Parull Chaudhry's fearless approach to acting

BEING a positive person means Parull Chaudhry has been handling the coronavirus induced lockdown pretty well.

The hardworking actress has been spending time with family, embracing normality with open arms and taking a much needed rest after a hectic work schedule that includes working on hit serial Kasautii Zindagii Kay. She has mixed up doing housework with yoga, reading, relaxing and uploading YouTube videos.

Eastern Eye caught up with small screen star Parull at home to talk about acting, her plans, fearless approach and inspirations.

What are you watching during lockdown?

I am watching Money Heist on Netflix and loved The Lion King on Hotstar Disney. I haven’t binge-watched anything because I feel I have too many other things to do.

How do you look at your acting journey?

Well, it’s been a great journey because I had no background of being an actor and didn’t go to acting school. I was a model prior to acting and somehow, learned everything on the job, and kind of evolved as an actor. The best thing after acting school is learning practically on the job. So, I’ve learned everything about acting on my own. Touchwood, I’ve been working continuously, so have no complaints.

Which of your roles has been the most memorable for you?

I think it was my first big break as an actor, which was Tere Mere Sapne on Star Plus, where I played an evil character called Kamya Oberoi. You could say, I was a lead in the show – there was positive and negative lead, so it was fabulous. I got so much to do and perform with that character. My second favourite role would be the Dabur Vatika Brave and Beautiful campaign, revolving around cancer awareness, where I play a woman who has undergone chemotherapy and lost her hair. It’s a beautiful film and I feel my best performance so far.

You are looking forward to returning to work, but do you have a dream role?

Yes, I do! Playing a psychotic serial murderer is my dream role. It would be such an interesting challenge. Like somebody with a very sweet face, but inside she’s evil and a serial murderer, with very dark motives. I would love to take on that challenge on a platform like Netflix. That would be a dream role.

Who would you love to work with?

I would love to have worked with the late Irrfan Khan as a co-actor and would love to work with Rajkummar Rao. They are fabulous actors. When you see them in a film, they are not Rajkummar Rao and Irrfan Khan. They are those characters. You see those characters, not them. They are amazing and so natural. The way they portray their characters on screen is brilliant. They are natural actors, who prepare meticulously for their roles, and I want to work with co-stars like them.

If you weren’t an actor, what would have been a dream career?

If I weren’t an actor, I would have been probably a wildlife enthusiast. I would have done something to do with nature or wildlife. Maybe a wildlife documentary maker or explorer. I love wildlife. Archaeology also intrigues me.

You have taken on different challenges in your career, are you fearless?

Yes, I am absolutely fearless. I think as an actor, you also should be fearless and take everything that comes your way. When the film Dabur Vatika Brave And Beautiful came to me, they asked me if I would shave my head and without blinking an eye, I said, yes. I had been doing negative leads on TV for a while and wanted to break that image. So, when I was given a chance to portray the life of a woman after chemotherapy, I wanted to give it my best. I was even willing to shave my head, but they had an amazing prosthetic makeup guy called Jiggu Dada, who was really fabulous at his job.

What inspires you?

I think everything inspires me. Nature, music and people around me inspire me. It could be my house help, someone I’m meeting, my mother, sister, father or anyone else. People who are visually or physically challenged and those fighting a tough battle in life inspire me – every time I feel low, I think about them and feel so blessed. It is very inspiring to see people who are going through tough challenges, but can smile and accept what life has given them.

What do you love about being an actor?

I hate monotony and routine, so that pretty much explains it. I think being an actor, there is so much to do and something different every day. In every show, I play a different character and never know what challenges the next project holds. You get to explore the personalities of so many people and live different lives. I’ve been blessed to play a different character in each project. It’s been fabulous and I could be nothing else other than an actor.