On playing the wife of ATU chief Jai Singh Rathod in a thriller series
While accepting the role of Trisha, I had the benefit of having watched the original 24, and I knew that the show’s tracks are like 5 horses running in 5 different directions, and everyone has enough to perform. So there was no fear of getting to do less. Also, people in India are partial towards the emotional side of a story, even if it is a thriller, so I was pretty relaxed.
On what she brought to the character
When I knew I was playing Trisha, I made a conscious decision not to copy Teri Bauer (Jack Bauer’s wife in the original 24) I discussed this with Abhinay and Anil and tried to make her into an aam aadmi, an earthy person who is caught up in this web of terror. Even though she is the wife of the ATU chief, she is also part of the large, educated populace, any of whom can get stuck in all of this. But she is also sharp, smart on her feet and can do whatever is needed to protect her family.
On doing action for 24
Now I know why the boys go all gaga over the action scenes. It is such an adrenaline rush to be a part of car chases and gun fights! I’m hooked on to action scenes now. There was a scene where our car was going to be smashed by two cars coming in from both sides, and it was deafening! But after doing such scenes, I’m addicted to action. Dramatic scenes have a ‘been there, done that’ feel, so I’ll remember 24 for the pace of shooting and action in it.
On the boys taking care of her during action scenes
People were very keen on taking care of me or giving me a helping hand whenever we had to climb up hills. But I’m a tough girl, used to the hills, so I did it on my own. I can also take good care of myself, so very soon they gave up and I became one of the boys. I don’t scream or get scared even during risky scenes, and being quite the tomboy, it was all good.
On the most memorable scene in 24
I don’t want to reveal too much, but there was a scene where I had to break down a door with a log. And before the shoot, I had broken one of my ribs (not on shoot, though). So the unit was being cautious, using a body double for the more intense scenes. But as the scene wasn’t coming out as desired, Abhinay asked me to just go for it. And I did! And funnily enough, the whole door came crashing down, making everyone burst out laughing. They thought that if I could do this with a broken rib, imagine what I could do if I were in normal shape!
On the cast of 24
Anil Kapoor is an exceptional person, very supportive and an actor who raises the bar on sets. All the actors- Sapna, Neil, in fact the whole unit were fantastic. But the best part was working with Shabana Azmi. I have been a fan of her since forever, and we always wanted to work with each other. Originally, I thought I didn’t have any scenes with her, but when we did a scene together, it was fantastic! 24 gave me this unforgettable experience of working with Shabanaji and I will cherish it forever!
On the reception that 24 is getting
Wherever I have been for the last few days, people talk about 24. And they have such positive things to say about the show! Not just the team, but people who have not worked on the show also want the show to succeed as they think it is a game-changer. It is very rare for people to be happy to another person’s show, but in the case of 24, people are happy because they think it will open doors for other good shows on Indian television.
