EXCLUSIVE | Netflix's 'Mandala Murders' actress Vaani Kapoor on her working hours amid Deepika Padukone's shift demand: 'There are times when I worked for 16 hours a day but...'

Vaani Kapoor is gearing up for YRF and Netflix’s Mandala Murders that will stream on the OTT giant from July 25. The actress has acted in films like Shuddh Desi Romance, Befikre, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Khel Khel Mein, Bell Bottom, and is fresh off the success of Raid 2.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Kapoor spoke about her prep for this character that sees her in the role of a cop, digging deeper in the world of murders and mysteries, and her take on actors’ working hours after the debate that has sparked around Deepika Padukone’s shift demand.

Edited excerpts from the interview

This does not look like a regular cat and mouse whodunnit. The trailer suggests it digs deeper. What can we expect? 

Like you said, it’s a fictional world setup with crime, which is blended into drama. 
There’s mythology involved. There’s a whole fictional world, there’s so many things that one can resonate with when it comes to human emotions. There are complexities, one can wonder, and you know, when you’re sitting alone, you can actually think how far am I willing to go for my belief in something. 
What is my purpose? How far am I willing to make this choice? Am I willing to face a consequence like that?  I am aware of the consequences which are around that the choice that I make. So I feel it just makes you wonder, it makes you question, it leaves a lot of room for food for thought for the audience.

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Raid 2 did really well. Khel Khel Mein got some fabulous response, and now the trailer of Mandala Murders also looks exciting. What are the comments that make you validated as an actor?

You’re not just making cinema to sit in the comfort of your living room and watching it alone. You want people to watch it, celebrate that with you. If I can make a difference or an impact on any level with the audiences and there’s somebody sitting in their house or wherever in life and can build a cord and build a connection to the character. If that can inspire somebody. I feel my job is done well. 
And more audiences who will give me love the merrier I am.

We have seen so many female officers of late, so how did it feel to play an officer?

I tried to, they’ve done brilliant jobs in the past. I love Mardaani. Rani Mukerji is untouchable and one of the finest, brilliant actors I have ever seen on screen and in the cinema. But Riya is somebody who also is very human, like she’s more real, she’s not always led by strength. There are times when she’s also kind of fighting her own demons. There’s a personal life, a person can be complexed. There are times when she’s led by strength and there are times when she has breakdowns, like any normal human being. There are things that have left an impact on her mind, in her life. I think that the very nice concoction of having weakness and not weakness, but vulnerability and strength is what excited me.

Since you have dabbled with films, OTT, there are a string of interviews happening. After a point, can it get exhausting? Do you sometimes tell your directors or anybody that you can only contribute this much in a particular day?

Main bolti hoon 12 ghante koi sunta nahin hai meri. I say it should be in the contract and let’s follow that.

As much as my intention is to deliver and there are times, many times there are certain projects where I’ve worked for 15, 16 hours a day, every day. Every single day. But as an act only to better my job, I need to replenish myself. You know, after a point I can’t speak to each other, but I feel like it’s unhealthy for me, because I will not deliver my best at the Nth hour. When you set up a closeup right at the end of the day after 14 hours, 15 hours, you’re delivering something where I’m semi- facing brainfall, I’m tired, I’m fatigued, I’m not sleeping well.

And this happens for many, many, many, many, many, many days. And then one day you’re just like, I want to give this the drive, but I’m giving up, I need to sleep. There are times when I’m just sleeping for three, four hours. And the next day you’re supposed to look fresh, because the same audience will be yeh kya dikh rahi hai. But I know that I’ve not slept in 10 days. I’m not slept at all, as a human being, you need seven, eight hours of sleep. It’s not coming out of some luxury of life that I’m asking. I’m not demanding luxury, but I do need to replenish myself. So the next day when I show up, I’m all there. I’m fresh.

I can contribute better. I can add more to it. When my brain is sharp, when I’m alert, I’m aware. I’m rested, well rested. So I have said all of that, which is why you write that all in the contract for pretty much every project when it’s needed and there, I’m a team player and I’ve never walked out of it and I would never do that. I find that highly unprofessional. I just hope it could be a mutual understanding that, okay, let’s plan the day better. You have these because there are days when you’re just waiting in your van for many, many hours. And it’s a futile thing. You just plan it better. It’s all about the planning.

I don’t think I’ve ever held a thing that main nahin rukoongi and I am walking out, never. I mean, you can’t do that. I respect my craft, I respect my work, I’m grateful for the job. But I also need to deliver my best for that, I think 12 hours is a decent ask in my opinion, for me. It’s a personal choice again, how much whoever can function in whatever capacity for how many hours, it’s subjective.