‘Aarya made me fall in love with the art of filmmaking again’
… says Sushmita Sen about joining her critically acclaimed web series
The actress had joined her recent claim to fame, Aarya with no expectations, but it soon turned into a passion project, which she says resurrected her love for storytelling.
Sushmita, whose last film appearance was in the 2015-Bengali feature Nirbaak, made a high-flying return to acting in 2020 with the first season of Aarya, created by Dhamaka helmer, Ram Madhvani.
“When we made Aarya Season 1, we made it with no expectations. But we made it with a lot of heart. It’s a huge 500-member team and we just put our life and soul into it, every single one of us. But the way it was received was overwhelming — something we hadn’t expected. But Aarya was, in so many ways, the resurrection of the art that I love. I’ve fallen very passionately in love with the art of filmmaking again after a long time,” the actor said.
The Disney + Hotstar show, an adaptation of Dutch crime-drama Penoza, became an instant hit and received an International Emmy nomination in the best drama series category.
“With season two, we came with the pressure of knowing that we are a successful show and people have loved us. It was a different outing this time .... We did not let ourselves be consumed by the pressure,” she said.
The upcoming season will follow Aarya’s journey as a mother, combatting the dark world of crime and enemies closing in on her and her children. Sushmita says Aarya has evolved into a fiercer soul as she realizes that to protect her children, it is important for her to survive.
“While in season one, it was the mother all the way and her concern was her kids, in season two, the woman rises. That makes the two seasons so different. All aspects of her
life are protected, sure. But she is a woman who realizes that sometimes enough is enough,” the actor added.
For the upcoming season, Sushmita is joined by actors Sikandar Kher, Vikas Kumar, Mayo Sarao, Ankur Bhatia, Akash Khurana and Dilnaz Irani, among others.
“When we made Aarya Season 1, we made it with no expectations. But we made it with a lot of heart. It’s a huge 500-member team and we just put our life and soul into it, every single one of us. But the way it was received was overwhelming — something we hadn’t expected.” —SUSHMITA SEN,