Actress Harleen Sethi has not only enraptured audiences but also the critics once again with her recently released Kohrra. In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, she discusses the patriarchy, inferences for playing her character, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Interestingly, Harleen Sethi’s brand new series formed a very special connection to her personal self — she got inked! We found it thought-provoking too; hence, we quickly dialled her up for an exclusive interview to know how going the extra mile translates magic into her performances. Critics have already announced that her series, Kohrra, has the power to captivate viewers with its evocative storytelling and compelling performances. Respectable!
On the other hand, what’s Harleen’s take? She wrings out, “All of us have faced patriarchy; some are still cladding with it. We women are conditioned in a way that we “have to” compromise or sacrifice! It was inculcated in me too, from my childhood. Smaller parts of our country are still suffering from the same. Women don’t have agency over their lives! We are still fighting that battle. This series was written two years ago, and families are connecting with it. Especially the men in the demographics! This was a mirror showcased to society with the theme touched through my character.”
Speaking on a tad bit of a personal note, she recalled, “Even though I was born and brought up in Bombay, I am coming from a conservative mindset. My parents have grown with me, and it’s the reality of today. But when I recall, for instance, the keys to the house were always given to my younger brother, obviously because he is a boy. This is an example of social conditioning. This incident left an impact on me! My mother is a very capable woman; she’s a psychologist and a social worker. But she’s practising all of this at home! This is a compromise. I am kind of becoming like my mother, a realisation that has come to me of late. Years ago, I took a stand for myself, but I was termed an aggressive or wild child, strangely. But it was the need of the hour. Again, we touch on the theme of generational trauma in the series. This made me relate to my character a little more because Nimrat was doing something similar to what Harleen did years ago in her own home.”
Basking in the success, the actress continued, “Most probably, this series is a success because we are overarching the flow of crime drama and investing more into emotional interests. The plot became far more interesting! I am not the leading lady of the series; I have a couple of scenes, but the way my character was marketed shows the engaging factor in society. But sometimes shooting turns out to be tough on actors.”
She explained the precedent: “My co-actor had to push me aside and get into the act for a scene. He’s way too senior for me and so apprehensive. He immediately juggled me as this careless person, shoved me to the side, and took charge of the situation. This wasn’t written in the script; it happened on the spur of the moment. He was disturbed now and refused to rehearse again. Obviously, he didn’t want to hurt me! I comforted him: Let’s see where it goes and with a lot of takes. It was hurting me, but we were in the moment. He kept apologising in the middle of the take, which was very sweet of him. And, as soon as I reached my vanity van to change, I was perturbed to see the bruises on my hand. Contused badly! But instead of feeling stupid, I was feeling special as an actor (she laughed).”
When the netizens called her the shining grace of the series, Harleen felt glad about it, so she continued with the inferences she was drawing: “I spoke to a couple of my friends who had a toxic relationship with their fathers, some of the known ones who had temper issues. I had to take them through that dark space, but I didn’t know how to get through this character otherwise. Some of them wanted to end their lives!”
Another endearing backstory was coming our way. The actress shared, “In all honesty, the atmosphere around me was very cosmopolitan. I was not as connected to my roots as I should have been! We never conversed with each other in Punjabi. And speaking English was considered to be the ultimate cool factor! But when the show came to me, the script was in Punjabi, and I had never spoken Punjabi! The deeper I engaged myself in the language, the more connected I felt. I accepted my roots on the sets of Kohrra. All of a sudden, I was feeling overjoyed because I was running away from my radicles. But this rhizome was strengthening me on the sets! On purpose, I got inked so that I could take my origins to my grave.”
Shooting in Ludhiana and highlighting the different phases of the locations, she shared, “It was my first time shooting in Punjab. My shooting schedule was interspersed with another schedule. I was going to and fro. The road trip in between — you can smell the fragrance of the state’s soil! You are driving via canals. My preparation started in the car because my body language used to change automatically. The most special shooting location was the home we rented because it was right next to a gurudwara! The ‘Ardas’ used to go on, so after so many disturbing scenes inside that house, I immediately used to go and spend some time inside the gurudwara to move away from the violent takes we had taken during the shoot. The Gurudwara was a blessing in disguise for me! In actual fact, the house used to turn very toxic by the end of the day, and I couldn’t take it. So I used to leave that toxicity in the gurudwara, and that was the end of it. But I won’t be playing a Punjabi character or the role of a mother again because I am here to show my versatility. Presently, I am shooting the Roy Kapur films, something with Abhishek Bachchan, and a special song. And my director categorically told me not to sign any projects until Kohrra comes out because he knew filmmakers would look at me differently, and it’s happening.”
