Noted actors Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari will soon be seen in the eagerly-awaited series Human, which revolves around the sensitive issue of drug trials.
It is a fictional series that enunciates the collateral damage due to fast-tracked drug trials for financial gains in a gripping tale that involves innocent lives lost to greed. It unravels unexpected secrets of the world of medicines and their effect on people with a tale of murder, mystery, lust, and manipulation.
In an interview with Firstpost, National Award-winning actor Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari talk about their characters, why playing a lead is important, OTT platforms changing the game for female actors, and much more. Excerpts:
Tell us something about the characters and how challenging were they to play?
Shefali: Gauri Nath is different. You don’t know what hits you at each moment. She’s complicated, unpredictable, and indecipherable. Not only is she unlike anyone I’ve played before, but I also don’t know nor have heard of anyone like her! It has been one of the most challenging characters I’ve played because we have absolutely nothing in common. Had I played her the way she was written, I’d have been in the safe. But I chose to play her unexpectedly, and the directors thankfully agreed with my vision so she’s a gamble, a risk I’ve taken. And she’s pushed me out of my comfort zone. I hope my portrayal of her opens the audience’s mind to indecipherable characters like her. And the show opens our eyes to what happens when doctors, who are considered gods, start playing god.
Kirti: I am super excited to see the reactions Human will receive. Thriller, as a genre, has always intrigued and drawn me so getting to explore the role of Dr Saira Sabarwal with a veteran like Shefali Shah in Human has been an absolute honour. We would spend hours going through the script trying to perfect the act much before the actual shoot. The script demanded a lot of silent acting and reacting where only our face and body language would be used to express. I hope Human receives a lot of love and appreciation because a lot of blood and sweat has gone into crafting it.
What prompted you both to take up Humans?
Shefali: The show is like a Pandora’s Box. It has so much to offer. Even when we knew the story and had the script ready, every scene surprised us. The show is complex – it’s about the medical world, about human drug trials but it is also about all these characters, their internal conflicts, and interpersonal relations. The script was so powerful that I had to say yes. Collaborating with Vipul Shah and Mozez Singh was another plus.
Kirti: I agree with Shefali. The trailer has given out a bit and kept so much for the audience to watch. There’s so much to look forward to.
As an actor, how to you detach yourself from the character. How difficult is it?
Shefali: It’s never easy, and it becomes more difficult when it’s a show, and not a two-hour film. We have to deliver eight to 10 hours of content, and live in that character for longer. A script that is as complex as that of Human, you need to understand and remember every part of it. I used to read the script almost every day as it is difficult to keep all the material in mind. Human has been difficult, but I would say every project I do scares me. Every time I go in front of the camera, I am terrified.
Kirti: I don’t have a problem detaching with my characters. I don’t take the characters back home. Criminal Justice taught me this detachment. Yes, when you have a good script, as an actor, you want to go all out, and Human is layered, complex, and complicated. The character is written so beautifully. It’s like a sonpapdi – layer after layer (laughs). However, when there’s much to bring to the surface, it gets exhausting as an actor. It does drain you. So much so that I was not able to shoot for Four More Shots Please! simultaneously. I felt empty.
Were you aware of the practice of testing drugs on humans in return for money before working on the project?
Shefali: It’s a subject that hasn’t been explored. Human will force people to ask questions. We know about the human trials but we are not aware of the kind of stuff that goes into it, the type of game it is, and the white-collar people involved in it. It was overwhelming and disturbing when we got down to the details of it.
Kriti: I was just aware of the drugs trial – that’s it. I was shocked to know everything in detail. I was not able to believe it. The conviction in the script increases when you have to portray the reality.
How important is it for you both as an actor to play the lead?
Shefali: I’ve worked very hard, and waited for long to get the right characters.
I am now playing the lead but I feel it’s the entire ensemble that makes the experience rich.
In Delhi Crime, Vartika (her character) is the lead but every other character is equally important. I am happy to see people writing characters keeping me in mind. I need to be there now.
Kirti: It is becoming more and more important for me to play the lead because I can do justice to the project, and carry it on my shoulder. I’ve proved that in the past. At heart, I am an actor who believes in doing a role only because the character is written beautifully – as I did in Uri. It was not the main character but I could tell her story in those few minutes. As an actor, everything I see is a lead but the way the industry and media functions make it difficult. I’ve waited for my work to speak for myself. I am open to not being at the centre of a project if the people I am collaborating with respect my work, and are not taking away my credit.
When we talk about Bollywood, actors need to look a certain way, be of a certain age. What do you have to say about that? How do you process getting older in a notoriously ageist business?
Kirti and Shefali: It’s a battle, for sure. Typecasting, fighting age, getting recognition… is something you’ve to keep fighting till the time you get the right work. We are doing so many different kinds of roles that we are not afraid of it now.
Do you think OTT is changing the game for women? Women characters are now being shown in a better light.
Kirti Kulhari: Yes, yes, and yes!
Shefali Shah: I agree. However, in the '60s and '70s, there were a lot of female-oriented films like Aradhna (1969), Mamata (1966), Anupama (1966), Ghar (1978). Then came a patch when actors had a shelf life – probably between the ages of 18-22, and then they were not offered work. Things are again changing with films like Tumhari Sulu (2017), Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017), and OTT has made a lot of difference. It’s not just for women but it is helping in adding layers to a character. People are writing unacceptable content beautifully. OTT is not ruled by the box office, and content is the king. It is powered by talent, and not big names. You are being pitched against international work.
Human will be available on Disney+ Hotstar from 14 January.
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