The call from Arjun Kapoor that made Natasha’s day
For Natasha Bharadwaj, portraying the role of a firstyear resident doctor in the recently released web show Mumbai Diaries 26/11 wasn’t just a professional commitment but had a personal connect as well. The reason, the actor reveals, is her mother, who is a doctor and had treated patients injured in the 26/11 attacks in 2008. And the response she received for her performance, especially from actor Arjun Kapoor, has boosted her confidence further.
“So many people said brilliant things, even those from the medical fraternity. I was extremely happy about was getting a call from actor Arjun Kapoor. He wished me on my birthday and spoke to me about the scenes he liked, how my character moved from one place to another, mentally and emotionally,” the 24year-old gushes, adding that the appreciation was muchneeded.
The actor is glad that the response to the show has been overwhelming, especially because it got her noticed. She stresses on how important it is to achieve that recognition in a competitive field like this. “It’s like kabhi kabhi jo aapke paas nahin hota, you keep it aside. But when you get that validation from the entertainment industry, you feel like haan aap kuchh sahi kar rahe hain. That call from Arjun Kapoor really made my day,” she explains.
Talking about how her mum’s profession helped her prepare for the role, she says, “My mum has worked in so many hospitals, and I’ve been to a lot of them. As a kid, I’d sit in her cabin and look at things under the microscope while she was operating on people. She has also treated those patients in that time of crisis.”
Given how the entire show is based on how the medical community dealt with that traumatic incident of 26/11, Bharadwaj knew she had to consult her mother for the role. “When the shoot started, I actually sat down and spoke to my mum about a lot of things,” she wraps up.