Surveen Chawla says the upcoming Netflix original Decoupled served as an opportunity for her to break free from dark and heavy-duty roles that she has played in the past. Directed by Hardik Mehta of Kaamyaab and Roohi fame, the show follows the story of Arya Iyer (R Madhavan), a writer, whose marriage is over, but has persuaded his estranged wife (Chawla) to continue living with him to create the myth of family for their daughter, who is terrified of their divorce. Chawla, 37, said she found the story of Decoupled unique and refreshing. “I was looking forward to breaking that mould and experimenting with something that I haven’t done before. For me to play Shruti, who is different from what I’ve done in the past, which has been dark, was a refreshing change. As a subject, this hasn’t been seen on any platform or in films. Thanks to the fabulous writing, I was sold after listening to it,” said the actor.
Pakistani sensation is set to make a comeback on Indian screens, five years after his appearance in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). mid-day has learnt that the actor will headline Zindagi’s next original, a yet-untitled show that blends magical realism and supernatural fantasy within the setting of a family reunion. The show, which has already gone on floors, is being helmed by Asim Abbasi who previously directed the heartwarming Cake (2018) and the much talked-about series Churails (2020). Fawad reunites with Zindagi Gulzar Hai co-star Sanam Saeed, who plays the central female character in the series. Harboring otherworldly secrets, she takes it upon herself to heal, and make whole, everyone who surrounds her. The series sees Khan play a single parent to his son, trying to be the doting father that his dad wasn’t to him. Appreciating how the channel has brought Pakistani content to Indian audience in the current political climate, he says, “Zindagi is taking bold and brave decisions when it comes to storytelling. It’s naturally evolving into a platform that encourages diversity of opinion and inclusiveness for all filmmakers, and material ranging from everyday mainstream to avant-garde and noir. I feel there’s a place for everyone in this artistic landscape.”
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Director Diya Annapurna Ghosh, who recently made her debut with the Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Bob Biswas, says it was a conscious decision to show a vulnerable side of the titular character who was introduced to the audiences nine years ago in Kahaani. Headlined by Vidya Balan, Kahaani was directed by Sujoy Ghosh. In the 2012 film, popular Bengali actor Saswata Chatterjee played the role of Bob Biswas, an LIC agent who moonlighted as a ruthless contract killer. Sujoy’s daughter Diya has helmed a spin-off on the breakout character, Bob Biswas, the script of which is penned by Sujoy. The first-time filmmaker said presenting a milder version of the character, who was originally a creepy, twisted murderer, in the movie was an “intentional” move. “In this film, he doesn’t remember who he was, like he is asking his wife whether he is a good or a bad guy. So, in certain places we put the stone-cold killer aspect. We were trying to balance it out because the character too is stuck between being good and bad. We have tried to show the human side of him because that is one of the reasons why he is what he is,” explained Diya.
While she is being praised singularly for her performance in the second season of 'Aarya', for actress Sushmita Sen the best response came from her parents which left her overwhelmed. Sushmita recently revealed what her parents thought about her performance in the series. She said: "My mother binge watched the second season with me! My Father was choked with emotion when he called me from Kolkata and told me how proud he is of me after watching 'Aarya 2'." The 46-year-old former beauty queen added: "It was a very emotional moment for me. I had always told my father that I would make him proud. It has taken me 27 years to earn this compliment from my Dad, that he is proud of my work."
Rasika Dugal is leading the cast of the tentatively titled series "Spike", a Hindi-language sports drama. She says it came with the opportunity for her to learn something new and she jumped at it. Rasika said: "I love the thrill and adventure of sports dramas. Spike came with the opportunity for me to learn something new and I jumped at it. I thoroughly enjoyed the three months of volleyball training that I did as part of my prep. The 36-year-old actress will be seen essaying the role of a volleyball coach in the sports drama. As part of her prep, she has trained in volleyball for three months in Mumbai.
She added: "I'm excited about essaying the role of a volleyball coach. The life of a sportsperson is about tremendous discipline and rigour. I have so much respect for that and was thrilled to get an opportunity to explore that. I look forward to the next schedule."
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