Sushmita Sen on Aarya 2: What happens when one decides to stop being hunted, and becomes the hunter

Sushmita Sen ’s comeback with  Aarya  has made everyone realise that they missed her presence on the big screen, and the actor should lap up more projects soon. Sen, who recently underwent surgery, tells us that she is feeling “much better” now. In Season 2, Aarya is back for revenge. She is now a don, and much stronger than before. In the first season, we saw Aarya struggling to keep her family safe. But this time, she has a different goal. In an exclusive interaction with Firstpost, Sen speaks about her happiness to be back at work as an actor, the evolution of her character in Aarya Season 2, OTT platforms changing the game for women, and much more. Excerpts: Aarya was nominated for International Emmy Awards . How did that feel?  First of all, to see that three nominations for Emmy Awards were from India was a humungous feeling. I was so proud as an Indian. Then to know that Aarya was representing India on such a global platform was a blessing. I feel this is just the start and international platforms are recognising Indian content, and we are about to kill it in the future. How does it feel to come back? And that too with Aarya?

Would you want me to dance and show you how happy I am? No words can define it.

It’s like coming back with a bang. There couldn’t have been a more powerful way and more powerful story to return with. I worked with the most fantastic team.

Tell us something about your character. How will we see the character evolve?  (They) messed with the wrong woman (laughs). What happens when you stop being hunted and decide to become the hunter and face what’s coming your way. The dynamics of a character’s journey change when you make that decision. This season is all about facing it, and that’s what makes it so exciting to watch. What all did you learn while working on Aarya Season 2? Lots and lots of patience – that’s in BOLD. We shot it in very trying times with half the team in PPE kits, getting tested after every two days. Every time a crew member left, the other one had to come from quarantine. It took longer for us to make it, and therefore the patience was required. It has taught me that no matter how hard you work, there’s room to do better. It has taught me that the recognition and love we have achieved is a responsibility, and we have to do better and stay honest about the show and its format. We should not get carried away with the awards and attention.

From working in commercial films to doing something like Aarya where there were no cuts, no glycerine. How has that experience been?

Aarya has taught me the power of workshops.

I have never done that in my entire career, and now, I am a student of cinema and that has helped me immensely. I went back to learning a whole new technique of filmmaking, to performing in real time, and using theatre techniques of performing without any cuts, adapting, improvising, and going with the flow for the camera and the digital format.

Do you think OTT is changing the game for women, and they are being shown in a better light? More than better light – women are now being shown as people with their journey rather than being an aid to someone else’s journey. That is empowering. Now we are talking about a global audience, and they are used to women being a working mother, corporate honchos, equals as their male counterparts. When OTT represents women like that, they are not just empowering a format of storytelling, but they are empowering the nation. There are millions of women from my country who would feel that if Aarya can do a certain thing, then even I can do it. That makes it inspirational for me. What are the similarities between you and Aarya?  I didn’t have any description in terms of how the character should look like, which actors usually get. As artistes, we often have to change our appearance – our hairstyle, looks, body language to play a certain character. But director Ram Madhvani wanted to keep Aarya and Sushmita similar in a lot of ways. The audience was able to connect with the character because of it. At many levels, they believe I am playing myself. Are we going to have Season 3? Just Season 3? I have already thought about Season 4-5 in my head. So maybe you can ask me if I am ready to play Aarya again when I am done with five seasons of the show. Aarya Season 2 is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

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