Esha Deol Takhtani’s upcoming OTT show Rudra: The Edge of Darkness is creating quite a buzz. Adapted from Luther, it is the acting debut of Ajay Devgn in a web series. Esha will be seen as Ajay’s wife in the show. Directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, it will begin streaming from March 4 on Disney+ Hotstar. Free Press Journal caught up with her for an exclusive conversation.
The daughter of Bollywood legends Dharmendra and Hema Malini has completed almost two decades in Bollywood. Opening up about her journey, Esha shares, “Yes, it’s been almost 20 years for me in the film industry... Yet it feels like I have just begun. Kaise time chala gaya malum hi nahin pada.”
The actress has signed a couple of projects and is elated to be back in front of the camera. “Right now, I am shooting for one project already. It feels good to be back to work. I’m shooting in front of the cameras again (laughs). There are a couple of projects in the pipeline. So, once the makers make announcements, I will be in a position to talk and reveal more,” she explains.
Esha loves the title of Rudra: The Edge of Darkness. “I think it’s the perfect title for a story like this. And especially Ajay’s character... A rudra roop of Lord Shiva in short. He is pretty much like Rudra in the series, and rightfully so, especially with whatever his character is going through,” she gushes.
Despite having been in the industry for so long, Esha has never been embroiled in any controversy. “I think all credit goes to my parents. They have brought us in that manner. We have had a humble upbringing, unlike what outsiders think about these kinds of families. I give them complete credit. And I keep in mind the word dignity whenever I step out of the house. That goes hand in hand,” she avers.
When Esha had just begun her foray into Bollywood, Dharmendra was reportedly not very pleased. “Initially, yes, of course, as he had his own reasons as a father. He was not in favour of his daughter joining films. Undeniably, things are very different now. He is very happy with the work I do. Now I share and discuss work with him. He talks to me and always tells me, ‘Acha kaam karo’,” she says.
Esha considers Bollywood as her own big fat family. “It is like the entire industrywallas are like a big fat family. We have all kinds of relatives in general from the filmy arena. Some are good relatives while some are bad (laughs). It’s what role you chose to play in this family of yours. That’s how you got to treat it like. When you are in this industry, you make it your own family. Then it’s on you how you live the situations,” she concludes.
