After Bhagyashree’s son Abhimanyu Dassani, her daughter Avantika Dassani will enter Tinseltown. She is all set to make her Hindi debut with a web series, Mithya and a Tollywood project. Directed by Rohan Sippy, Mithya is a psychological thriller. It also stars Huma Qureshi, Samir Soni and Indraneil Sengupta. It will start streaming on ZEE5 from February 18. Free Press Journal caught up with the debutante for an exclusive candid conversation. Excerpts:
Have you learnt acting?
I have been doing acting workshops in Mumbai, Kerala and also in Pondicherry. I have been training in dance and martial arts. I have been doing this for a couple of years. Also, I’ve been auditioning for all the rounds for the casting directors. I have been through the mud like everybody does. I am really very excited about my Hindi debut Mithya. I have to live up to the expectations of all.
Mithya is a Sanskrit word and means false belief. And the trailer has generated quite a buzz. Could you share what’s in store for the audience?
I’m glad there is excitement with the trailer. I am a university student who starts classes under Huma’s character. The moment I walk into her life, things start going sideways. But the million-dollar question is, am I doing it? Is she doing it? These questions form the crux of the story. There is a lot more that will come in with the six episodes. My character Rhea is challenging and interesting. It allows me a huge range and is vulnerable in the sense that this girl is a hard shell on the outside, but whenever she walks into the screen, something is going to go down. On the other hand, she is volatile, emotional, and very impulsive. She is a girl who will act first and then take care of it later.
A still from Mithya |
Do you relate to Rhea in real life?
In real life, I am the opposite. Yes, they chose me as looks are deceptive. I auditioned for this part. It was a Zoom audition as we were right in the middle of the pandemic. I obviously came to know about it later. I didn’t know what particular expression they liked in me that suited Rhea.
Your mother and brother both are very good actors. Do you feel you have inherited their talent?
Honestly, I don’t know what inherited means, but I hope I have inherited some amount of talent from mom. The kind of work mom has done and is still doing, everyone from the industry is very appreciative of it. I hope I have at least five per cent of their talent; I will be really excited.
How was your experience on the sets of Mithya?
It was challenging as it was my first time. There are so many things that you are learning on the sets for the first time. It gets a little overwhelming, and you are trying to find your way. Having a mix, I have to bring my best. It was just a 35-day long shoot, and we shot for six episodes. We didn’t have the opportunity of leisurely days. We were working continuously.
For your debut project, you are working with Rohan and Huma. Could you run us through their way of working?
Rohan sir is a thorough director, so we did readings before and also did a lot of readings on the sets. Having Huma was such a delight. Both of them supported me and helped me out throughout. While the challenges were there, it went smoother than I anticipated for sure because of them.
If not an actor, what other career would you choose?
I don’t know if I would choose any other profession as I am passionate about this profession and happy here.
Elaborate a bit about your Telugu debut?
I am shooting for my Telugu debut film now. However, I can’t reveal many details.
