Actress Eisha Singh, who plays the lead character Juhi—a young woman on the autism spectrum—in Colors TV’s Juhi Mui, produced by Rose Audio Visuals, has opened up about the transformative journey of portraying such a complex and sensitive role. From unlearning conventional acting habits to building specific physical mannerisms, Eisha shared how the character has reshaped her perspective both on and off screen in an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com.

Reflecting on her approach to the character, Eisha explained that playing Juhi required her to strip away traditional acting techniques. “Juhi has taught me that sometimes, doing less is actually doing much more,” Eisha shared. “I had to let go of certain habits that actors naturally develop – consciously showing an emotion or thinking about reactions to a particular scene. With Juhi, I have to be much more honest. I have learnt to observe more, listen more and not force any emotion.”

Maintaining the same rhythm of Juhi for long shifts can be really tiring, but I think it has become a part of my muscle memory.

To bring authenticity to Juhi’s physical traits, Eisha engaged in thorough research, including interacting with members of the autism community. Interestingly, some of Juhi’s signature traits came straight from Eisha’s own habits. “Every time she scratches her hand, it is very much an Eisha trait. When I am nervous, I scratch the back of my neck. That is where the scratching on the hand comes from… Maintaining the same rhythm of Juhi for long shifts can be really tiring, but I think it has become a part of my muscle memory.”

Navigating such an intense headspace requires an intentional unwinding routine after long shoot days. “Off screen I laugh a lot and look into people’s eyes a lot,” Eisha noted. “When the cut happens, I shake myself a bit, purposely laugh and jump. At home, I talk to mamma, spend time with my 6 cats.”

Vijayendra is someone I can bounce things off while shooting, and that makes a huge difference. I love my scenes with him.

The feedback from viewers and families within the autism community has been deeply moving for the actress. “The feedback that has stayed with me the most is when people in the autism community and families tell me that they see a little bit of themselves in Juhi, and when they see a ray of hope,” she shared. “It reminds me that this is not just a character I play. It makes me more responsible in the character… It has made me more conscious of how important it is to portray her with a lot more dignity and honesty.”

Stepping into Juhi’s shoes has fundamentally changed how Eisha measures success in her career. “Earlier I used to think that success was easily measured—how popular the show is, how much people like you, TRPs, etc. But Juhi has changed the way I look at it. Today, if one praises me for my performance in the role of Juhi, that is a big achievement… If Juhi can make people feel a little more empathetic and make them feel seen, that is success for me.”

Eisha also spoke fondly of her co-star Vijayendra Kumeria, highlighting their strong professional synergy in the Rose Audio Visuals production. “Vijayendra is a beautiful human. He is so talented, and there is so much ease in the way he works. He is someone I can bounce things off, and that makes a huge difference. I love my scenes with him. I know very well that he will handle it if I improvise. I respect him a lot.”