Actress Ishitta Arun, who is indeed related to musical creativity, discusses success, being a part of the uncle-nephew starrer web series Rana Naidu, and more in an exclusive chat with The Pioneer.
Even if Ishitta Arun didn’t get the lion’s share of the screen time, the actress still gave a stunning performance in the web series Rana Naidu.
A former VJ and model, and also the daughter of illustrious singer Ila Arun—Ishitta demands a lot as an artist! Her talents might surprise you. She has in fact written the lyrics for two of the major chartbusters starring Kangana Ranaut. She was truly born with greater potential, but because she practised her talent: that’s what makes her a tad bit different from her mother. Somebody, who is indeed related to musical creativity, but on the whole, it’s her sheer hard work.
Consequently, in an exclusive interview with Ishitta, we learned that she continued her appetite for music even after they were married because, curiously, she’s married to a classical and jazz musician! Very interesting details, isn’t it? “Success is an extremely subjective and fleeting concept, entirely personal to the individual. For me personally, success is when I’ve been able to challenge myself in order to be better today than I was yesterday, at what I do as a performer and as a human being! When I don’t accept defeat, and continue to have the spirit of attacking every role as if it were the main lead, that’s success for me.”
When you watch her perform in the Rana Daggubati starrer series, you will certainly understand how she did justice to the role she was given. “Rana Naidu was an adaptation of an American series by the name of Ray Donovan. Since it is an adaptation, a lot of hard work has gone into it, even before the shoot began. A lot of effort went into creating the world of Rana Naidu — the sets, the characters, the script, and the world. And the care with which the creators and producers mounted the show was extended to the cast as well. With regards to prep and hand holding the cast, both were required. Our preparations, as with everything to do with the series, were thorough, meticulous, and extremely professionally done.”
So, what about the series reception? “Precisely because two huge names are in this series and it is a never-before-seen unusual casting, Rana Naidu has been lapped up by audiences worldwide. It was a treat to work with the uncle-nephew duo. Excellent work ethic and just very down-to-earth human beings.”
From intense screen presence to subtle performances in emotional scenes, the actress does her job brilliantly. And then, “I knew Rana Naidu would be one that people would sit up and take note of. But beyond that, it’s luck. You never know what sticks and what doesn’t. So although I was confident, I wanted to see how it panned out post-release. I am happy to say it was exactly what I had imagined.”
Sharing a little about her mother’s influence on her — “My mom is an intuitive and experienced actor. Being around her and watching her on and off the stage has had a massive influence on how I approach a performance, too. She prepares extensively for every role she undertakes, yet when it comes to the performance aspect, it’s her instinct that kicks in, and that’s what I am coming to realise I share with her. Practise is the key. Learn your lines. Do your homework and trust your instincts.”
On a very consequential note, she goes on to express, “I would look back at my theatre experience as an insider behind the scenes, or as we say, backstage. I have grown up backstage at Prithvi Theatre since I was two years old; that’s why. So I was exposed to every aspect of theatre — both on and off stage. And that is my journey as a theatre actor—the parts you see on stage and the ones responsible for what you see on stage.”
And then the drastic shift: “I was never supposed to write the title song for Kangana’s movie. It started with one Lori that I wrote for Dhaakad, composed by my husband. He composed the title track while working on Agni’s theme, and I just went with it. I am happy to say that we put out a great track, so much so that both the director and Kangana went for it! Kangana was extremely humble and very approachable every time we met.”
