Kritika Kamra was recently seen in an important role in Netflix’s espionage drama Saare Jahan Se Accha, which starred Pratik Gandhi in the lead. The show saw her play an interesting character of a modern Pakistani journalist named Fatima Khan from the 70s’ era. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Kritika spoke in detail about her character, her career so far and why it is important in an Indo-Pak story to show both the sides in a sensible manner.
What excited you about Saare Jahan Se Accha and your character when it was offered to you?
I was really impressed by the ambition of the show. From the beginning, it was very evident that this would be done on a large scale where in it is a part of history and the story is in India and Pakistan. This was a couple of years ago. So, at that time, there weren’t many espionage dramas. And today when it’s come out and there are more spy dramas around, it still continues to be grounded in reality.
Although it’s a fictional story, the intention was to keep it as realistic as possible and not get carried away and have that larger-than-life thing because that’s not what ground reality is. That’s not how these agencies work. Intel is passed on and many people are deployed to do various things. This is what used to happen in the past before all this technology and stuff (came in). Also, I am personally very interested in history and politics. So, this is a subject I like as an audience also.
I shot for more than what is in the show currently. A lot of it didn’t make the final cut. But back then when I did, I thought it’s very interesting. When you think about Pakistani journalists, you don’t expect somebody like Fatima. It was interesting to see the character so ahead of her times. Also, the way she dresses and talks and what she is doing is at a great personal and professional risk. We generally don’t see this. In fact, generally we don’t show Pakistanis like this. We also don’t show female characters like this.
Principally, it is important for me for a balanced depiction of both the sides. It’s not villainized for the heck of it. It is easy to do that in a story like this. As Indians, we feel very passionately about our country. But when you are telling a story like this, you have to be responsible and think and humanize the characters on both the sides. Ultimately, everyone loves their country and are working for it. It’s not like one side is evil and other is good. Personalities might be different. As an analogy, Pratik’s character Vishnu has so much of restraint because that has been India’s philosophy always. We have never been aggressors. We are peacemakers. You can see how Sunny’s (Sunny Hinduja) character Murtaza is very volatile. And that’s sort of has been the foreign policy of the neighbouring nation.
But the show isn’t like all Pakistanis are bad and all Indians will be like particular people. It has been shown in a very logical and realistic way. And that for me, that was the most important. It was really the number one thing to say yes to it. Otherwise, I would be very off something like this because it is very easy to get into a jingoistic sort of a zone.
You are playing a fearless Pakistani journalist from the yesteryears in the show. What was your preparation like for this character?
A lot of research was already done, to be honest. Gaurav Shukla and Sumit Purohit (creator and director), who were attached with this and had researched and developed the project for so many months, had a lot of ideas (for the character). Of course, it’s not based on a real person. But there were people and there are still people on either side of the border, who are doing what journalists are supposed to do. What kind of a person she is was already there. We discussed and also chalked out a backstory for her.
We thought that somebody like her would probably be someone who studied abroad and has come back because she loves her country. She is concerned about the common man of her country. That’s why she says that instead of bombs, we need to concentrate on economic stability, education and infrastructure. Interestingly, Sumit used to send me interviews of some people, which weren’t related to the show at all, but to just see how people used to talk in the 70s.
You have acted with Pratik Gandhi before in Mitron (2018). He is more popular today. How much change did you see in him?
He has not changed. Everything around him has changed. I have seen it because Mitron was before Scam 1992. I have seen his journey since then. Even then he was doing really well in Gujarati theatre and cinema. I remember when we were promoting the film in Gujarat, the craze and the right people felt for Pratik over there. He got a lot of love from that audience. And today, that love is from every state and corner of the country. It’s really nice to see because he is an actor of such a calibre that he deserves it. And at the same time, he is a wonderful, grounded and pleasant person. That doubles your joy.
As someone who has worked with him in different points in his career, I have to say that his work ethic is exactly the same. He is a really sharp actor. He is very prepared but you will never see his prep in the sense that it’s already internalized. Good things happen to good people. It restores your faith in the universe.
You have played a wide range of characters in TV shows, web shows and films. Has it always been a conscious decision to never repeat yourself?
Main try toh kar rahi hoon. I feel a character is more than its job. For example, I have played a journalist before in Bheed. She was also a righteous journalist. I signed Bheed after this show. So, it’s not that I don’t repeat the occupation of the character. In the character I feel there is something new to explore, that’s very important to me. That’s the only way I judge if I am doing anything different. Ultimately, my face and voice are going to be the same. I have to bring something that doesn’t remind you of something I have played before. So, I consciously try that. And it’s hard because once something becomes successful, you keep getting more of the same thing.
What all do you look into before saying yes for a project?
My process of choosing has been evolving. If you would have asked this 3-4 years before, I would have said that the script is everything. Off late in the past couple of years, I have had experiences where things have changed a lot while filming and then again at edit. I am not saying like unnees-bees ka difference. Things even change 180 degrees. I have realized that as an actor you are somebody else’s vision. And you don’t have any creative power or control over what is going to be eventually made or come out. So, it’s mostly instinctive. And now I want to work with people I can trust. It doesn’t mean that I need to know them personally. I just mean about their previous work, their work ethic and my meeting and it’s mostly instinctual.
How do you look at your journey so far?
I don’t know yaar. It’s very hard to be objective about it (laughs). I think it’s for other people to say how it’s been. I just know that I have a long way ahead. I always knew that I am in this for the long haul. I have never taken any shortcuts and I have never got anything easy also, which is fine because I want to do this all my life. Acting is a discipline where you can really give all your life and get something to learn. Because I know I want to do it forever, I am in no hurry. I am okay to wait for the right things to come my way. I just want to be able to grow. Maybe take a few steps ahead from where I was in my previous project.
Also Read: Web Series Review: SAARE JAHAN SE ACCHA rests on bravura performances and nail-biting scenes
The post EXCLUSIVE: Kritika Kamra on the depiction of Indo-Pak conflict in Saare Jahan Se Accha, “You have to be responsible and humanize characters from both the sides” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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