EXCLUSIVE | 'Kill' fame Tanya Maniktala: 'The one character I relate to the most is Katrina Kaif from Namastey London because...'

Flames could be one of the most relatable shows out there on the OTT platform. Far removed from the world of sexual gratification and incessant gore, here’s a world that’s occupied by characters and not cliches. A world where the conflicts are instantly relatable and accompanied by the quintessence of nostalgia. KILL is one of the most brutal films of Hindi cinema in recent times, and Loot Kaand, a new web-series on the block, is both fun and frivolous.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, actress Tanya Maniktala spoke about this series and the one character from Hindi films she relates to the most.

Edited excerpts from the interview

After Kill, how does it feel to land in trouble again?

I think this time, she’s the one who’s creating trouble and also landing us in even bigger and deeper trouble. So I think the troubles I attract is crazy. So this is just a manifestation or an extension of that. And it’s going to be mayhem. It’s going to be chaotic, but all for the best.

So how did you prepare for this part?

For Latika’s character, I think, definitely, the script I think serves as a bible. And if you read the script, it’s so well drafted. All the characters are etched so beautifully. So we do not have a lot to do. But, obviously, what is on paper, what is being created on the go, I think, are different things. So I think bringing that to life was something that the director and I will constantly work on. And the only thing I remember he telling me was that, Tanya, I’ve been a very soft, very, little, timid and shy girl, and, like, of course, you have to be this fierce, a strong girl who is landing herself in trouble, but also taking even bigger risks and knows what is at stake.

So you have to kind of embody that courage and that confidence and that charisma. So that is something that I really needed to prepare mentally. But, apart from that, I think the sibling bond is very, very important. The story is about these two characters who come from very humble backgrounds. And for a very measly amount. They do the things that they do. And in a turn of events, land up in a situation that is completely out of their control, and unprecedented. So I think the bond that we shared was because he and I are also batchmates in college.

Since you said that there is so much chaos going on in the show, how was the script pitched to you? Was it a narration? Did you read the script? Did you grasp all the chaos happening?

It was a narration, and I remember how vividly everything was read out to me because narrations actually came up. But Aman, who’s also the writer, they were giving me the narration with Saurav. And they were so excited. They were so passionate. They were reading like, they weren’t reading.

They were re-enacting those things, and I told them after the narration that I don’t think I’ve had a better narration than that. And it’s going to be hard to surpass this kind of fashion. So I think I was taken by that narration only. Just seeing how driven they were and how excited they were about these characters. You see, nothing out of the ordinary, but there’s so much more to them than what meets the eye. And I think it’s beautiful. The story is about very real characters, very real emotions, and presented very dramatically with very high stakes, but with so much truth and honesty. And I think that is what great storytelling is all about.

How would you describe Latika? Is she somebody who has shades of grey? Is she loyal? Can she be trusted?

Oh, no. So this is something she can definitely be trusted, but she definitely has her own, you know, grey areas. And I see at the start of the journey and at the start of the show, you’ll see she denies those grades. She is somebody who’s always on the right side of morality, and she always wants to be. But slowly, as the journey proceeds, you will see her work acknowledging, number one, the flaws that she has.

And then later on comes to even embrace them and finally to her redemption. So it’s a beautiful arc that this girl has because I think much like us, this character has her flaws and her imperfections. But at the same time, from shying away to embracing it and to finally being able to accept it. And I think all of them make a beautiful story in her own journey. So I think Latika can definitely be alive, but her motivations and her intentions are such that the things that she does, all come from the right place. Obviously, it’s very complex, but that’s, like, almost all of us. Almost plain and simple now in today’s world. We all have our shades of grey, and that just lives in those places now.

The kind of choices that you have made as an actor, be it Kill, be it Flames, be it Loot Kaand. These were stories that didn’t exist back earlier. What do you have to say about the way we have evolved in terms of storytelling? What do you feel has changed?

I think the beauty of storytelling lies in evolution, and I think we are doing such a thing, with directors like Nikhil, Mira ma’am, all of them. I have to thank them because they are the ones who brought these stories and presented the opportunity to actors like me to be able to partake in them. So I think storytelling is all about evolution. Cinema is a reflection of society, and I think that’s what is being adapted into these stories beautifully.  So as long as we are honest to who we are, I think storytelling will always have something honest to present.

So which is that one Hindi film character you related to the most?

It’s Jazz from Namastey London. Katrina. She’s been how she wanted to kind of, create her own identity by disowning who she was, but then later maybe due to external factors, embraces who she is and she finally comes back home. Her homecoming is what I relate to.

Just like Jazz, have you also made some questionable decisions in your life?

I think that is a question that’s better answered by my family and my parents. But here I am.