The investigation of the Burari death case, which shook the nation in the middle of the year 2018, has been fictionalised in the web series Aakhri Sach spearheaded by actress Tamannah Bhatia, who plays the chief investigative officer. As 4 four episodes of the saga released on Disney+Hotstar so far, we speak with actress Kriti Vij, who plays Anshika, one of the deceased Chundawats.
How did you bag the role?
I auditioned for it with Mukesh Chhabra’s casting company and it sounded incredibly intriguing from the word go.
Akhri Sach is a fictional story with fictional characters inspired by a real event that went down in history as one of the most bizarre and horrifying cases. The show follows the crime investigation that uncovers a series of complex events and dynamics of a family. My role in the show is that of a girl called Anshika who is one of the family members. She holds a job at a company and is an ambitious and hard-working girl. Besides, she is also about to get married, arranged by the family.
As an actor, every project demands a different sort of preparation and for this one, I was acutely aware that although it was a fictional story and character, it was still inspired by a real person and that was a first for me. I wanted to strike a balance between being informed but also leaving some aspects to the imagination. This real case was mysterious, complex and heart-wrenching all at once. I wanted to keep my personal emotions at bay.
How was it working with Tamannah Bhatia and Abhishek Banerjee?
Tamannah is an extremely warm person and she has done an amazing job in the show. We unfortunately didn’t have any scenes together but I met her very briefly on sets once and she was lovely! Abhishek and I, of course, worked closely and he is so talented. There were lots to learn from him.
How has your journey as an actor been so far?
I never thought I’d become an actor. It just went with the flow. As a kid, I loved being on stage because I hated being in the classroom. So, after passing out of college, I started doing a lot of theatre in Delhi. One thing led to the next, and I came to Mumbai to start working professionally.
What kind of roles interests you?
I like playing characters with complexity and layers, the sort of roles that allow for depth and growth.
Any directors you wish to work with?
So many! I recently finished watching two films by Chaitanya Tamhane and I am a big fan. I would love to work with him. Also, I absolutely love Konkana Sen Sharma’s storytelling.
Your upcoming projects?
There are some projects in the pipeline and I am extremely excited about those. I have Illegal season 3 coming out soon.
Aakhri Sach is now streaming on Disney+Hotstar