Actress Arushi Sharma recently impressed the audience with her stellar performance in the web series Kaala Paani. Arushi played the role of Jyotsana and is garnering widespread praise. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive interview. 

Sharing her overall experience of working on the survival thriller, Arushi says, “Kaala Paani is a really special project for me. It was a wholesome experience with lots of adventure. The fun we had on sets is etched on my mind. Honestly, I was waiting for something like this to come to me. I was amazed by the writing and loved the character arc that Jyotsana had. There was so much for me to explore as an actor.”

Opening up about how she prepared for her role, Arushi reveals, “I wanted my character to look different from how I look generally. So I decided to gain weight. I gained around five to six kgs. Apart from that, I took an acting workshop to get in touch with my truest emotions. My character was heavy on emotions.”

Arushi explains how she overcame her emotions after shooting several painful and gut-wrenching scenes of the web series. “I was ready beforehand to give this character everything it had in me, emotionally and physically. Even if they had asked me to give 100 retakes, I would have done that. I did not want to keep anything inside of me and I wanted to bring everything to the surface for her. When you stay with the character for so long, it becomes a part of you and I wanted her to be free from all the emotional baggage that she was carrying.”

She adds, “I understand it is my job to be in the present moment between action and cut, but as I was carrying the emotions of Jyotsana with me for months, it actually felt like a relief when I finally spewed that out. But I won’t deny that the feeling lingered on me for many days. I even called the writer Biswapati Sarkar to explain how I was feeling after shooting certain scenes as it felt so real as if it had happened to me. I never experienced this in my brief acting career so far.”

Arushi says she misses the beauty of Andaman and hopes to visit soon. “Andaman has exotic and untouched beauty. I’m glad I got a chance to visit there because of Kaala Paani. I would urge everyone to go there at least once and you won’t believe that a place like this exists in India. During the shoot, yes, we faced some issues. The weather conditions were not conducive as it rained heavily there. We were even hit by a cyclone. The dense jungles of Andaman are also a bit scary as one encounters many animals on the way. But looking back, I miss each and everything about that place,” the actress states. 

On a concluding note, Arushi says, “I would like to believe that Kaala Paani is going to be a turning point for me. I waited for such an opportunity for so long and I hope my hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. From here on, I hope I get many chances in the future where I can prove myself as an actor. I want to work with makers who think women are not just ornaments on celluloid but have a voice of their own,  have a story of their own. My takeaway from Kaala Paani would be to never be afraid of taking up challenges in life and take the road less travelled. It’s going to be hard but you will always be proud of the person you’ve become because of the journey.”

(We are on WhatsApp. To get latest news updates, Join our Channel. Click here)