn’t feel authentic and real, this film would be a disaster really, even if it was very funny and very moving.
Was this quite different to your own upbringing?
It was different. We don’t see my character in her house much, we mainly see her in her husband’s house, and his house is a different house to her house. Her parents’ marriage, we’re led to believe, is loveless and baron, and her husband’s family are much more warm and fun-loving. Especially her father-in-law, who is this vivacious, extrovert, larger than life character. Obviously it’s set in Bolton, and I didn’t grow up in Bolton, so it’s not exactly the same, but there are loads of things I recognised. The conflict with my parents, struggling to find my feet and wanting to honour what my family had done, and their struggle being first generation. And obviously wanting to pave my way, and I guess a parent-child conflict that everyone can relate to. It was horribly familiar in general! Because it’s so well-written you can relate to it on a primal, instinctual level.
What was it like working with Meera and Harish? What incredible in-laws to have on-screen!
Yes, literally for my character and also for me as an actor! We had to be on our top game and do a lot of preparation to get up to speed with a lot of the stuff they would’ve been up to speed with very quickly. They were so open, and so generous, and the screenplay is different to the stage play, and their characters are different too, so it was wonderful to see them develop their characters afresh. It was wonderful and really collaborative. It was such a wealth of experience and opportunity to work with those amazing actors. I learnt a lot working with them.
Had you see the play?
Yes. And here’s a crazy thing, as I’d met Hayley Mills accidentally before we started shooting – Hayley Mills was in The Family Way which is the 1960s film version of this play, and she plays my character in the ’60s film. I accidentally saw her before we started shooting, so I thought that was an amazing sign. I told her about the project, and she was so excited. Again, after I finished shooting I accidentally saw her again, and I told her how it went. I don’t think she’s able to come to the premiere as she’s on stage in Ladies in Lavender, but that was incredible, the timing of that. It was a really good sign. It was lovely to track this heritage for this story.
Obviously, Crispian Mills…
Yes! Isn’t there a crazy connection going on here. So Hayley Mills’ son Crispian wrote and directed my next film, which is coming out on June 8th, called A Fantastic Fear of Everything. With Simon Pegg. His performance is so incredible in this film, and I’m so excited for him, and I can’t wait for you guys to see it.
What’s it like?
It’s really dark, and it’s a bit Withnail & I, because it’s based on a short story that Bruce Robinson wrote. So that’s what it’s based on, but it’s changed into something very different. It was incredible, just the connections. Hayley Mills in The Family Way, she met the father of Crispian, who is the director Roy Boulting, on that film! What’s going on?! It’s really incestuous, because I’ve just done a film with Harish, Jadoo, in which I play Harish’s daughter, and that’s coming out at the end of the year. And I’m just about to work with Meera Syal for The Royal Shakespeare Company for Much Ado About Nothing. I’m literally keeping it in the family!
There was an evident chemistry on-screen with Reece – did you spend much time together off-set?
We had rehearsals before we started shooting and Nigel was definitely mindful of that. Also, we were screen tested for our chemistry, and given rehearsal time to work the scenes. It was the product of successful rehearsal and being relaxed on set. When you’re relaxed and happy in your work environment, that’s when you can work on your chemistry. It’s a combination of things, and how you gel with the person as well. Thank you for saying that, as I’m really pleased it comes across. You want them to keep together. It’s a special thing when it happens.
You’ve recently worked with Wes Anderson, but is it important to you to be back in a British film?
It is. British film is world class. The talent in the UK in front of and behind the camera is amazing. Truly world class. We have the capacity to make films that will reach internationally, and that’s what is so exciting. When I realised that… it’s funny, as when my career had took off, working with Wes Anderson on this amazing American project, America was the mecca, and to an extent it still is. We have a world class film industry that is growing and growing, and I’ve met so many wonderful writers, directors, producers and also all the people, like technicians, that have worked on these films are incredible. I’m so lucky and so proud to be working in the British film industry. I think anyone in the world would be, as there is world class talent here.
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ALL IN GOOD TIME IS OUT FRIDAY MAY 11