EXCLUSIVE: 'Unlike Movies, Web Shows Have Some Very Strong Characters' — Rukhsar Rehman

Rukhsaar Rehmaan

The thriller, The Gone Game, has been highly appreciated by the audiences for being a slick short-series that was produced entirely during the lockdown. The series chronicles the lives of the Gujral family, whose son goes missing – leading to a string of mysterious events that make it an interesting watch.

Now, what’s the show without its cast, amirite? And this show boasts of an amazing ensemble consisting of Sanjay Kapoor, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Arjun Mathur, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rukhsar Rehman, Lubna Salim and Indraneil Sengupta among others.

When it came to the role of the mother, Rukhsar played it wonderfully, and with so much nuance and grace. The actress, who has been in the industry for more than two and a half decades, has always won our hearts with her every performance, however brief her role may be. I got to catch up with her recently and spoke to her about working on a series during the lockdown, the most challenging aspects of it and how OTT is something she is excited to explore.

Excerpts:

What was your reaction when you were first offered Gone Game?

I was really excited, but at the same time a little apprehensive also because I wasn’t sure how would we shoot without proper cameras, lights etc. But I was more excited than apprehensive.

It would have been a shooting experience like no other. What was the most challenging part for you?

Yes, definitely. It was a very different shooting experience. There were a few challenging parts, but the most difficult thing was setting up the whole place. So after setting one corner, we would get on a group video call with the team and then repeat the same thing over and over. Though my husband and daughter were helping, but it was definitely challenging.

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The series is about our current situations, and is firstly very relatable on many levels. What is the part that you felt was most relatable?

What I related to the most is the anxiety, loneliness and depression which a lot of people have experienced over the last few days. But I related to anxiety the most, because I’ve had that feeling since March, when the pandemic hit our country.

While you are on set, you tend to play off each other’s energies, but here there’s a screen distancing you. So how did that play out for you?

Not having a co-actor wasn’t difficult, in fact i found it easier. There were less people around, so it was less chaotic. Of course, when we are together, there’s an exchange of energies but for me it was not very difficult, perhaps because my director’s instructions for me were very clear and I had a great understanding of my character.

These times are changing the entertainment game and people are looking to digital shows on OTT platforms. So is this something even you are keen on exploring more?

Of course, with OTT platforms, there are so many options now for the viewers to watch. It’s worth noticing that unlike movies, most Indian web shows have some very strong characters. The writers have taken a step further when it comes to writing characters for women, unlike the protagonist/antagonist trend of the past.