#NewsBytesExclusive: 'The Jengaburu Curse's Faria speaks about her Hindi debut
Actor Faria, who predominantly works in Tamil and Telugu industries, is set to make her Hindi debut with The Jengaburu Curse (TJC). Slated for an OTT release on August 9 on SonyLIV, it also features Nassar. Ahead of its release, Faria talked about the series while also drawing parallels between Oppenheimer and TJC, which is touted to be India's first cli-fi (climate-fiction) series. Excerpts.
The response you've received since 'TJC's trailer release?
There is a heavily induced curiosity around the series with everyone trying to guess what is it about. Especially with the release of Oppenheimer, there are guessworks by people assuming that TJC also revolves around a similar topic. Also, there are assumptions that it is related to COVID-19. In totality, people are really intrigued since the time the trailer was dropped.
Speaking of 'Oppenheimer,' did you watch it?
It's very rare that somebody shares the other side of what happens at a level like the Hiroshima-Nagasaki disaster. The grey shades of this story are seldom talked about. The way it's been shown has impacted me a lot because you understand the unaware culture that's there. It's making you understand the consequences of an action. That's exactly what we've talked about in Jengaburu.
How do you draw parallels between 'Oppenheimer' and 'TJC'?
Both are about traumatic experiences. It's about the helplessness that people have to go through even if they haven't done anything wrong in the situation. This isn't just a Jengaburu or Hiroshima-Nagasaki story but everyone in the world can see that such stories play out every time there's a powerful person making decisions about something that's greedy or beyond our needs.
How was it working with Nassar, Makarand Deshpande?
There's a lot that I have learned from them. When I was on sets with Nassar Sir, we spoke in Tamil. He also talks in Telugu, so language was our first bonding. He's very childlike which is the best quality. As a person, he's very humble and grounded. I've learned humility from Makarand sir; his knowledge of politics, theater, religious scriptures, etc., is vast.
Is it true that a tattoo got you the role?
Yes, it's a true story! During the narration, the director mentioned a specific tattoo on the leg of my character. Call it a coincidence, to everyone's surprise, I had the exact same tattoo design on my leg. At that moment, especially when I saw Nali Madhab Panda (director)'s reaction to my tattoo, it felt like I was destined to play Priyambada's role.
Were there moments where you personally resonated with Priyambada?
There are parts where she has to show pain about her father being away. Those emotions I derived from my personal life because my father works outside India and I miss him a lot. I also related to Priya when she stands up for her community and people. I feel like it's who I am as a person too when it's about my tribe.
Tell us about your Hindi debut experience and upcoming projects
I'm hoping TJC will open up a lot more opportunities for me. The Hindi content which is released on OTT these days is wonderful and interesting. My exposure as a child has mostly been to Hindi films; I rarely used to watch regional cinema. Next, I'm doing a film with Allari Naresh and a Tamil movie with Vijay Anthony.
