Richa Chadha: I am playing an actress who owns a team so, comparisons are natural.
In Farhan Akhtar’s debut web series, Inside Edge set against the backdrop of league cricket, Richa Chadha plays an actor-franchise owner. The moment this was revealed, speculation began that the role is based on Preity Zinta, who owns Kings XI Punjab of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite the makers clarifying on social media that Richa’s part is a fictional character, comparisons haven’t stopped and looks like Richa has made peace with them.
At the trailer launch of the series, when asked about her take on the reports that the role is inspired by a Bollywood actor, Richa began on a sarcastic note, “I think they (the producers) have already said that’s not true. It’s a fictional show. Scriptwriters were paid a huge amount to tell the story, so, they have worked really hard and written a fictional story.”
She added, “So, there’s nothing like that (based on real life personality). I am playing an actress who owns a team so, comparisons are natural. Guess work happens but there’s nothing of that sort. I don’t want that when you watch the series you feel, ‘Oh! She is not like her.’ It’s a completely fictional show and quite entertaining. It’s very engaging.”
Giving a peek inside her part, Richa said that even though her previous roles have been crazier and more outlandish than this one, she believes it is the most complex character she has ever played. “I have always played characters that are kind of unusual. Even though this is the most complex character, I have ever had to play as of yet, it’s still somewhat normal as compared to really angry Bholi Punjaban (her character in Fukrey). I have played an actor for the first time so, being a performer yourself there’s a lot of fodder that you can use. You can play with your insecurities and give people a peek into your life. So, I am trying to do that,” Richa said.
The series, directed by Karan Anshuman, who made his directorial debut with Farhan’s Excel Entertainment’s Bangistan in 2015, also stars Vivek Oberoi, Sanjay Suri, Sayani Gupta, Sarah Jane Dias and Tanuj Virwani. Talking about Excel Entertainment’s future plans with digital content, co-producer Ritesh Sidhwani shared that they are going to film two more series later this year. While one will again be directed by Karan, the other series will have Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti at the helm.
“There are two such shows that we will start shooting in August. Zoya and Reema are making one and the other one will be by Karan. Both are in completely different genres. It’s a new medium so, we are excited. The audience is completely different. Besides us, there are other people also like I read Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Kabir Khan are also doing shows.”
This is the first original web content by a leading Bollywood production house, and Farhan believes that there’s a certain performance pressure, to be convincing enough in a new medium.
“It’s a challenge for us. There’s a freedom about things you can talk about and represent them on web but with that freedom comes challenges and responsibility to present things. For Ritesh, Karan and me, there’s a challenge that we can’t write just anything and doing it, you have to really really apply yourself. There are times when you think that I am writing something and people are loving it so, why challenge myself further?” he said.
The series will premiere on Amazon Prime on July 10.
