Apoorva Arora has worked in Bollywood movies like OMG—Oh My God! and Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, among others. She gained recognition for her portrayal of Naira in the popular web series College Romance. The actress' show Family Aaj Kal was released recently, which explores the shift in family dynamics after her character Meher introduces her boyfriend, who happens to be a cab driver.
In a candid conversation with The Free Press Journal, the actress revealed what made her say yes to the script. Apoorva said that she was intrigued by the script and was quick to accept the role. She mentioned that typically she contemplates a lot, but in this case, she didn't need much time to think.
When asked if she has ever come across such a love story in real life, she said unconventional love stories, such as the one depicted in Family Aaj Kal, might indeed exist in real life. "Usually when we sit in the cab and interact with the drivers, anything can happen. Anyone can fall in love with anyone. If we remove that judgment from our minds, we will also find a better connection in our lives."
She added that a person must focus on connecting with someone based on who they are as a person, rather than their social status or income. Arora acknowledged that while it may not be easy to ignore societal norms, individuals should consider taking a step towards them.
Apoorva's character is mocked for dating a cab driver; when asked if she would fall in love with a cab driver, going against her family, she joked that she goes against them every day. She added, "Bacche apne maa-baap pe hi jate hai.” The actress also acknowledged the generational gap between her perspective and that of her parents. However, she expresses optimism that, through exposure to OTT shows, parents have started to accept the perspectives of younger generations.
When asked if she'll end her relationship if her parents don't agree to it, she said, "I come from privilege. I am an independent woman, and my parents know that after a certain point, they can’t make me do something they want. I know that in India, several people can’t say, ‘Mujhe jo chaiye mein wohi karunga.’ In my case, I’m not going to convince anybody of my decisions; I’m going to do what I want to do, but that doesn’t mean that is disrespectful to anyone in my family. Either we align our thoughts or we agree to disagree.
While people have been demanding censorship on OTT platforms, Apoorva said that self-censorship is needed as it is not the filmmaker’s responsibility to feed the audience; it is the audience’s conscience that should tell them.
Lastly, the actress was asked if she feels working with new filmmakers is an added effort; to this, she said, "If any filmmaker sees me in a particular character, it’s a matter of honour. For example, if Vikramaditya Motwane comes and tells me something, if I don’t agree with it, I’ll still do it as he is an established director. With the new directors, I’ll have a longer debate. If I understand the script, I’m okay to just jump in and experiment with it; it’s always the director's authority over anyone else’s."
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