In Maa Ka Sum, you are so pitch perfect. How did you do the maths for this role?
I think with something like Maa Ka Sum, you can’t really “calculate” too much.
For me, it always starts with understanding the emotional core of the character. Once I know where she’s coming from, everything else falls into place. I’ve always believed that honesty is more important than perfection. So I didn’t try to make her “perfect”, I just tried to make her real. And when you do that, the performance somehow finds its own rhythm.
You play a non-traditional ‘cine maa’ here-dating, living life on her own terms. That’s quite a leap, right?
Absolutely, and that’s what excited me the most. For the longest time, mothers on screen were written in a very one-dimensional way. But real women don’t stop being individuals just because they’re mothers. They have desires, flaws, relationships, and a life beyond their children. I’ve always said I want to play characters that reflect reality, not stereotypes. So yes, it’s a leap, but it’s also a very necessary one.
Even in Bads of Bollywood, you played an unconventional mother. Do you think OTT has helped you break boundaries?
Oh, 100 per cent. OTT has been a game-changer; it has opened up so many kinds of stories and characters that didn’t exist earlier. Earlier, there were very fixed boxes, especially for women. Now, those lines are blurring. I’ve always been someone who enjoys taking risks with roles, and OTT has given me the space to do that without fear. It’s a very liberating phase as an actor.
What was it like playing mom to Mihir Ahuja? Did you share a bond off-screen too?
Mihir is such a lovely, smart boy. Very sincere and very easy to work with. We didn’t really “force” a bond; we just spent time together, spoke about our scenes, and that comfort naturally translated on screen. There was a lot of ease between us, and that really helped in building that mother-son dynamic.
This feels like one of the best phases of your career. The variety of roles is huge-are you surprised by it?
I feel very grateful more than anything else. I’ve been around for a while now, and I’ve seen different phases of this industry. So I don’t take anything for granted. Of course, I’m happy that I’m getting such varied work now, but I also feel it’s a result of years of consistency. I’ve always focused on doing good work, so yes, it’s a lovely phase, but I’m also just enjoying the process.
What next for you?
Honestly, I don’t plan too much ahead. I just want to keep doing roles that excite me and challenge me. I’ve always said that as long as I’m learning something new with every project, I’m happy. The medium doesn’t matter, film, OTT, anything. It’s the story and the character that matter. So I’m just looking forward to what comes next.