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Mandala Murders EXCLUSIVE: Vaani Kapoor Gets Candid On Her Equation With Surveen, Playing Cop For First Time
Mandala Murders Actress Vaani Kapoor Exclusive: With Mandala Murders now trending #1 on Netflix and earning praise for its gripping narrative and intense performances, Vaani Kapoor is finally getting her due as a serious actor. Dark, suspenseful, and layered with secrets - the 8-episode Netflix series has viewers hooked. And right at the center is Vaani Kapoor, delivering a performance that's as unpredictable as the plot itself.
In an exclusive post-release interview with Filmibeat, Vaani opens up about the challenges of stepping into such a psychologically demanding role, how she prepped for the dark and gritty world of Mandala Murders, and what it was like sharing screen space with co-star Surveen Chawla.
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
1) From your debut film 'Shudh Desi Romance' to 'Befikre', 'Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui', 'Raid 2', and now 'Mandala murders', you have always been known for pushing your boundaries. What drew you to this role, especially since it's such a shift from the characters you have played in the past?
I think 'Rhea Thomas' had a certain stillness to her. She is very different. If you see the show, you'll be able to gauge that every other character of mine in the past has nothing similar to Rhea Thomas. This is the first time I've played a cop who's designed to be cold, and she comes bearing weight on her chest. She's more of an observer than a reactor... noy flashy, not smug, but she's determined, and she's sharp, and there's intellect. I think just the way she was written was very dramatically and drastically different from anything I had explored before, or I had been given an opportunity before. So, I feel all thanks to Gopi sir, how he saw it and how he saw this character in me. I'm just grateful to him that he could visualize me in this way, and just give me an opportunity that never came knocking at my door before.
2) You have had quite a few scenes with Surveen Chawla. Whenever two actresses with powerful roles come together and share the screen space, people often talk about insecurity, rivalry, and being competitive to outshine the other person. How was the vibe between you two on set? Was there any tension because of such talks?
Oh, not at all. It was lovely. I have had a wonderful experience with every actor on set. And mine and Surveen's scenes were quite limited. We didn't explore a big screen space because our scenes were quite limited. But whatever scenes we had, she's such a wonderful actor. And we truly both got along really well. In fact, everybody gelled well with every actor. You need to have mutual respect for one another. It's a team effort and teamwork. Films are not made in isolation. One actor can't pull through, and you don't work in isolation. It's so much give and take for it to look real and for it to feel convincing, and that's what we had for each other. Just unspoken mutual respect, even in the silences. And we understood each other and believed in giving somebody their space and their time. So, I think it was a good camaraderie and a positive, healthy work environment. There was an utmost respect for one another.
3) You have portrayed a range of roles in your 12-year-long acting career. How does Rhea Thomas differ from your other characters in terms of emotional intensity and preparation?
Someone who had survived too much, she couldn't afford to fall apart. So, there was a lot that was going on within her. There was only so much she displayed on the surface level, and yet, the challenge was to be able to connect to the audience. She's not too emotive in her gestures and her body language, and yet, she comes out convincingly. That was the challenge. It wasn't like we tried to make her very likable. There wasn't cuteness and likability in that sense. But yet, she had to come across real, and she had to come across convincing. The homework was more internal. The work was more internal. Everything else that you see on the surface just had to bring her eyes, which were more emotive than any other.
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