Nushrratt Bharuccha will be seen in a never seen avatar in Akelli. The film is a story based on true events which is about a young woman and her struggles on her journey to freedom. It is slated to release on August 25 in theatres and also stars international artists like Amir Boutrous and Tsahi Halevi. In a freewheeling chat with The Free Press Journal, the actress talks about her role, inhibitions and more. Excerpts:
Is Akelli the byproduct of Chhorii’s success and your powerful acting in it?
I feel Akelli came to me because Chhorii did well. Prior to it, no one really thought of considering me in such roles. That the whole film is on and around me… this fact was a far-fetched dream. I only got offers to rom-coms so far, but now I am more in a realistic and emotional space. Whatever I get offered, I tend to listen to the narration of it. Even now, the offers that are coming are drastically different. Funnily, I haven’t got any offers to do a rom-com after Chhorii.
Will you do a rom-com now if you like the subject or now you want to stick with realism?
For rom-coms, it’s all in the writing I feel. One generally gets to know what people are writing or what stories are floating around, but I couldn’t come across any rom-com. I am in a beautiful phase of my career right now but no one really knows what would work. Everyone is just experimenting. I would love to do a romantic film but it has to appeal to me.
Do you feel that a character you play in Akelli comes from a sense of more liberal writing due to OTT?
When I came on board, Akelli was never aimed for an OTT release, it was always meant to be a proper big theatrical release. Like everyone, I also sat at home during the pandemic and watched a lot of content around the world. We all used to watch whatever English content came into theatres. OTT enabled peak to watch so many stories in different languages from different cultures that overall people opened up creatively a lot more. Audiences are educated today and their preferences have evolved too.
What were your roadblocks for you to play such a character?
Initially, I wasn’t ready to do this film since I wasn’t sure whether I am ready to play a character like this or not. If an actor isn’t ready then it wouldn’t do justice to the role. The director Pranay (Meshram) came back to me and convinced me for the film. And the way he was navigating the story, it gave me a lot of confidence. I have always been a person who likes a few people around me as my guiding force as then I am not restricted with my own thoughts.
What’s the update on Chhorii 2?
I will begin shooting for Chhorii 2 in December 2023. I am on a break at the moment to prepare myself for it emotionally and mentally.
