Sikandar Kher talks about his web-series Aarya. (Photo: Sikandar Kher/Instagram)
Actor Sikander Kher will be seen in Sushmita Sen-starrer Aarya, which will start streaming on Disney+ Hotsar from June 19. The actor recently spoke to indianexpress.com about the Ram Madhvani directorial.
Excerpts from the conversation.
What about Aarya made you say yes to the script?
I just have one answer to it — Ram Madhvani. The way he has treated it, the way he has shot it (the series), I have never really worked on something like this. We did something like 360 degrees of work where there used to be no cut but only action, as in, you just have to continue the shot. It was magical. It is my first time to have worked on something like this. It will be interesting to see how it turns out on screen.
Also, I don’t think people will ever say no to Ram Madhvani. He is something else. Any actor would love to work with him. I wanted this part desperately and went out all the way to get it.
Was it difficult to adapt to such style of working?
Yes, because I had not done anything like this. We had workshops to figure out our characters and the backstories of the characters. It was initially difficult because it takes time to understand someone’s way of working but by the end of it, it was a brilliant and super experience for every actor.
Tell us something about your role.
I have been lucky to create something different constantly. In Romeo Akbar Walter, I played an ISI agent and in 24, I played a gangster. Here (Aarya), I play Daulat. All three of them come from very different worlds.
Daulat is a good shoulder to the family. He is very protective of Aarya. He is a loyal person to the family. He is that one person who is always there for her. Daulat is someone whose power lies in his silence. He encourages Aarya and is there to give her strength. I initially thought there is not much for me to do in it but when I worked on the character, I realised that it was one of the toughest things I have done so far. Keeping silent does not mean being blank, which was a challenge, but I had a lot of help from the makers.
How was it working with Sushmita Sen?
Superb. She is an amazing co-star. So much fun, energetic, always on call, constantly thinking and trying to add to the scene. We all had a great time with her. She is a pleasure to work with. She is very friendly and such a regular, down-to-earth person. She doesn’t take her stardom seriously. So, it was peaceful.
What can you tell us about her work in Aarya?
It is about a powerful woman and her journey and I think Sushmita just nailed it. She has hit it out of the park.
In other words, it is a great comeback.
I am not sure if we can use the word comeback here. I think she just found the script she liked. She took a long break and she must have had reasons of her own. The series is all about her and it is written so well. I would give a big shout out to the writers who wrote such good parts for every actor. So, I think this is going to be amazing. This is a great role for any actor. As far as Sushmita is concerned, she became Aarya, which was fantastic.
How is Ram Madhvani different from other directors?
There will be probably three people on the earth like him. He has his own language as a filmmaker, which is rare. More than any of this, I will say I am just lucky to have known a person like Ram. What a beautiful human being he is. He knows every person on the sets by their name. He gives everyone the same amount of respect. His energy is just infectious. I have never had such an experience on a set in my life so far.
Has web been offering you interesting work?
I did a show called Chargesheet, which is on Zee5. There is another one called Mumbai, which is yet to be shot. I have Aarya up for release. Later, I have Sooryavanshi slated for release.
I look at work very differently. I go and ask for work. I don’t care about the platform, if it is exciting for me as an actor, I will do it. I just want to keep working.