Actress Indraxi Kanjilal, currently seen as Prathana in the popular Sony SAB show Pushpa Impossible, produced by Hats Off Production, believes in embracing both the praise and criticism that come with portraying complex characters on screen. She says that, with social media today, there is a constant stream of reactions that come with every episode.
“In today’s age, of course, social media plays a huge role, and it’s very important. Having an active social media presence is a very important thing these days because, like, in every house, everywhere you go, people are like, ‘Do you have Instagram? Do you have an Instagram account?’ They ask that all the time. So, you just have to be very active on social media,” she says.
She adds, “When you get feedback on social media when the audience is complaining about something related to your character, it actually doesn’t have anything to do with you personally. It just means that people are noticing your character. You know, like, if you are getting feedback on your character, it means people are taking your character seriously and reacting to it. So, it feels like a positive thing. Even the complaints are a positive sign.”
However, she does not let this get to her in any way. “Does that feedback affect, change, or progress my character? No, absolutely not. It is in the hands of the writers to do anything with the character. I just have one job to learn my character and portray it well. So I just focus on that. It doesn’t bother me if there is hate around the character as well, because it just means I am playing the character well.”
Indraxi adds that the landscape of storytelling is changing, especially with the rise of digital platforms. “With so many platforms and genres, it is very exciting for a performer, for an actor, because you get to perform new things. I swear, the web industry is doing so much better now. Netflix and all these other platforms are just at another level, because you can watch them with intent and, at the same time, relax and enjoy something new.”
However, she says that TV as a medium needs to grow as well. “I feel like the television industry has, in some way, deteriorated over time. These days, all the female leads are just the same. It is always one kind of character that every girl plays. There’s mytho, and then there’s the horror or supernatural genre with daayans and such. And then there’s the romance genre with a touch of “woman empowerment,” which they call woman empowerment, but honestly, it’s not. That’s not what real empowerment looks like today,” she says.
She adds, “So, as a television actor, I do feel the industry has declined a bit because there are no fresh storylines. That’s why I think web series and web shows are doing much better. I am excited about it as an actor, and I would love to explore that space to be part of that kind of creativity.”
