From playing a tomboy in the TV sitcom Kya Mast Hai Life to an upper-caste girl in Masaan and a teenage student in Haraamkhor, you have played diverse characters. Was it a conscious decision to choose roles that would push your boundaries as an actor?
I have always been excited to play characters that are very different, not only from each other but also from me. It was not a conscious decision, but my upbringing has played an important part. My father is an IAS officer and my mom is a teacher, both are retired now. I think the foundation and how the artiste is brought up makes a huge difference. I enjoy playing characters that look and feel different from each other because I do not ever want my audience to get bored. Every time they see me, I want them to see a different version of me. That keeps me on my toes because every time there is a different kind of homework [involved], there is a different way to approach every project.
You have also chosen different genres and languages, such as acting in Zoo, India’s first film shot entirely on an iPhone, and the web series Mirzapur. You will be acting in the Tamil film Mehandi Circus, the Hollywood indie The Illegal and the sci-fi feature Cargo. Are you a risk taker?
I think it is fun to take risks. I do not think any platform or language should restrict the kind of work you want to do. That is why I want to do Bengali films. I definitely want to do more south Indian films, hopefully even Iranian films, because language and emotions transcend everything. Language is a very important part, but I think that language is something that can be learnt. I like to experiment, be it Zoo, which was shot on an iPhone, and that was very exciting for me. For artistes, that experience makes us, every project that we choose makes us. So, my aim will always be that.
You also wrote a script with a screenwriter friend?
I did not write the script, but I developed the concept with writers. Hopefully, you will see me turning producer this year.
You tied the knot with rapper Chaitanya Sharma last year. Has married life been everything you hoped it would be?
Married life has been better than anything I had expected. That is also because I have supportive and loving in-laws. They understand that, for me, work is sacred. Life has been great, career-wise, too. After marriage, I have been working nonstop.