After winning hearts with Aisha and Kai Po Che, actor Amrita Puri made headlines when she played Kangna Ranaut’s cousin in Judgementall Hai Kya. She is currently seen in the Zee5 original web series, Jeet Ki Zid. It revolves around the real life story of special forces officer Major Deep Singh (Amit Sadh), who was left paralysed waist below during the Kargil war, but overcame that hurdle with the help and support of his wife, Jaya (Amrita Puri). Excerpts from the interview:
How was it working with Amit Sadh after so long?
I actually agreed to be part of the web series because of Amit. He was the only one I knew. We have been in touch, and working with him was a big advantage. He plays special forces officer Major Deep Singh and has done a fantastic job. He is a great actor.
Tell us something about the character you play in the series?
This is the story of an army man. But it is also the story of his wife and people who supported him throughout his journey. It is because of his determination that he managed to be where he is. His wife went ahead and married him, even though she had met him only once. She did not let him give up and helped him to continue fighting. It was all happening because of the wife, and a large part of the series is about how she helped him go through it all.
What was it like to shoot in the middle of a pandemic?
I was offered this role in the middle of a pandemic and it was a great script. We were told right at the onset that we would shoot without any break and release the web series around Republic Day. It was mostly shot in Patiala and Manali. The locales were beautiful. Each frame that was shot in Manali stands out. The farmers’ protests had just started in Patiala while the shoot was on. In fact we had to halt the shoot for two days and we were in the heart of it all. There was the pandemic on one side and the protests on the other. It was quite a trying situation. They started protesting in summer and have sat in protest right through the chilling winter! It is a very difficult situation for them since they have left their families behind.
Do you think youngsters today are more keen on a corporate lifestyle than join the defence forces?
There is a lot of web content based on army life. But the youngsters are also very intelligent and I wouldn’t say they are not keen. May be army life is not for everyone either. You also need to have a particular mind-set to be in the army. My grandfather was a pilot and his brothers were in defence forces. There is also another relative of mine who has served in the Kargil war. So, I totally understand if someone does not want to join the army. It is never an easy life. A lot of sacrifices are involved, children don’t see their fathers for months, at times they don’t even know if they will ever come back! So the women in the family have to have an equal amount of grit. So the web series is also about how the families adapt and cope when there is war.
The theatres have reopened, but are relatively empty. Is OTT eating into the movie theatre-going crowd?
Yes, definitely. People are still wary of going out unless it is absolutely necessary. Apart from going to work, everyone is pretty much indoors. As a result the viewership has been affected. There is a lot of demand for OTT content now and there is a good supply as well! But I do plan to start watching films in the theatre, because I think it is important to do that.
