Demure to serial killer: Amruta Khanvilkar breaks away from convention (IANS Interview)

After playing the simple and demure Munira in "Raazi", Amruta Khanvilkar took on a role as serial killer Lovina in web series "Damaged" and will be seen as a happy-go-lucky girl in "Satyamev Jayate". She says, career-wise, she is on a roll as she is getting to explore a variety of roles on different platforms.

In Hungama Play's "Damaged", Amruta portrays a mysterious woman who is responsible for the disappearance and murder of multiple men. And in her next movie "Satyamev Jayate", co-starring John Abraham, the actress will be seen essaying a character that is as fun as she is in real life.

The medium has clearly been no bar for Amruta.

"It is a very exciting time for me career-wise. After a long and successful stint in television, I am glad to explore my potential as an actor on different platforms, like films and digital. Digital, as a medium, is so open, whether it is in terms of genres, stories or formats; it's very refreshing," Amruta told IANS in an email interview.

Drawing out the differences in her recent characters, she said: "Lovina in 'Damaged' and Munira in 'Raazi' are quite unlike me, whereas my character Sarita in 'Satyamev Jayate' is very similar to who I am. Lovina is a bold, complicated and strong woman, not to mention, a serial killer.

"Munira was a calm and collected lady, while Sarita is spirited, chirpy and fun-loving like me. The description that the director gave me when I came on board for this project was that Sarita's appearance on-screen will be like a sunshine moment. This was the best way to describe the role and you will see that when the movie releases."

"Damaged" has been particularly challenging for Amruta.

"There is a certain stigma attached with negative emotions and the people who express them are termed wrong-doers, which is not exactly correct as we all have a certain amount of negativity in us. We may not express such emotions in real life, out of the fear of being labelled or judged by society.

"Playing a negative character is all about getting into the skin of it, understanding why they do what they do and accepting that these people are also human and have their own problems which make them prone to expressing negative emotions. As an actor, playing such roles also offers a break from conventional characters," she said.

"It was refreshing to play this part because, so far, my roles have been quite simple and demure. Thanks to such complicated characters, I am getting a chance to explore and showcase my talent."

She said "Raazi" and "Damaged" have been game changers for her.

"In 'Raazi', I got to work with a stellar cast like Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in a Dharma Productions film directed by someone like Meghna Gulzar, who is a powerhouse of talent. This comes with certain perks and raises the bar for an actor, both in terms of extending the scope of their performance and their value in the industry.

"Similarly, working on a project like 'Damaged' has helped me showcase my skills as a performer. Everyone expected me to take up roles which showed me as a simple and happy-go-lucky girl. However, by playing a bold and unapologetic character in 'Damaged', I think I have managed to pleasantly shock my fans, friends and family alike. I am truly grateful for these experiences and the support that I have received so far."

Do we see her on television again?

"As an actor, I am enjoying the current phase of my career. I am getting to experiment with genres, characters and mediums, which I hadn't done so far. I am focusing on the roles I play and showcasing my acting skills, so for me to come back on TV, it has to be a really interesting role," said Amruta, who has done shows like "Time Bomb 9/11" and "24" as well as some reality shows.

(Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in <mailto:radhika.b@ians.in>)

--IANS

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