Actress Apeksha Porwal, who was seen in Undekhi (2020) and Badhai Do (2022), has returned with the second season of the English-Arabic show Slave Market. Directed by Lassad Queslati, the show is set in the early 20th century. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive interaction.
Opening up about the new season of the period drama and her role, Apeksha says, "I'm playing the role of Indian princess Lavani who gets sold as a slave. It's the journey of her escape and how she fights back. The second season is darker with more twists. I would say it's a difficult watch because it is based on a heavy subject. Overall, the show is magnificent."
Apeksha adds, "When the first season released, every week I saw the show coming in Top 5 on the streaming platform. Slave market has an audience in India as well."
The actress reveals what attracted her towards the show. She gushes, "Before this, I've only done one show and very early in my career I got the opportunity to do an international show. It was my dream. The most interesting part is that it is an Arabic show, which is an untapped region when it comes to Indian actors working outside India. The Middle East is quite unexplored for us. So to do the lead role in the show was a no brainer for me. When I heard about it, I knew I had to be a part of this project. It has been the experience of a lifetime. It has been one big adventure and a blessing for me."
Apeksha says she enjoyed working with people from different cultures in Slave Market. "Because it's an international show, we have had actors from all over the world. It was a memorable experience to work with people coming from different cultures. Our hair and makeup team was Spanish, the music director was from Paris and one team was in Abu Dhabi. It was an amalgamation of different cultures and working with them was the most memorable part," she shares.
Recalling the most challenging scene she shot, Apeksha says, "Some of the sequences are shot underwater in the sea and for six to seven hours we were in cold water. And I was wearing a saree, so that was quite a new experience. Also, there is a scene where my character is stripped and she gets raped. Emotionally, to prepare for that scene and shoot it was quite a journey. As an actor, I like to stay with my character for sometime, even when I am not shooting. So that was a challenging scene."
Having majorly worked with streaming platforms, Apeksha reveals what she finds most exciting about OTT. "The characters are explored and the arc is very interesting. The kind of roles that I have played have been possible because of OTT. The script is the winner today, I believe. The rise of OTT platforms has also impacted the portrayal of women. There are so many female-led shows these days. The kind of characters that are written for women is not something I imagine happening 30 years ago," she says.
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