Amruta Khanvilkar has been earning praise for her performance in Netflix’s Taskaree, where she impressed audiences with a strong, nuanced portrayal. In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal, the actress spoke about the collaborative atmosphere on set and opened up about working with Emraan Hashmi, addressing whether the presence of a star of his stature ever brought insecurity into the process.
Amruta credits the makers and the lead actor for the professional environment on the sets of Taskaree. “I feel that the credit goes to the director and the main actor. I think the credit goes to Neeraj Pandey sir and the unit that was there - Friday Storytellers. The entire production was just so great. Everybody was focused and extremely professional. Emraan Hashmi is one of those actors who has a huge fan following. I’ve had hairstylists and makeup artists call me and say, ‘Let us come once, we just want to see him.’ I had people calling me up just to see him. But he was so focused and professional. As a huge star, he was very approachable. That is something I really liked.”
She speaks about the natural camaraderie shared between the lead actors. “The camaraderie that you see between me, Emraan, and Nandish Sandhu is real. There was a zone where you could freely say anything. Emraan made me very comfortable. If I had any questions, he would explain things to me properly. He was very candid with all of us.”
Amruta also explains why insecurity never existed on the sets. “When there is no insecurity at the top, then why would any of us feel insecure? That’s the thing. When two actors are doing a scene and they are secure - this is your line, this is my line, this is your space, this is my space - then whatever we create together actually works.”
Amruta says the appreciation for her role is a result of collective effort. “People are noticing my character today because everybody has done their job. The writer has written the role beautifully, the director has given it full justice and proper screen time, and that is why people can see it today. If everyone is insecure about close-ups, two-shots, or dialogues, then everyone is only watching out for themselves. That is why I feel every film or project is always teamwork. When it works, when it becomes successful like Taskaree, it is always because of teamwork.”
Amruta concludes by stating that the real hero of the show is the script. “For Neeraj Pandey, the script is the hero. That’s why we love films like A Wednesday. The world is true to its nature, and there are many characters in that world - Emraan, Nandish, and all of us - but the real hero is the story. Characters will come and go. They will have their ups and downs. But you have to be true to the world and true to the script, because that is the real hero.”
