Winning praise for her mature performance in Aarya 2, Sushmita says the OTT boom has not only helped actors realise their potential but also put Indian content on the global map
Sushmita Sen
Talent can be a patient thing. It doesn’t leave your side, honing itself quietly until the right moment comes its way. For Sushmita Sen, it came 24 years after her Bollywood debut, in the form of Aarya. If the first season made people rediscover Sen’s acting prowess, the latest instalment has proved that she gets better as the stakes rise higher. To the actor, the Ram Madhvani creation represents the kind of content she always believed in. “Now, I am moving in the right direction. I am marrying the person I am with the role I choose. It required a director like Ram and such a team to allow me to do that,” she says.
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In the eight-part series, circumstances and shifting alliances compel Sen’s Aarya to transform from a homemaker to a fierce don. The actor is delighted that the audiences have embraced a woman-led story, season on season. “The show is inspired by Penoza [the Dutch series], or [if you see the similarities], the role is a female version of Michael Corleone from The Godfather. So, it’s tough for Indian audiences to suddenly accept not just a strong female lead, but to see her being everything that we consider masculine. Thanks to Ram, Aarya is still as feminine as she can be, because she is a mother first.”
A still from Aarya 2
The advent of streaming platforms has changed the content landscape in India over the past two years. Sen seconds the idea. “The real celebration of content has come through OTT because it has allowed us to explore. It’s not about actors, whose careers had come to an end, making a comeback. It is about web [platforms] that allow Indian stories to have international appeal while remaining true to Indian culture. [Aarya] being nominated at the Emmys was a shoutout to the fact that we are making our presence felt globally.”
The second season of the Disney+ Hotstar series ends with a tease, as Aarya finds herself facing a new enemy. Is a third edition on its way? “Penoza had five seasons. So, we have the basic arc of five seasons. Only Ram can answer this question, but I have a dirty feeling we’re coming with season three,” she laughs.
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